926 March 16-17, 2023 More Rocks

I started the day with another walk along the river. 

Red brome is an invasive grass here in California.

Cottonwood seeds are floating everywhere!

The storms last night were mainly to the north.  California 95 was closed today because of washouts.

We packed the Jeep and went for a desert overnight.  We took Midland Road and then followed the powerline road into the Big Maria Mountain Wilderness. 

We hardly ever research an area before we set out, preferring to be surprised by what we find.  Rarely, this might be a disadvantage; we might miss something.  Usually, we find cool stuff which just adds to our adventure.  We took a road that looked like it lead up into the mountains.  We stopped short when the road became impassable. 

We backtracked a short distance to find a level site.  We found a place with a fire ring.  It also looked like there had been some sort of structures here.  We later found some tin cans; tuna cans, sardine cans and bean cans.  We also found really thick clear glass and pieces of dishes in the wash below.  We think that this might have been some sort of mining camp.

Tim’s videos.

The scenery was amazing and we both took walks and we both took lots of pictures.  This portion of the desert is very stark and barren with very little vegetation but there is ample beauty here.

Tim took pictures from the top of a ridge.  I couldn’t see it from our campsite but he was actually standing on the edge of a 50-foot drop-off into a wash.  Can you see the Jeep in his picture.

The white bands in the mountains are white quartz. 

I wish I knew more about geology.  There were all kinds of rocks here.  I thought this was particularly interesting.  I downloaded a rock identifier app when we got back and learned that this was a piece of petrified wood.

Little barrel cactus.

We did the usual stuff…dinner and campfire and stargazing; all of it brings us joy every single time.  We realized that we were out Jeeping in this area 2 years ago looking at all the cool places there were to camp.  It was then that we decided to look into getting a rooftop tent…and a week later we had it installed.  That was a decision that we have never regretted. 

The sunset; gorgeous.

It was really windy most of the night but we were plenty warm enough.  We woke to bright sunshine.

We decided to take the long way home.  The road was really rocky and rough for miles. 

Breakfast break after the pass.

Ahead we could see what looked like sandy roads. 

Then we were in an area of sand dunes.  The sand had drifted across the road and luckily there were tracks to follow.

Then we were back in scrubby desert and in a few of the washes there were flowers; desert lilies, sand verbena, desert primroses and desert dandelions.  This was such a diverse and pretty ride.  It took us more than 2 ½ hours to get back.

We were tired the rest of the day!

Tim took a short bike ride but I didn’t even have the energy for that!

We grilled dinner and then took a nice walk in the campground.  Until tomorrow…

925 March 15, 2023 Clouds

It rained gently all night. 

My first job was to secure a place here at the campground until Sunday.  It means that we wilI have to move to another site in the morning

I waited to walk until the skies began to clear and then walked 4 miles in the ecological preserve.  Tim had finished before me.

We had to postpone our tent camping again.  The forecast today was for strong winds and thunderstorms.

The highlight if the day was to Blythe for fresh water and a few groceries.  Afterward, we went for a ride and I took pictures of the clouds.

We did have a short period of windy weather and then thunder a quick storm.

There was a rainbow.

We walked after dinner as the sun set.

924 March 14, 2023 Foiled Plans

It was our intention to go out overnight but the forecast for today was for wind and rain.  We have had a few drips and dribbles over the course of the day…enough that we were glad not to be getting everything wet.

I tried to take my morning walk.  I didn’t want to go out to the ecological preserve in case the dogs were running.  I decided to walk in the neighborhood.  There was a gate standing open and two dogs barking and heading toward me.  I turned around and a small but fierce chihuahua was chasing me and barking his fool little head off.  I went back to the campground, resigned to walking loops.  It was then that I saw the lady from yesterday with one of her border collies…the aggressive dog.  I went to speak to her.  Her dog was so off the hook that she had to put her in the RV in order to hear me.   She agreed that her dogs should not have been off leash and was acutely aware that her dog had a tendency to be overprotective and threatening.  She made her apologies and gave me her reassurances that the dogs would not be running freely again. 

With that resolved, I went for a lovely walk along the river.  Tim was going in as I was coming out.

Later, we both went to the laundromat.  As we were waiting for the washers, we were working to plan the next phase of our trip.  We looked at weather forecasts and decided that Death Valley National Park might be the warmest place to go.  When we got to the website, we saw alerts about the road conditions in the park.  Only the paved roads are currently passable.  Summer flooding has destroyed many of the backcountry roads.  We have seen the paved portion of the park several times…what to do…where to go???

We had light rain this afternoon and we rested and read.

We made mushroom and spinach omelets for our dinner.

Then, we began to try to make a plan again.  We decided to stay here in Blythe for another couple of days.  Next week we will go north a short distance to Lake Havasu and then, check the weather again and decide where to go after that!

923 March 12-13 Night On The River

I started the day with a long walk in the ecological preserve.  I saw a coyote running across a grassy field and into the woods.  As I returned, I saw the father owl sitting on a branch in the cottonwood tree, keeping watch over the mama and her nest.

Tim took his walk and then watched the NASCAR race.

We had packed the Jeep for an overnight adventure.  We traveled just about 10 miles to a spot above the Palo Verde Diversion Dam.  The mighty Colorado River is tamed by 15 dams along the main tributary.  This is a small dam.  From our campsite we could here the rush of water passing through.

Our site.

It was such a pleasant evening.  There was no wind.  There were plenty of birds to watch.  Songbirds and hummingbirds flitted through the scruffy trees adjacent to the campsite.  There were coots and other ducks floating on the river current. 

There was a solitary white pelican.

We had our dinner.

At sunset, the coyotes began their concert.  The sounds came from across the river.  We heard them all night.  With dusk came small swarms of mayflies.  As the sky grew dark, tiny black bats flew about jerky and erratic feasting on the bugs.

We waited for the stars, finally glimmering and bright.

We slept with the tent door open, enjoying the mild temperatures.

This morning Tim awoke to the beginning of sunrise and took a picture from the tent. 

I heard the click of the camera and we got up to watch the sun make its appearance.

We got back to the RV and unpacked.

I took a walk in the neighborhood and then feeling good continued on getting a good three miles done.

As I returned, Tim was just setting out.  He had finished his stretching and strength training.  In order to get to the ecological preserve you have to cross a large open and dusty field.  An older couple had let their two border collies off leash and the dogs were running.  As Tim approached one of the dogs charged at him snarling and growling with teeth bared.  Tim was in fight or flight mode.  He threw out his foot and the dog dodged him and backed off.  In the meantime, the second dog had circled around behind him and was crouched low and posed to pounce.  Tim kicked backward and connected with the dog.  The two dogs then ran away.  Tim was very angry.  He is a dog guy and not easily intimidated but this was a scary episode.  The couple stood there stupefied and gaping.  They never apologized or even tried to call their dogs off.  Tim yelled at them to learn to control their animals.  How he went on to take his walk…I’m not quite sure.  He was still upset when he got back.  He was glad that I hadn’t gone to walk there.  He knew that I would have been petrified and that I might have gotten bitten.  I’m not sure I want to go and walk there again by myself.  I will be looking for the pair of dogs before I go.

This afternoon, we drove across the border into Arizona to get gas for the Jeep. Gas prices there are $1.50 less per gallon! There are lots of other people coming from California with a similar idea. That gas station was crazy busy!

We went into Blythe.  We washed the Jeep and got a few groceries.  Then we went to Garcia’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant for a very early dinner.

This evening, I took a bike ride and then Tim and I went over to check on the owls.

All is well.

922 March 11, 2023 Watch Your Step

It is so nice and mild.  I was able to sleep with my window open for most of the night.

I began the day with a great walk in the ecological preserve.  I was talking with my mom on the phone as I do most mornings.  I had just hung up and was attempting to start my audiobook.  18 inches in front of me on the trail was this…

I backed away, my adrenaline coursing, my heart pounding.  I didn’t see a rattle.  The 4-foot snake was not in any hurry to move along.  I saw a parallel dirt path and walked as far away as I could, my eyes on the snake.  He stayed still and I was safe.  Later research indicates that he was probably a harmless gopher snake…shew!

What a beautiful day to be flying!

Every time we have stayed here at Mayflower, there has been a pair of nesting great horned owls.  The tree that they nested in last year fell over in a storm this summer.  Owls don’t build their own nests but usually take a nest abandoned by another larger bird or sometimes a squirrels’ nest.  They like to stay in the crotch of a tree.  There was a ravens’ nest in the large cottonwood tree on the edge of the campground.  The ravens were occupying their nest when the owls decided that they needed it.  Apparently, a battle ensued…the owls won.  The mama owl has been sitting for almost a week.  This morning I caught sight of her tailfeathers.

Today, I spent 1 hour and 23 minutes on the phone with DISH TV to restore our service.  I needed them to send a signal to our box and the only way to get that done was to be patient until I could get help. They have had a serious cybersecurity attack and things are a huge mess!

Later, we took the Jeep to Midland-Vidal Road and drove into the desert…always looking for campsites.

We went to town for a few things.

This evening after dinner, I took another walk.  The owl was situated facing out in her nest.  She knew I was there and eyed me suspiciously.

This is the magnificent cottonwood where the owls live.

There was a vermillion flycatcher in the treetop.

Some pretty sky.

921 March 10, 2023 Along The River

I waited until the rain showers stopped and then went to walk along the Colorado River.  It is such a pretty place to be.  It was easy to walk more than 4 miles.

Tim was walking to the river as I was walking back to the RV.

We packed a few snacks and then took the Jeep to explore. 

We wanted to find an overnight campsite on the water’s edge.  We thought we might go out tonight but it was too windy for tent camping.  We took lots of gravel access roads and got out to look several times.  We have a few promising options.

We drove over the river and into Arizona. 

We went to the town of Parker.  We found a small community park, Pop Harvey Park, where we had figs and raspberries and pecans for a snack. It was fun to watch the children on the playground.

We filled the Jeep with fuel that was $1.50 less than California fuel.  We stopped at Walmart to check for a bike tire but had no luck.  The nearest bike shop is over an hour away.

We got back to the campground after 4pm.  I put together stuff for lettuce wraps and we had our dinner at a picnic table with a beautiful view.

After eating, we walked and watched the sunset.

920 March 9, 2023 Blythe

We left early this morning and traveled 70 miles to Blythe, California.  The weather north of here is just not nice.  So, we plan to stay for a week here and see what happens next.  There are forecasts for 9-12 inches of rain and lots of snow in the Sierras and high wind warnings in the desert.  We are glad to be away from Borrego for that reason and we are very glad that we decided not to head toward the coast.

Today it was 76 degrees and gorgeous here with a weeks’ worth of equally lovely weather forecasted…we shall see!

We are camping at Mayflower Park where we have stayed several times before.  We settled in and I took a walk down by the Colorado River.

Then, through the surrounding neighborhood.

Tim walked along the river and saw a coyote near the lagoon.  Later he tried to ride his bike but he has another flat and no spare inner tube after using the extra to repair his front tire last week.  He took my bike out for a short while.

We relaxed this afternoon.  Tim spent time looking at maps.  I secured a California BLM Campfire Permit after watching the safety video and then passing the quiz with a perfect score.

We watched the sunset while I grilled fish for dinner. 

We are looking forward to being here.

919 March 8, 2023 Chiriaco Summit

I took a last 3 mile walk through Anza Borrego State Park this morning.  We filled our propane tank at the RV park and settled our electric bill for the month. 

We drove the short distance to Indio.  It is very pretty here.  It was really nice to see green grass and stores!

We started with supplies at Walmart.  We went to CVS for prescriptions and then went to Sprouts for groceries.  Tim did a masterful job of navigating through the city streets and parking lots.  We are stocked and loaded!

We drove another 30 miles to a Harvest Host site.  The General Patton Museum is in the small berg of Chiriaco Summit.  This was the where Patton assembled the Desert Training Center during WWII.  There was a camp here where soldiers trained for the upcoming battle in North Africa.  It was remote and extremely hot.  Patton wanted to emulate conditions as closely as possible so that the troops would be well prepared.

Patton was a leader and had several principles that he employed. 

A man of strong beliefs and opinions.

Patton fought alongside his men and survived the war.  He was called a hero.  He died just months later in a car accident.

Jeeps were initially manufactured in 1941 during the war and they were wartime field vehicles.

There was a large display of tanks.

Other interesting exhibits. 

The Harvest Host site is actually sponsored by the community.  There is a large space in the desert where people are allowed to come and boondock. 

We had a beautiful sunset this evening.

918 March 7, 2023 Rockhouse Canyon

I had so much laundry to do that I decided to go to the laundromat in lieu of using our machine.  I wanted to get it all done as quickly as I could so that we could still have playtime on our last day.  I tried walking between switching clothes but didn’t get a very good walk done…sometimes multitasking is not effective!

I went back to the grocery to get fresh water.  Tim had gone for a walk along the ridge. I saw movement and pulled over to take a closer look.  I used the zoom on the camera and found him. He was at an elevation of 1,110, 360 feet above the town.

I went to fill the car with gas and saw 10 jumpers floating down to the desert floor.

This afternoon, we took a Jeep ride in Rockhouse Canyon.  The weather was finally perfect.  The scenery still beautiful to us even after all these weeks.

We saw an abandoned stone shack and almost passed by.  We saw a sign on the door that said Peace House and Please Close the Door When You Leave. 

We were intrigued.  We entered and saw this quaint space.  People have left all manner of things as mementoes.  There were snacks and drink bottles and notes and there was a guest book with names.  What a cool little place.  This set the tone for the rest of our day.

A fun surprise in the middle of nowhere!

We turned into the canyon and saw two Marine helicopters coming through.  The second banked to acknowledge our presence.

We continued to enjoy the ride. 

As we drove deeper into the canyon, the wildflowers began to appear…more varieties and colors and beauty as we went.

We have heard of chaparral but never known what it was.  For weeks we have been seeing this orange vine covering other shrubs in the desert.  This is a parasitic plant native to California.

These are the first golden poppies we have seen here.

Such a riot of blooms arranged in gardens and bouquets by nature; it was stunning!

Being here today elicited a deep sense of serenity and contentment. 

We went to Pablitos for a late lunch. It was such a treat to be able to eat outside!

We will miss lots of things about this quirky town; farmers markets, Borrego Bread, Jeep trails, and tent camping trips.  It is time to move on and see what else we can find to get into!

917 March 6, 2023 Up The Hill For Lunch

We both did our morning workouts and then we left for a daytrip to Julian.

We drove up and over the mountains to an elevation of over 4,000 feet.  It was 64 degrees in Borrego Springs and 44 degrees in Julian.  We are really only 17 miles away as the crow flies.  To get to Julian it is 39 miles or 1 hour on twisted roads.  There were snow covered mountains as we traveled.   This is a gorgeous ride. 

We arrived in town and walked down Main Street, browsing in the many very cool stores.  If we had a place to put things, this would be a fun town to actually shop in, but we don’t need things and so we just looked.

We stopped at the California Wolf Center Nature Store.  We had been scheduled to take a tour of the Wolf Sanctuary last Friday and then again today but all the tours have been cancelled for the past two weeks because of the extreme amount of snow that this little town in Southern California had received.  There was just a little dirty snow along the roadside today but the ranch that houses the wolves has a road that is too wet to easily pass.  We were disappointed but decided to take the trip to Julian anyway.

After walking both sides of the street, we got into the Jeep and drove 3 miles to Jeremy’s On The Hill.  We had lunch here last year and we loved it enough to come back.  We ordered the brussel sprouts…the most incredibly amazing brussel sprouts that we have ever had.  I wish that I could cook them like Jeremy does…Tim wishes so also!  We both had delicious salads as well.

Julian is best known for its apple orchards. 21 varieties of apples are grown here. The Julian Pie Company is a destination. Their fruit pies are famous here in SoCal. We resisted the temptation, leaving town without pie.

We took another squiggly road, an equally beautiful ride, back home.