880 January 20-21, 2023 Camping At Kofa

Happy happy birthday to my sister Debbie!

I began Friday with a nice walk on the bike path in West Wetlands.  This is such a pleasant place to begin the day!

Tim finished his workout and then took a bike ride to the river.

We packed the Jeep and drove 60 miles to the north to Palm Canyon Drive in Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. 

We took the 4WD trail to Queen’s Canyon.  Fortunately, our favorite campsite was available.  The first thing we noticed is that it was 10 degrees cooler than Yuma; only 52 degrees.  It was also windy.  We parked the Jeep so that it blocked the firepit from the bulk of the wind.  We also put tarp along the bottom of the Jeep to keep the wind from coming underneath.  Once we were situated, it was okay if we stood in the shelter that we created and faced the sunshine. 

Tim took a walk across the desert.  I actually hunkered down in the Jeep for a while, just looking at the scenery. 

When Tim got back, he started the fire and things were fairly comfortable. 

I hiked a mile or so around this huge rock formation. 

I had to pick my way carefully to avoid the cholla landmines.  Cholla cactus breaks off in small pieces.  These pieces are then dropped to the desert floor.  If circumstances are right, they take root and become a new plant.  Sometimes passing hikers or animals carry the pieces on their clothing or fur and the pieces are dropped further away where they have a chance to propagate.

This huge rock resembles a gorilla…can you see it?

The wind died down around dinnertime.  We ate lettuce wraps and kale salad and lemon capellini.  We drank some wine as we watched the sunset.  Enjoy Tim’s video.

We knew that when the sun went down it would get even cooler and the overnight forecast was for 35 degrees.  We enjoyed the fire for a short time and then I think we were in the tent before 7:30. We had on lots of layers and we were mostly cozy in our sleeping bags with extra blankets.

We had periodic gusts of wind overnight.  The only thing that we could hear was the wind. 

Tim got up first and had the fire going and coffee made by the time I crawled out of the tent.  It was 9am before the sun finally made its way over the mountains.  For me, the sunshine makes all the difference.  It’s not just that I like the sunshine, I find that I actually need it.  It makes me warm and happy!

Tim hiked while I packed gear.

I hiked the road toward “the skull.”  Tim gave me a 20-minute head start so that I could get some walking in.

Goat nuts…supposdly taste like hazelnuts.

We took the Jeep and drove almost all the way to the end.  We saw a hiker and stopped to chat.  Bob spent 45 years in Alaska.  He was an interesting person to talk to and had lots of stories to tell.  For the last 2 years he has lived here in Arizona.  He has a backpack with all his gear and he lives in his Ford Escape…that’s all he needs.

Pretty ride.

So, this trip was chillier and windier than we expected.  It was hard to stay warm and difficult to sleep.  Having said all that…I would do it again.  WHY???  The solitude and beauty of this place draws us in and whatever Mother Nature dishes out…it is still worth it to spend time out here!

We drove back to Yuma, stopping at a produce stand where we got lot of good deals on fresh fruits and veggies.  We also got tamales for dinner.

We spent the afternoon cleaning gear, napping, and showering.

Saturday evening, we drove into historic Yuma to the old theater on Main Street.  We saw the movie “A Man Called Otto.”  This was a poignant story about love and loss and finding joy again.  We loved it.  A Tom Hanks performance is always worth seeing!