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!

879 January 19, 2023 New Carpet

One more trip to Home Depot to get more materials for the slideout ski replacement project!  Tim finished the job and then we were ready for carpet installation. 

Tim went for a bike ride down to the river while I stayed behind to do some cleaning which was so much easier with everything was moved out of the way.  Cabinets and baseboards and windows…all clean!

At 11, the guys from Supreme Auto Glass arrived.  They repaired 4 chips in the RV windshield.  Another thing checked off the list.  No sooner had they left when Jose was there with our new carpet. 

Jose and his partner worked from noon to 6:30 and the new carpet is dense and soft and gorgeous.  We are grateful for all of their hard work!  Seeing the old carpet laid out against the new, we realized just how badly it had needed to be replaced.  It is something we have wanted to do for a long time and we are glad we found Yuma Home Solutions, Carlos, and his crew. 

On Friday evening, we are going to camp in the desert in Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. We will post on Saturday after our return!

878 January 18, 2023 Getting Stuff Done

I walked two miles into West Wetlands Park all the way to the Ocean to Ocean Highway Bridge, soaking up the sunshine as I trotted along.

I saw this vermillion flycatcher…such a beauty!

Tim rode his bike to the border wall west of the RV park.

Our carpet is being installed tomorrow and so we had some prepping to do.  We had to purchase something to replace our old and cracked slideout skis.  Yuma is definitely a town for snowbirds and there are lots of places to go for parts and supplies.  Carlos, our carpet guy, told us to go to CJ’s.  Cj’s sent us to another place and then they sent us to another place and so on.  Finally, a woman working in parts at RV World showed us a stainless steel section but it wasn’t long enough and it was 113.00 for the 30 inch piece…but it gave Tim an idea.  We drove to Home Depot and wandered through the store,  We looked at Lexan which would have worked but we had no way to cut it into 6 inch wide strips.  We found sheet metal, already cut into 6 x 24-inch lengths.  We bought 5 and some tapcon screws and we were set.

Tim worked to remove the sofa and got to work installing the metal.  It looks like it will work just fine!

This evening, we went to historic Yuma and ate at our favorite haunt, Prison Hill Brewing Company.  We sat outside and enjoyed a good meal.  Our waiter, Miguel, lit a propane heater for us and we were warm and happy.

After dinner, we walked through town.  We found a beautiful new fountain and cactus sculpture.

877 January 17, 2023 Yuma Again!

I had a nice walk this morning first to the petroglyph site and then 1 ¾ miles down a rural lane.  It was 45 degrees and sunny and perfect for walking.

We left at about 10am.  We arrived in Yuma around noon.  We accomplished several things.  We met with Carlos from Yuma Home Solutions.  He measured and gave us a price for new carpet for the RV.  We are hoping that he is able to get product and have it installed in our two week timeframe.  I spent lots of time trying to figure out how to repair/replace my shattered phone screen.  We made calls for a few dings in the RV windshield.  We were also able to get prescriptions transferred and to pick up a few groceries and supplies.  I like to come here to Yuma.  It is usually nice and warm here in the winter and temperatures are forecasted to be in the mid to upper sixties.  We love this campground on the river front because of its proximity to West Wetlands Park with great biking trails.  We also have lots of resources here to take care of some business.  It is nice to stay somewhere and know how to find things.  We plan to be here until the end of January.  We will get some things taken care of and then we plan to have some fun as well!

876 January 15-16, 2023 Goodbye Ajo

Sunday was grey, windy, and there were intermittent rain showers all morning.  I finally got out to walk after noon.

It rained again on and off all day.  The survival of the plants and animals in this green desert depends on these winter rains, along with the summer monsoons.  It was a good day to rest and to prepare for leaving.  It was also Wild Card Sunday.

This morning we left Ajo.  I am quite sure that someday we will find ourselves back in this quirky little town.  The week we have spent here has passed quickly and we have enjoyed our time.

We traveled to Gila Bend where we saw that diesel was 4.09 per gallon.  We filled the RV and headed west on 8. 

We arrived at Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground in early afternoon.  We have stayed here several times before.  I love that we are 12 miles from the highway in a really remote location.  The roads in the campground allow us to take the RV into the desert.  I recall that it is very quiet and very dark. 

We hiked 2 miles into the desert on a gravel BLM road.

There were puddles of water in the low-lying areas after recent rain.

We saw coyote tracks in the muddy washes.

There were lots of animal burrows dug in the soft dirt.

Beautiful scenery all around.

We stopped to rest in this abandoned corral.

Tim had seen a ridge of volcanic rock from our campsite and this was our goal.  From the top we could see a long way.

On the way back, we decided to leave the main trail and traipse across the desert.

The sun finally came out just minutes before it set.

875 January 14, 2023 Victoria Mine Trail

As we were enjoying our coffee, we were serenaded by a lone coyote singing from somewhere beyond the RV park.

I took just a short 1 ½ mile walk this morning down another country road east of the highway.  No intimidating dogs today to scare me off.  I only walked a short distance because we were planning to hike today.  We drove south to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

We had researched trails and had chosen the Victoria Mine Trail; rated an easy to moderate hike with relatively little elevation change.  We talked with a ranger at the Visitor Center and he gave us good information.  We found the trailhead and set off.  Tim hikes like a mountain goat and for a while I had some trouble keeping up.  The ground was uneven loose gravel and rock strewn.  I was using my hiking poles and choosing my footing carefully.  There were rock steps leading into the washes and then back out. 

We hiked the two miles to the mine site.  We met a 76-year-old ex-marine named David.  He had passed us on the trail.  He is in great shape and walks at least three miles every day.  He was a nice guy and he was fun to talk to.

After touring the abandoned silver mine we hiked a short distance further and then decided to forgo the additional 2 mile hike to the Lost Cabin.  We turned back.

We could see a portion of the border wall.  We estimated that we were about 3 miles from Mexico.

The desert was green and beautiful.  We didn’t see any wildlife.  It was cloudy and a little cooler today than it has been this week which actually made it a good hiking day.  We finished the day after 4 ½ miles.  Hiking is a lot different than walking and my legs were tired!

We did see this black water bottle that was likely left behind by someone who had entered the country illegally.  People crossing choose to use these dark bottles because they are less visible than clear or white bottles.

We drove from the park to the Mexican border 5 miles away at Lukeville.

We got back home in early evening.  I’m proud that I am able to walk each day and that I can hike without getting out of breath.  I would like to feel more confident and I hope that I can increase my speed as we get out there and explore more trails.

874 January 13, 2023 New Jeep, Desert, And Jets

I began Thursday with a nice walk.  I decided to avoid the noise of the main road and chose instead to walk on the parallel country road.  It was all good.  There were a few dogs but they all appeared to be behind sturdy fences.  I saw this sign on a property.

I checked maps and found a way to navigate back to the highway.  All at once, on that corner, there was an immense black shepherd.  The dog barked and looked menacing and looked loose.  I backed away slowly and rerouted myself.  The dog did not follow and all was well!

Tim decided to bike to town and called me to meet him at Oasis Coffee.  We split a delicious cappuccino sitting under the palms in the square.

We packed the Jeep for our overnight adventure and left after lunchtime.  This camping trip is only possible because everything fell into place while we were in Atlanta. When we bought the new Jeep, it did not have a roof rack that could accomodate our roof top tent. We left our tent in Maryland with Kyle. We ordered a new Gobi rack in September. It took 3 months to produce. We had thought that we would go home to receive the rack and pick up the tent. When Kyle and Allison decided to come for Christmas in Atlanta, Kyle offered to bring the tent to us in the back of his truck. We were able to change the delivery address for the rack and it was delevered in Atlanta on December 22nd just an hour before Kyle and Allsion arrived with the tent. Tim was able to install everything in time for our departure on January 3rd. We really wanted to have the tent before coming west. There are so many opportunites to camp on public land here in Arizona! Thank you Kyle and Allison!!

We drove to Access Gate 9 in the Barry Goldwater Range.  We wanted to travel across to Hat Mountain and find a camping spot there.  We noticed a change in the landscape.  There was a lot of tall, brittle, dry grass.  We knew this was not a safe area to have a campfire and so we continued to traverse the desert looking for the perfect site. 

There was a pass between the rocks.  As we approached, we could see that the road became very rough.  Tim got out to evaluate and he decided that we would not go any further. 

We retraced our route and settled in a campsite about 7 miles from 85. 

We watched lots of jets throughout the afternoon and into the night.  At times there were as many as 6 planes at a time; some across the highway and others in the tactical range to the east.   We were surrounded, though completely safe, in the protected zone.  We could hear the roar as the planes neared and we could hear a couple of bombs exploding; the sounds of freedom as our good friend Dean would say.  It was a little spooky and thrilling to watch the maneuvers particularly after dark.

After about 2 hours, the pilots turned in for the night.  We sat by the fire and watched the heavens light up with a zillion stars.  The moon had not yet risen and the sky was inky black; perfect for stargazing.  We were reminded of the song  “I want to sleep with you in the desert tonight with a million stars all around.”

I slept well zipped up in my sleeping bag.  The temperature dropped to 46 degrees at about 5am.  We didn’t wake up until 7:24. The day was already brightening.  Sun on my face, hot coffee in my belly, and the heat of the morning fire on my legs…it was a great start to the day.  The first jetfighters appeared at 8.

We packed our gear and then trekked into the desert, hiking just over a mile before turning back.

We had our breakfast when we got back to the Jeep and then we drove back to Ajo.  We unpacked and cleaned up and rested and showered and then went to town for lunch.  We had been looking forward to eating at Farmers Market but they closed early today.  We had simple paninis at the coffee shop. 

873 January 11, 2023 Desert Hike

Another lovely morning for a good walk to town and back.

After Tim finished a bike ride, we packed for another Jeep adventure.  Today we took the scenic loop here in Ajo.  As many times as we have been here, neither of us can recall having taken this road before.  The scenery was craggy and strewn with lots of cactus varieties.  The road was mostly tame with occasional rock obstacles.

We saw lots of potential tent camping sites with pretty desert views. 

For lunch, we drove south to Alamo Campground.  We had thought we might stay here Thursday evening in the tent and we were scoping out the possibilities.  It was fairly busy and the campground now operates on a reservation system.  They also no longer allow campfires.  No fire was a dealbreaker!  Even so it was a pleasant place to enjoy our picnic. 

After eating, we took the Alamo Canyon hike. 

The desert is extraordinarily green. 

There was running water in the wash. 

There was brittlebush blooming.

We sat for a while on a rock; just taking in the sights and the sound of the babbling water.

Desert bug; California bordered plant bug. These bugs live in canyons and suck juice from plants and seeds.

We could see evidence of an impressive rockslide in the middle of the trail.  As we made our way over the mess, we wondered what kind of rain might have pushed these large rocks down the hill?  What did that look like?  What did it sound like?

It was a great day!

We are planning to return to Gate 9 in the Barry Goldwater Range to camp tomorrow. We will post about our overland camping on Friday!

872 January 10, 2023 Jeeping In The Desert

I walked from the campground into Ajo and back this morning.  It was a little more than 4 miles.  The air was cool and it was cloudy so that I missed the warmth of the sun.  There are murals on lots of buildings in town.  These are two that I don’t think I have posted before.

After Tim finished his exercise and a bike ride, we packed the cooler and went to the Barry Goldwater Range north of Ajo.  The Barry Goldwater Range is a large military range.  It covers 1.7 million acres in southwestern Arizona.  It also contains about 2.7 million acres of restricted airspace.

We started at Gate 15.  We had to watch a safety video and obtain a permit to be able to enter.  The gates are secured with combination locks.  We were given the code and away we went!

This was our first desert ride in our new Jeep…the inaugural ride! 

We really love it here!  We took the road to its end and then hiked a short distance.

We traveled further on Route 85 and to Access Gate 9.  Here we found a great lunch spot.

A manmade water source for wildlife.  There were paw prints all around.

Teddy bear cholla.

Hat Mountain in the distance.

So lovely.

It was late afternoon as we started to leave the range.  We could hear jets practicing.  This is a training ground for warfare and target attacks utilize real weapons.  We stopped to watch maneuvers as the pilots dropped bombs in the tactical range across the road.  They then made steep climbs, rapidly ascending and then quickly disappearing from sight.  We watched 6 or 8 planes.  Not too many people get to witness that!

871 January 9, 2023 Ajo For The Week

I began the day with a nice walk on the Bridle Trail at Catalina State Park.  It was cool and crisp and then the sun rose over the Catalina Mountains. 

We drove to a nearby Tractor Supply Company to fill the RV with propane.  Finally, we were on our way south to Ajo. 

We took the scenic route on the Tucson-Ajo Highway through Tohono O’odham Nation.  It is a desolate and beautiful ride.

We arrived in late afternoon and we are camped for the week at Belly Acres.  We spent the remainder of the day doing laundry and setting up DISH and getting fresh drinking water.  Now that we will be in one place for the week, it was time to get organized and more settled. 

We love staying in this town and we are looking forward to some Jeeping, tent camping, and other fun stuff!