Wednesday December 20 – Today’s temperature: 39/72. Clear and breezy
Plans are made to go early to Palm Canyon in the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, about 15 miles from where we are camped. We (Clifford, Rollie, Bill, Sally, and I) head out in a couple of vehicles, driving about seven miles south on 95 to the turnoff, a dirt road that takes us several scenic miles across the Kofa Refuge to the parking area at Palm Canyon.
Scenic views as we drive into the Kofa MountainsView of the Chocolate Mountains to the south from the Palm Canyon parking areaCloser view of the mountains to the south
Now the problem with leaving early is that it is cool in the morning and the mostly south-facing canyon is still deep in shadows.
Canyon in shadows
The wind is chilly, but we are all eager for the hike and head up the trail.
Eager for the trail: Sally, Rollie, Bill, and Clifford
The canyon is lush with desert plants, the trail a bit rugged, but not difficult.
Rugged terrain of the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
At the end of the trail is a viewing spot and a sign. We look across the canyon to the deep ravines on the opposite side to see the palms growing there.
Ravine across the canyon where the palms growClose-up of the nook where the palms have taken foothold
These California Fan Palms are possibly the only native palms in Arizona in a natural location. They may be remnants of an earlier cooler climate or perhaps seeds were carried to the deep ravines by wildlife. Either way, these palms flourish in the coolness of the shadows where the ravine collects moisture from scant rainfall. It is possible to go beyond the trail and make one’s way across the canyon and up to the palms, but we are not doing that today.
Looking deeper into the canyon
After taking photos, we head back down the trail.
Because of the chilly wind, we decide to take our picnic back to camp. Bill has made a great ham and chopped egg sandwich mix for us, which we enjoy around a little campfire, protected from the breeze of the day.
Friday December 15 – Today’s temperature: 47/78. Quite a switch from much of the rest of the country.
Our campsite at first light
Clifford and I walk out to the host station to sign in, since we arrived here too late yesterday to do so. While we are there chatting with the host, my brother Rollie and his little dog Ninja arrive. He has been in Arizona since October and now that we are here, Rollie is going to join us for some time camping together.
After Rollie gets set up just a ways down from us, he takes out his instruments. I get out my guitar and we jump into some bluegrass music. Doesn’t take long for my fingers to object, as it has been quite some time since I’ve played the guitar. One might think playing cello would keep my fingertips tough enough for guitar, but not so.
Music with Rollie and Ninja
I round out the day with editing for Ang – her next series “Dragons of Va’ha’den” – before making chili dinner for Rollie, Clifford, and myself. It is fun talking to Rollie about some of his adventures thus far in his winter travels.
Saturday December 16 – Photos at sunrise, then tea and breakfast with Rollie.
Photos at sunrise
Today is reorganization day, which always happens right after a move. Then a campfire and more music.
Clifford has been getting his ham radios set up, including a 35 foot vertical antenna attached to the end of the camper. I make a spaghetti dinner for us all tonight, then read until midnight.
Sunday December 17 – It is cooler and windy today, so activities are mostly inside, including music, which is quite a feat, as both Rollie’s camper and ours are on the small side when it comes to anything extra, like instruments and extra seating. I edit for a couple of hours in the afternoon; would like to do more, but with all the demands on our solar system, we can only charge my laptop for that long each day. Rollie donates some ribs for dinner and I fix a red sauce and honey topping for them. Tasty!
Evening walkabout and photos of the setting sun
Read before bed, but not so late as last night.
Monday December 18 – It is clear and breezy today. I have tea with Rollie while Clifford is still sleeping.
View to the west from our campsite
Our cousin Bill and his wife Sally arrive to join us for a few days of camping, coming down from Dillon, Montana, in their 5th wheel. They get set up in between Rollie and Clifford and me. Nice big fire ring at their spot, so that becomes our center of operation. Bill is a great cook and makes fancy burgers for us for dinner. Rollie and I do some music, in spite of my sore fingers – hard to resist playing music with someone.
Evening walkabout and photos at sunset
Tuesday December 19 – Today’s temperature: 33/70. I join Rollie at a small campfire at his place this morning for tea, writing in my journal while he plays mandolin. Edit Dragons as long as the laptop has power and then finish reading the book I started a couple of days ago. We have a campfire at Bill and Sally’s spot in the afternoon and more music.
Rollie, Ninja, and Sally at the fire ring, getting set for more music
Clifford is focused on his ham radio, but always joins us for music.
So much fun to have family on the journey. We have plans for an outing tomorrow and we are all looking forward to seeing Palm Canyon.
We were not sure that today would actually be our leaving day, but in checking the weather, we see a high wind warning for tomorrow. That means we either leave today, or we will have to wait until Friday. So, we begin the final preparations of getting the house for us to be gone and finishing packing. Almost everything is checked off the master list, which has been on the fridge for weeks.
It is almost 4:00 by time we are ready to leave, rather a late start, but we are on our way.
Leaving Monticello, heading southOur route is not far from the Monument Valley region, so a few of the formations can be seen.A formation like a giant prehistoric creature
We are aiming for a place called Elephant Feet near Tuba City, Arizona, which appears to be a roadside stop where we can spend the night. As we approach Tuba City, we see a formation that looks like it could be the right place, but there is no sign, no other campers, and nothing to indicate that it is the right place. We go on, thinking that there may be something beyond, but there is not.
So we continue driving, keeping a watchful eye for a truck stop at Tuba City, and finding none we keep going, reaching highway 89, where we turn south. It is dark by time we reach Cameron where there is a truck stop with a convenience store. We park in the back parking lot along with a few semi’s and a couple other RV travelers. We are grateful for finding a safe place to spend the night and the use of the convenience store. Although not very scenic, we do have a peaceful night.
Thursday December 14, 2017
We take our time getting ready to go this morning. I browse the gift shop which features Native American crafts, beautiful fabrics and pottery. When we arrive at Flagstaff, we pick up supplies before heading south on state highway 89 toward Prescott. Arriving there, it is too early in the day to look for the campground we saw indicated on the map. We have time to make it closer to our destination – the LaPaz Valley just south of Quartzsite.
Leaving Prescott, we wind our way over a mountain range, the Juniper Mountains, which looks relatively small on the map. Maps are great, but sometimes features are deceiving. Curve after curve after curve; slow, but very scenic.
The winding road over the mountain south of Prescott, Arizona
After I thought we were out of it, there was another section of narrow twisting roads near Yarnell and a state park dedicated to the 30 firefighters who lost their lives there in a forest fire just a few years ago.
Winding down the mountain toward the valley floor
We thought we would have access to BLM land just a ways beyond – a place to spend the night. However, when we got there, the road seemed to lead to a ranch. This was not what I was seeing on the map, so we decide to keep going on to Quartzsite.
Arizona landscape as we continue on
We drive into the sunset and arrive at Quartzsite while there is still twilight.
Sunset as we approach Quartzsite
The BLM land is only a few miles further on, south on highway 95. Luckily, we are familiar with the Roadrunner camping area just off the LaPaz Valley Road and are able to find a spot alongside a small wash with a good size mesquite tree to provide a homey spot where we can be faced the right direction to handle the wind. It is dark by time we are set up; we only plan to be here a couple of days, but it is a nice spot and no one close by.
We are glad to be here. Hard to believe we only left home yesterday afternoon.
The week of April 17thto April 24th was not remarkable in regard to photo outings, but it is scenic everywhere here, so most photos were taken from the window of our moving vehicle as we made numerous trips to Moab for groceries and sundries, laundromat, access to wifi for business and uploading blogs, taking the Suburban to a mechanic due to the increasingly more severe starting issues, meeting friends for lunch, and looking at possibilities in regard to moving the CI lab to Moab.
Heading to Moab – view of the La Sal MountainsHeading to Moab – Mesas catch my attentionHeading to Moab – notice the dwelling lower frame for size reference
One outing was a visit to our friend’s location out on Kane Creek Road. Turns out that is the road that we took with the pop-up several years ago and we turned around several miles out because we questioned the wisdom of being on that road, especially when towing. At least this time we were not towing, but it is still sketchy in spots and took us much longer than planned to get to his place, and since Clifford had a business call scheduled, we could only stay a few minutes before heading back to cell service in Moab.
Kane Creek Road along the Colorado RiverScenic views from our friend’s locationScenic views from Kane Creek Road
Although the temperatures have been moderate, it has been very windy – too windy to play cello outside. However, in spite of the wind, I went running every morning on trails near this campground, taking time at a favorite rocky outcropping to sit quietly, sending blessings to my kids and friends. This setting has been especially conducive for that, being a peaceful setting in nature away from noise, people, and traffic.
Chisholm Trail mid-morning runEarly morning run on Rowdy Trail
I addition to photo editing and blog writing, I have spent a good amount of time editing for three authors. Thanks to better RV batteries and sunshine, keeping the laptop charged has not recently been such an issue for me. I have been reading My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen – inspirational stories highlighting the importance of accepting life, blessing life, and service as a way of life.
One of the more memorable events during this week period was watching the outstanding documentary film, The Music of Strangers, featuring YoYo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, which was presented free-of-charge at a lovely old theater in Moab. Heart-touching and inspiring, I highly recommend it to everyone, not just musicians.
The Music of Strangers – highly recommended!
When we got ready to go afterward, the Suburban almost didn’t start and we had visions of spending the night in our vehicle right there on a street in Moab. It finally kicked over, thanks to the brand-new battery (another battery purchase in addition to the two new RV batteries). On the next trip to town, starter fluid was added to the shopping list and has been used regularly since then.
The red rocks of Utah canyon lands near Moab
On our last day at Horsethief Campground, we loaded the Suburban and packed up everything inside that we could ahead of time, as we needed to get an early start the next morning to secure a campsite along the Colorado River for the rest of our stay in the area. Horsethief has been an especially good campground because of being off the highway and surrounded by miles and miles of virtual wilderness, a setting which resonates with my soul. I am sorry to leave here, but I anticipate that camping by the river will be good, also.
Thursday March 23rd– Clouds today with rain off and on, wind coming and going. Tea with David and Glen, but since Clifford is fussing with the solar panel, which is not working, we all end up at our place, watching Clifford and offering suggestions. Eventually the right connections are made and the solar panel is on track again.
Rainy view of Virgin River Canyon
I extend an invitation for us all to have dinner together, since David will be leaving tomorrow. We agree on a time and then proceed with the day’s activities. Clifford works with his visible light spectrometer; I edit and write blogs. In the later afternoon I run to the lower campground, hike back on the trail, and then get everything ready for nachos for dinner.
Somber light on the mesas
We meet at David’s place; he has a campfire going, Glen and another neighbor come over, and we have a good visit as we eat. I certainly have enjoyed the friendliness of the longer-term campers here.
Warmth of the evening sunlight on the mesasLast moments of lively light before sunset
Friday March 24th – I have tea with Glen this morning, sitting outside and enjoying the sunny morning. Clifford is too busy already to join us and David has left for California. The day’s activities are similar to yesterday with editing for me and Clifford working with the spectrometer.
Another gorgeous day with the mesa in the background and the Joshua tree that I visit on my run/hike every day.
While editing photos in the evening, my laptop battery goes dead; I must have ignored the warning beep. I am not at all comfortable with this forced shout-down… memo to self: pay attention to little beeps!
Saturday March 25th – I get up earlier this morning, but it is too overcast to see the rising of the sun, which I was hoping for. Make a campfire instead, intending to have my quiet time and journal writing, but Glen comes over. Guess he is a bit lonely, especially now that his buddy David is gone.
View of the Virgin river on my run this overcast dayJoshua tree on the ridge above me
In the afternoon, the sky clears enough to get some light on the solar panels and charge my laptop, finding, fortunately, that the forced shut-down did not cause any damage to any files.
Some clearing in the later afternoon
Sunday March 26th– Have a nice visit with the couple who came in late last night, parking in the spot next to us. Then Clifford and I get ready to head to St. George for supplies and errands, since we will be leaving Virgin River on Tuesday and won’t want to take time for errands. The Suburban is very reluctant starting – not sure what that is about… On to St. George, run our errands and get back in time to put food and sundries away, go for a run, and then start dinner. I have invited Glen to join us, since he will be leaving tomorrow. Start cooking fried chicken, rice, and veges inside, but finish cooking over a campfire so we can sit at the picnic table and enjoy the evening here at this great location – one of my most favorite.
Monday March 27th – The weather is quite a mix today, moving from cloudy to clearing, cloudy and windy, rain, calm, and then cold wind.
Clearing – for the moment
Good day to stay inside and take care of business, since we might not have internet (hotspot via cell service) at our next campground. Check email, download new documents to edit, upload those that are complete, post the next blog, and so on. Today I run the full loop of this campground rather than running to the lower campground, pausing to visit with neighbors on the way, saying good-bye to those we have met.
Overcast on the run todayOvercast soon replaced by real cumulus clouds
We look forward to spending time here next fall on our way south.
Monday March 20th – Today we go to St. George, across the state line in Utah, for errands and supplies. It is a very windy day and we when get back to camp, our awning has blown down. We don’t bother to put it back up, as it is still too windy and the forecast is for cooler weather, so we won’t be needing it so much.
Our campsite at Virgin River – before the wind blows the awning down
Glad to be back out at camp, chatting with Becka when she calls, and seeing a cell video from Ang showing melting snow creating a small river down her driveway. I love hearing from my kids!
Tuesday March 21st– This morning on my way back from my morning walk, the neighbor Glen invites me over for coffee; we wave David over to join us and I go see if Clifford wants to come over, also. What fun! In the afternoon, we meet a couple who pull into the spot next to us for a view of the canyon, but noticing Clifford’s ham antenna gets a conversation started. We chat for about an hour like we have been friends forever. After exchanging contact information, they head on their way home to St. George. Maybe we’ll see them again – who knows?
Our campsite at Virgin River BLM Campground
My son Fin, who lives in China, has just successfully run a marathon! That is an inspiration to all of us, and in talking to Becka this afternoon, (she also runs regularly), she encourages me to start running. So, in the late afternoon I run, rather than walk down the road to the lower campground. Even downhill, it is tiring, and I end up fast-walking much of the way. From the lower campground I hike on down to the river, catching light on the mesa to the east as I go, returning to our campsite on the below the rim trail.
Early evening run/walkHeading down to the riverRiver bottom
I check the sunrise photo contest on FB: quite a few people have responded, but no clear winner yet.
Wednesday March 22nd– Coffee with Glen and David again this morning. I am noticing a pattern of calm in the morning and increasing wind in the afternoon, so today I take the cello out earlier and have a good playing session before the wind comes up.
There are some real clouds today. I run down to the lower campground, making it a bit further than yesterday before running becomes fast-walking and hike down to the river again,
Heading down to the riverThe Virgin River Canyon
…and back to camp on the below the rim trail. I really like this private quiet trail surrounded by the great walls of the Virgin River Canyon and all the desert vegetation.
Joshua tree on the below the rim trailReturning to camp on the below the rim trail
Back at camp, I do some book editing and download my camera. Always fun to take a look at the newest round of photos. I post the winning sunset photos on FB, happy that so many people voted.
In the evening the wind increases and rain obscures views of the mesas to the east.
Evening rain obscures views of the mesas
We watch a western movie segment on our little DVD player while we eat dinner.
Sure enjoying our time here at Virgin River Campground.
Thursday March 16th – I am up early, before sunrise so I can catch the first light on the blossoms on a family of Joshua trees in the campground.
Sunlight on Joshua tree blossomsJoshua tree blossoms, sunlight, and moonJoshua tree blossoms at sunrise
In continuing on my morning walk, I run into David, the friendly fellow I met yesterday, and another neighbor. In commenting about the jet trails marring the sky, it turns out that David is quite aware of the phenomenon and very interested in learning about Clifford’s research.
Today is an editing day for me, but also a good cello-in-the-shade day. Hooray! It is a “biochemical-analyzer” day for Clifford as he learns more of the capabilities of this instrument.
Friday March 17th – My morning quiet time is a few minutes of sitting on the canyon rim, more of a slope than a drop-off, and then writing in my journal, warmed by the sun.
View from the doorway
I walk around the campground and talk to David and several of the other neighbors that I have met. What a friendly campground this is – I think perhaps because there are so many snow-birds. We are all of a similar age and living a similar lifestyle, which makes it easy and interesting to talk about where we’ve been and where we are going, sharing the memories of common places and learning of new places.
More editing for me and more chemical analyzer testing for Clifford.
Loving this beautiful desert canyon spot!
Nearing sunset at the Virgin River Canyon
Saturday March 18th – This morning I walk to the lower campground, which doubles as a rest stop along I-15. I walked along the trail below the rim, which is private, quiet, and scenic… and this walk is my quiet time.
Joshua trees along the below the rim trailView of the Virgin River from the below the rim trailJoshua tree at the Virgin River
Back at camp, I spend much of the day editing for two authors. In the evening I edit photos for the next couple of blogs. No cello today, as it was too hot and windy.
Sunday March 19th – After my quiet time of sitting on the canyon rim, I take care of internet business, including banking, emailing completed edited chapters to my authors, and posting a photo on Celebrate What’s Right With the World, a FB site that I follow. As I’m preparing photos for the next blog, I am undecided about which of several sunsets that I want to include and decide to have a contest on FB, posting seven sunset photos, all taken within moments of each other, and having my FB friends chose which one they like best. This will be interesting.
David comes by and suggests meeting for a late lunch at his site, so I get busy and make a potato salad to share. We gather at David’s site, joining him and three of his kids who are there for a visit, as well as a couple other neighbors. Of course, they are interested in Clifford’s work, but the talk centers around life in general and about the journeys we are all on.
Later in the day, David joins me on my walk down to the lower campground, which gives us more time to chat.
Flowers along the road
Lots of things on the “to-do” list don’t get done today, but that is okay. Spending quality time with people is more important.
Tuesday March 14th– We are up about 8:30 and soon packed and ready to leave. Although it is pleasant in the early morning here at Cottonwood Cove Campground, we know it will soon be hotter than we like, so we are continuing north. We make it safely through Las Vegas, Nevada. I-15 between Las Vegas and St. George, Utah, cuts through the very northwestern corner of Arizona and it is along this stretch of interstate that the Virgin River BLM Campground is located, and where we arrive by mid-afternoon.
Virgin River Canyon, northwest ArizonaAnother view of the Virgin River Canyon
We have never been here, but the location was right for us and the reviews indicated scenic views, so this was our destination. We are not disappointed; the views are fabulous and we are lucky to find a pull-through spot on the outer loop overlooking the Virgin River Canyon. Facing south when we park is not ideal, but other than that, we are very pleased with the site and get set up, including ham radio antennas and a tarp for an awning.
Set up on the edge of the Virgin River Canyon
Within a few minutes of being here, we meet several of our neighbors, most of them curious about the antenna; this seems to be an unusually friendly campground, with a mix of long-term snow-birds (like us) slowly heading north and younger people stopping on their way to or from some other destination, as well as weekenders with families.
View of the Virgin River and the canyon as seen from Terry – this is our front yard!More of our front yard at Virgin River Canyon
In the evening, I hike down to the river.
At the bottom of the Virgin River CanyonThe Virgin River
I am delighted to find Joshua trees here as I hike back up to the campsite. What a great place this is!
Joshua tree on the ridge
Wednesday March 15th – off to a great start this morning with a campfire and a few minutes of quiet time, just sitting facing the river below and the red cliffs opposite, feeling the sun on my face. Make a cup of tea and write in my journal. This is how I would like to start most every day, but it doesn’t often happen.
Joshua tree at Virgin River Canyon
I meet another neighbor, David, as he comes by, also curious about the antenna. I thought he was joking when he asked if it was to pick up alien signals. He is very friendly and having a large family himself, he is curious to know about my kids and actually listens as I mention each of them briefly.
And cello outside today, sitting in the shade of our tarp.
Virgin River Canyon Cello
I walk about picking up trash (of which there is not very much) and bits of dead wood to use for kindling, as well as scavenging wood from abandoned campfires. I hike down to the Virgin River twice, which at this time of year is quite muddy; Clifford goes with me the second time.
Hiking around the bendAnother hike with Clifford
Becka calls on here way to her evening activity… I’m glad cell service here is decent and we can chat. I can also access the net and am able to download documents that need editing.
I am delighted with the late afternoon light as it hits the cholla that cover the slope below the campground.
Afternoon light on chollaAfternoon light on cholla
Clifford spends much of his day using the biochemical analyzer instrument.
This was a fun and productive day for both of us – what a great place to be this time of the year.
Good-bye to Synder Hill – it has been a good spot for the past two weeks.
Sunday March 12th – our friend Dan comes to see us off as we prepare to leave Synder Hill BLM camping area west of Tucson, Arizona. It is about noon before we pull out, having done all the extra checks to make sure hitch, lights, brakes, tow bar and such are all functioning properly, since this is the first time for Suburban to tow Terry.
The desert is very green, but hard to get photos from the moving vehicle that show it adequately.
Arizona Desert – looking greenArizona Desert – looking green
I-10 is busy, as usual, and very windy, but Suburban definitely handles it better.
Hanging out with the Big Boys at a rest stop along I-10
We decide to not stop at the Buckeye BLM Recreation Area for the night, but continue on LaPaz, south of Quartzsite, arriving about an hour before dark. Hardly anyone here; so different than when we were here for Quartzfest in January. We park near where we were last time, but with more shade, since the daytime temperatures are in the 90’s rather than the 50’s.
Setting up camp at LaPaz, south of Quartzsite, ArizonaSonoran desert at LaPaz near sundown
We have an easy dinner with minimal cleanup and then sit out to enjoy the last of the evening light. This will be a good place to spend the night.
Monday March 13th – I am up before Clifford and walk about, enjoying the cool lovely morning.
The moon sets in the cool morning at LaPazand the sun rises, bringing light to the dayTerry and Suburban at first light
Desert loveliness
We are ready to go by 9:30 and head north on State Highway 95 to Parker, Arizona, where we stop at a Walmart for supplies. When we come out, we learn that some guy made too sharp of a turn pulling his rig through the parking lot and clipped Terry, putting a dent in the side panel. Fortunately, he was honest about it and the injury did not cause damage inside, but we will be contacting his insurance company to see about repairs.
From Parker to the Nevada state line, the road is narrow and winding with no shoulder and lots of traffic. Crossing over the state line into Nevada, the highway is a 4-laner as good as an interstate highway…. so much easier traveling. Turning east off highway 95, we take a road that winds steeply down to the bottom of the gorge, arriving at Cottonwood Cove Campground in mid-afternoon. Cottonwood Cove is on the Nevada side of Lake Mohave, the southern portion of the Lake Mead Recreation Area. We are lucky to find a spot with a big old eucalyptus tree for shade and get set up.
Cottonwood Cove Campsite – parked under a big eucalyptus tree
After a snack of fruit, cheese, and crackers, while Clifford naps, I go down to the lake to take photos. Becka calls and we have a nice chat as I walk.
Lake Mohave on the Nevada side
We have leftovers for dinner, keeping meals simple on travel days. Then we sit outside, enjoying the summer-like temperatures of the evening hours. This is a pretty enough spot, but it will be very hot here during the day, so we opt to continue on north tomorrow.
We are still at Synder Hill BLM dispersed camping area west of Tucson. This week is centered around getting the Suburban ready to be our towing vehicle and Terry ready to be towed, with lots of help from our friend, Dan, who is quite the clever and helpful guy! Electric brakes, new hitch on the Suburban, new tongue hitch on Terry, repairs to the roof, and so on.
Carol and Clifford at Synder Hill BLM area west of Tucson, ArizonaTerry and Suburban at our Synder Hill BLM campsite
Highlights include: a trip to Tucson for errands and finding a new Bookman’s store, which was a great place to hang out, with good finds for both of us; editing and emailing several chapters of Princes of Purt to Ang – we are nearing the end of this book, (the next in the Novels of Shannon series by Angela MacDonald); blog writing when the laptop battery is charged; cello outside on rare calm days; calls with my daughters – always great to talk to them; and a play-day with Dan, which includes breakfast at the Three Point Cafe and a trip up the Baboquivari Mountain to the Kit Peak National Observatory, with a stop at a small farmers market on the way back to camp.
Kit Peak National Observatory – Arizona
Heading up the Baboquivari Mountain to Kit Peak – notice the observatory on the peak to the rightAnother view of Baboquivari PeakBaboquivari Peak, sacred to the Native Americans of the are, as seen from Kit PeakFriend Dan, Carol, and Clifford at the Kit Peak Visitors’ Center
Tomorrow we will continue our journey northward, slightly retracing our previous path before heading into new territory. It has been a good stay, but we are ready to move on.
