Side X Side, Stride X Stride - Dripping Springs, Quartzsite, AZ

So sorry to fall behind on our chats, but I’ve been busy, busy, busy!

What an adventure we are having with the side X side!  We go out twice a week exploring, taking different trails, testing just what we can and can’t do.  We know we have clearance limitations, but when all is said and done, having a small UTV is better than having no UTV at all!

So now that we have some experience with tire articulation and maneuvering, we set out to visit Dripping Springs, a popular Quartzsite destination among UTV/ATVers.  We fared well heading along Trail 0059 to 0061.

Then we began going through a deep wash surrounded by high rock walls.  Pretty cool—until we encountered a very rocky section of the trail within the wash, with big boulders over which we needed to climb.   Thankfully, we cleared these boulders, taking our time.  

We cleared these boulders.

But when we scouted the path ahead of us, we found two more rock sections that would prove very difficult to clear.  Dad has some smoke coming out of his head, so I knew he was assessing the situation and trying to devise a plan to negotiate these rock obstacles.  However, Mom, always the pragmatic one, reminded him that we would need to achieve success in navigating these same obstacles on our way back to camp, too.  Rats!  We came so far, I didn’t want to turn back!  She noted that we were only 1.25 miles from our destination, so why not hike the rest of the way.   Great idea!  First though, Dad negotiated the return trip over that first set of boulders.  He added some smaller rocks to make the trail more level and evaluated where he would place his tires.  I ran my video camera to capture the endeavor (It will be on my youtube channel shortly).  Meanwhile, Mom was saying her prayers that Dad did not get injured, that Rat Patrol would incur no damage, and that we didn’t get stranded 8 miles from where we are camped.  Touchdown successful!  Dad's body parts inventoried, everything intact.   Rat Patrol evaluated, no problems found.  Collective sigh of relief from the three of us.  Onward ho!   Stride by stride we followed the trail.

We were greeted by a forest of chollas, all lined up like the firs at a Christmas tree farm.  We ascended a hill and came upon an old stone cabin.  (Had we taken Rat Patrol, this is where we would have parked to access the Spring).   We were intrigued by the Indian petroglyphs on nearby boulders.  We saw a juvenile chuckwalla sunning himself on a rock. ( And for once, I got a decent photo!)   We admired the scenery, noting that all the trees, cacti, and flora were so much greener and healthier than those in other parts of the desert.   Hooray, we arrived at our destination!  We dipped our feet in the Spring and marveled at the fact that this little piece of paradise exists in the middle of arid lands.

An army of chollas

Remnants of an old cabin

Petroglyphs

Juvenile Chuckwalla

Creosote blooming!

Me and my Dad dipping our feet in the Spring!

As we hiked back to Rat Patrol, we checked to see if any geocaches were along the route, but the only one in the area had been “disabled”.  So I had a brilliant idea—why not plant my own geocache for others to find!  After enjoying a picnic lunch that Mom prepared, I got busy hiding my geocache while Dad submitted it to geocaching.com.  Would you believe they rejected my submission!  Apparently, they wanted a “plan of action” for maintaining the geocache.  Not one to tell lies, Dad said we visited the area for several months each winter.  Well apparently, that maintenance plan was not good enough.  They expect you to check up on the geocache on a “regular basis” throughout the year.  What?  Who in their right mind comes to the desert of Quartzsite during monsoon season just to check on their planted geocaches?    And I find it hard to believe that anyone who claims to maintain their geocache on a “regular basis” within these desert lands actually does it, since most of the population are snowbirds!  Disappointed and quite disenchanted with geocaching.com, I decided who needs them anyway.  If you are ever in Quartzsite geocaching, go find my hidden treasure at:  33.6026930, -114.0866010!  I left my art rock self portrait as a clue for you!  We continued on our way and arrived home safely.  It was an exhilarating day!

I left a rock art self portrait as a marker for you to find my cache!

We discovered several “finds” when off-roading at Q Mountain and the hills at Tyson Wells LTVA recently.  While Dad unearthed the geocache “Turn on the Sprinkler”, Mom spotted a nest in a nearby Saguaro, and I found an antler in a neighboring wash!  We spotted a jackrabbit, who sprinted and hopped like he was jumping hurdles in a cross country meet.  We climbed Q Mountain and explored the nearby abandoned mine, something we hadn’t done since our first year out here in Q.

Dad and I coming down the hill near Tyson Wells LTVA! Photo courtesy of Nervous Nelly Mom, who waited at the bottom for us.

Just a few of the hundreds of trails in the Quartzsite area.  View from top of Q Mountain.

Mom forgot quickly about geocaching when she spotted this nest in a saguaro.  Much to her disappointment, it was unoccupied.

Dad strikes a pose at the top of Q Mountain.

Yours truly blogging, surrounded by some of my treasures from Q:  antlers, crystals, and a new hat!

So how do you like my new hat as displayed in the above picture!  Pretty cool, huh?  And I got it as a FREE gift.  All my parents had to do was replace the old awning on our rig where the motor crapped out with a new awning purchased from Shade Pro at a cost of $1,012.  That's a lot of cheese!  And the replacement awning isn't even a motorized one, it is a manual!  But we were very happy with Shade Pro’s service—their representative was punctual, reliable, and a very experienced installer.  From the time we phoned to schedule an appointment for a quote to completed installation took only one week.

While doing a grocery run to Blythe, CA, we decided to check out some of the other Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs) which are covered by our seasonal permit.  Midland is a lovely, panoramic area, overlooking the Maria Mountains.  Supposedly, it has a dump station (although we didn’t see it), but no water source is available on site. The place is peaceful and secluded, with few inhabitants.  If Mom had her way, we would have been packed up and moved there within an hour!  

Spectacular views of Maria Mountains from Midland LTVA, Blythe, CA

Not the case with Wiley and Coon Hollow, the two LTVA campgrounds near Mule Mountain.  The access road is reached via the Wiley Road exit off of Route 10.  You must travel 6 miles down a poorly maintained sandy road to access Wiley Campground, and Coon Hollow Campground is still another 3 miles beyond Wiley.  There is a dump station centrally located right between both campgrounds, but no water source on site.  The washboard road was such a nightmare, none of us could imagine having to travel on it to get groceries and/or water every week.  Not to mention the campgrounds’ proximity to a state penitentiary did not make this a prime camping location in our minds.

We attended the free screening of the film “Haci Ali” at the Quartzsite Improvement Authority (QIA).   The place was packed!  Everyone was relieved the fire marshal didn’t show up—it was standing room only.  The cooperative efforts of the Quartzsite Historical Society, Town Council, and independent movie makers from Turkey, has resulted in the anticipated release of this documentary within 15 cities later this year.  Known locally as “Hi Jolly” (an “Americanized” pronunciation and spelling of his name), Hadji Ali came to the Southwest in 1856 as one of the first camel drivers hired by Jefferson Davis for the U.S. Army’s experiment of using camels to transport cargo across the desert lands.  The experiment went south for a variety of reasons, the most pressing that with the Civil War brewing, funding was cut off.  Truth be told, the movie lacks substance (it is only an hour long), mainly because very little information is really known about this Quartzsite legend.  I applaud the town Fathers (and Mothers) though.  They have done a magnificent job of attracting tourism utilizing “Hi Jolly” as their poster boy and promoting visitation of his burial site.  Their efforts have resulted in town of Quartzsite being the third largest tourist attraction in all of Arizona (at least according to the Mayor)!   I wish Quirky Quartzsite much success in its marketing and branding endeavors. 

They even had a cake (camel/triangle logo to replicate the insignia on Hi Jolly's grave) to celebrate the premiere!

Steve and Dianne hosted another Happy Hour, the last of the season since so many folks were leaving Quartzsite already.  In fact, many of them are now attending an RV Dreams Boondocking Rally.  Since we had other social engagements during the Rally timeframe, we opted instead to host a dinner party with Linda and Howard, the founders of RV Dreams, Ruth and Dale (Dreamers who also are not attending the Rally), and newbie RVers Beth (with whom we line dance) and Ron, who want to learn more about boondocking.  We all had a fun, informative evening, and I made two new canine friends, George and Gidget!

Me and some of my RV Dreams peeps!

Gidget and George, my newest canine friends.

We were blessed with a gorgeous sunset as well!

Well the Equifax hacking debacle has hit home.  Dad had two fraudulent phone purchases charged to his credit card recently.  Thanks to the alerts we have set up, we were able to cancel the card immediately after the fraudulent activity transpired.  We were supposed to get a new card shipped to us overnight via FedEx to Quiet Times.  Long story short, it took a full week and four phone calls to get the “overnighted” replacement card from the bank.    Why does every problem with the bank take multiple calls to fix?  No one there knows the concept of true customer service!  Sorry, the Rambling RV Rat is now done with his rant.     

Tabby was a bit perturbed last week.  We took her on a road trip to Lake Havasu City to visit the veterinarian for her rabies vaccine.  I was perturbed, too, having to spend time driving and sitting in a vet’s office when that day was the best weather we have had in a LONG time.  (At least I got a few nice photos as we stopped at lookout points.)  We enjoyed bright sunshine, no winds, and temps in the comfortable mid 70s.   Generally, this season has been much cooler than usual, and I have the proof:  Mom has not used her battery operated fan at all this year.

STAFF, SET ME FREE THIS INSTANT!  OH, YOU WILL PAY DEARLY FOR THIS TRANSGRESSION!

Friends Susan and Rodger from Amazon are due to arrive for a visit within the hour, so I’ll sign off now.  Talk to you again soon!

We would like to thank some amazing organizations for all they do for the RVing community:

Escapees

Xscapers

RVillage

RV-Dreams

February in Quartzsite, AZ - Fun-filled Trips, Fellowship, and Fired Up Furnaces

It seems Quartzsite is quieting down early this year.  Many vendors who remain typically through March 1 have departed already.  Perhaps because we are in the midst of a "cold spell" in Southwest Arizona.  Registering in the low 60s during the day and dipping into the 30s at night, temps are about 5F degrees lower than normal for this time of year.   Although Mom prefers to keep the rig on the cooler side (she's like a polar bear), we have been running the furnace for heat regularly throughout the day and night, mainly upon the request of our crazy cat, who jumped on the recliner (something she rarely does) to give Mom the stink eye!

"I will stare you down until you fire up the furnace."

The winds have been gusting, too!  On a recent morning hike, we noticed dark, ominous clouds in the distance.  Nope, they weren’t from a rain storm, they were from a dust storm!  

Dust in the wind.

The cooler weather gave us an opportunity to explore without incident the new hiking trails created within the “Magic Circle”.  For those of you unfamiliar, the “Magic Circle” refers to the clothing optional section of the Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA).  Since we have never explored this part of the LTVA (mainly because Dad gets uncomfortable seeing other people’s junk in the trunk, so to speak), I was surprised by many things.  First, that so many people subscribe to this alternative lifestyle and camp in the clothing optional area!  Second, that professionally-made street signs are posted throughout the section (There is an Avenue B, Alexander’s Way, etc.).  Third, that the trails extend so far into unoccupied land! There is Sonny’s Trail and the Bare Trail, which encompass more than 3 miles.  Along the route are wooden benches for resting and unique art.  I enjoyed my visit to the "Magic Circle" trails so much that Mom and I popped back over the next day, she sans my Dad and me sans my clothes!

A sample of the rock art along the trail.

Magic Circle Artisan "The Tin Roof Roamer" has a "Solution for Pollution" - Art made from refuse/recyclable materials.

Visiting the Magic Circle trails a second time, sans clothing!

The weather also provided the perfect reason to stay inside and write this blog post.

I have a terrific view from my "office" window!

Friends Kathy and Allen, with whom we worked at the Grand Canyon Association, came down from the White Tank Mountains for a visit.  What a fun time we had catching up with them!  These folks, who became vegans over 10 years ago due to heart issues, were instrumental in our decision to go plant-based with our diets.  Mom still finds adhering to plant-based much more challenging than Dad does.  (Truth be told, so do I.  On National Pizza Day recently, I was salivating for just a nibble of melt-in-your-mouth mozzarella cheese on a thin crust!)  Mom considers herself an apprentice with preparing innovative plant-based meals.  But she has been successful in modifying a few of her tried and true recipes, including Dad’s favorite apple walnut coffee cake, in which she substitutes unsweetened apple sauce for oil and flaxseed for eggs.  Needless to say, she was happy that Kathy and Allen genuinely enjoyed the plant-based luncheon she prepared.

Me, Dad, Allen, and Kathy.

We have had loads of fun exploring these vast desert lands with our side-by-side, Rat Patrol!  Mom, who never missing a chance to multi-task, has us seeking geocaches and getting in some hiking in a new area all at the same time!  Geocaching is quite cool.  For those of you unacquainted with geocaching, it is like an old-fashioned treasure hunt.  Rather than written hints, you use GPS coordinates to lead you to the hidden treasure.  I found my first geocache, with no outside assistance, out by a wash off of Trail 0061 about 5 miles from camp.  It’s called “Cement Biffy”!   I left my own “mark” in the area, one of my rock self-portraits.  In fact, I’ve done this on several geocache outings.  So look for my “mark” wherever you are, a geocache will never be far!  

"Cement Biffy" geocache and my rock art self portrait to mark the spot!

Views from my first geocaching trip.

The rocks out here are more colorful (many with pink hues) than where we are camped.

Chuparosa bush in bloom.

One day, we rode Rat Patrol about 9 miles out of camp just as the sun began to rise.  Once I started exploring, I noticed all sorts of things.  Like the tracks that looked like hooves.  Could it be some deer several folks told us they observed in the area?  Or maybe it’s the mark of a Big Horn Sheep?  Or what about the poop pellets I found?  Me thinks they belonged to a jackrabbit.  I witnessed an ocotillo in bloom, my first of the season!  I spotted a lone ground squirrel doing surveillance from his perch upon a rock.  The desert is so alive!

Ride, Park, Hike...

Can you find the ground squirrel perched in the pic?

The desert flowers and bushes are just starting to come back to life...

My first sighting this year of an ocotillo bloom.

You never know what you will find in the desert--here is the grave site of someone's beloved pet.

It’s been three years since we visited Crystal Hill at King of Arizona (KOFA) National Wildlife Refuge.  Last time we were there, we used our medium duty truck, Big Boomer.  He did not fare well on the primitive, washboard roads leading from Route 95 to Crystal Hill, resulting in a bent tie-rod.  But with Rat Patrol, we encountered no problems.  Trekking along BLM trails, I soon learned that a multitude of natural gas pipelines exist in this area!   Mom actually joined Dad and me as we ascended Crystal Hill.  (She has come a long way these last three years in overcoming her acrophobia.    She would not even leave the base of the hill during our first visit.  Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?)  I must say that finding no crystals on Crystal Hill nor in the nearby wash was a bit disappointing. (Fortunately, I have been successful in finding several during our hikes and treks in other areas of the desert).  But as we traversed with Rat Patrol along various trails within the Refuge, I was rewarded with boundless beauty and panoramic views everywhere I looked.  Time may march on, but much remains the same in these desert lands.

Can you see me?  I found a cave to explore! Glad there were no bats in it!

Going up the hill.

We reach the top and enjoy the view.

Coming back down!

Tom's Well.

It has become an annual tradition during our Quartzsite winters to meet up with friends Bob and Marie, fellow Northeasterners that we met at Crazy Horse Memorial.  They stay at Roberts Pueblo El Mirage Resort, and we had some errands to run in Surprise, providing the perfect opportunity to get together.   What a wonderful day!  They gave us the grand tour.  The Resort is lovely, offering beautiful gardens, pool, clubhouse, spa, tennis, pickle ball, workshops, etc.—every amenity you can possibly think of.  If you can’t find something to interest you, there is something seriously wrong with you!  The only drawback in this stuffed rat's opinion is the glass-shattering sounds of the US Air Force fighter jets that fly overhead from Luke Air Force Base.  (Fortunately, they do no maneuvers at night or on weekends.)  We all partook of a delectable lunch on the veranda of the Resort's restaurant, which overlooks the golf course. Bob and Mom are both bookworms who share a love of history.  So Bob saved several of his books to pass on to Mom for her reading pleasure.  And she certainly did enjoy them!  (Once Mom gets her nose in a good book, we don’t see her for hours!)

Marie and Bob.

Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1964, is located in the floodplain of the lower Colorado River between Arizona and California.  Because we visited so late in the season last year, many of the migratory birds already departed.    This year, we timed things perfectly!  We arrived just after sunrise (we always forget the Refuge is in California, so we gain an hour by crossing into Pacific Time Zone).  The minute we embarked on the 3-mile auto loop, we encountered three coyotes hunting for breakfast.  Boy, they were a bit perturbed to be disturbed!   The lake waters were covered with hundreds and hundreds of birds and waterfowl, diversified species ranging from mallard ducks to pelicans.  Sensing our presence, the sea of birds took off in flight all around us, the flapping of their wings sounding like a thunderous storm!  It looked like the Alfred Hitchcock movie overhead!  Through man’s ingenuity in maximizing God’s natural resources, the brown barren lands turn into fertile, vibrant, productive fields.  The contrast between the earthen tones and the lush green of the field plantings was remarkable.  We had a cameo appearance by one of the resident burrowing owls, though my photo doesn’t capture him so well.  While last year we glimpsed only a few blue heron, this year’s specimens were prolific. They were jumping up and spreading their wings, a ritual that mating season brings!  The snow geese were like a white accent rug on the green carpeted fields.  We strolled along the 1 mile nature trail, soaking in the warmth of the sun and relishing in the wonders of this unique habitat.

One of the three perturbed coyotes!

Cameo appearance by a burrowing owl.

Yellow-headed blackbirds.

A small sampling of blue heron in the foreground, snow geese behind them.

We attended a Hot Dog Happy Hour sponsored by Pam and Red.  Fun, as always, to catch up with the RV Dreamers folks, who all set up camp close together near the middle of La Posa South.  We much prefer the seclusion and unobstructed views offered at our end of the LTVA.  In fact, not only has the “raided” rig been sold and moved, but two other rigs left as well, just in time for good friends Curtis and Stephanie to set up camp by us for 4 days.  Curtis and Stephanie were the wagon masters at the MOC (Montana Owners Club) 10^th anniversary get together that we attended in 2015.  Subsequently, we have visited with them each year here at Quartzsite. We “clicked” with them immediately, sharing similar views and values.   And they are genuine, caring folks (They were a source of invaluable support during Dad’s medical crisis).   We spent hours just yapping with them, solving all the world’s problems, exchanging tips, imparting knowledge, and just enjoying their fellowship.   Mom bestowed them with a luncheon and a dinner during their stay as a way to say thank you for their past hospitality and their friendship. (Little did they know, they are participating in her recipe testing!)

Hot Dog Happy Hour.

Curtis and Stephanie moved into our  neighborhood for 4 days.  Their rig can be seen in the background of my pic of our dinner table.

Curtis, Dad, Stephanie, and Yours Truly.

Dad has been tackling Mom’s “Honey Do” List, working with a vengeance to complete her few requests.  Never mind the fact that she made the list 4 years ago!  The important thing is that Mom absolutely adores her new bird feeder, a replica of our RV!  You can tell that I had a hand in the design—that’s a picture of me looking out the back window!  (Poor Dad, he just finished one project.  Now Mom wants a bird feeder to replicate Big Boomer!)  We’ve had no visitors to the RV bird feeder yet, although our new hummingbird feeder has attracted several patrons.  Dad is also in the process of transforming the color of Mom's little Honda Rebel motorcycle from boring black to sunshine yellow!

Of course, no post of mine would be complete without a photo of our spectacular star, Mr. Sun.

Well, this post is running a bit long; time for me to zip my lip.  Will talk to you again soon!

We would like to thank some amazing organizations for all they do for the RVing community:

Escapees

Xscapers

RVillage

RV-Dream