(continued from “Is there such a thing as too much quiet?” )
Headed to Swansea Townsite (BLM Land). It’s an old mining town that at one time had about 700 people. It’s not been in operation since 1944 but is not in the process of being put on the National Registry of Historic Places. The BLM Historical Archaeologist is giving a tour there tomorrow.
Last night, I snuggled the van up beside my trailer to cut the wind. I was more relaxed being reconnected to “home.” During the night the wind finally died down and I could open my rear door to listen for sounds (other than wind sounds). I can’t hear a single thing??? Nothing! Unnerving! The stars were out bright and it was them and me… nobody else. Finally, after what seemed like hours I heard a wee faint sound of some night bird… all is well, I can sleep now.
With morning came new energy and desire to walk out into the wild. I gathered water, SPOT gps device, walking stick, OptiVisor (so I could examine rocks) and headed out before even wanting breakfast. The problem with not planning ahead, is that I didn’t think to charge my camera battery (you know that’s not going anyplace good). And then I cleaned up my house… and headed on down the trail. Boy, does that feel good. I mean, two years ago I wouldn’t have gone more than a few feet from the van… and now I’m just heading out without any distance or time limits (only what weather and hunger will dictate).
Came to a claim marker and wondered what the claim was for. Found this area which had been mined on the surface, but for what? Walked on, found another.
Soon I began finding all kinds of animal habitats.
That’s my rig down there… and I am wondering if I can pull that trailer back up that hill. Wish I had left the trailer up there.
Walked up the nearest peak… me!!!! I walked up a peak. I can’t believe I’m doing this. Oh, look, another peak, down and on up to the top of it. Flowering cacti everywhere. I saw some holes in the rocks on the peak across the trail, so off I go to collect another peak. This one was the highest around. I took out my SPOT gps device, pushed the “O.K.” button and sat down to wait for a satellite come come pick up the signal.
While I waited (this is the part that I’m sad about not charging my camera battery) a hummingbird came by and stopped in front of my face and just hovered there. Darn I wish I could have captured that on film.
And blooming cacti and other little flowers everywhere.
While I continued to wait, I began looking at the rocks I was sitting on. I was breaking pieces of the peak off with my fingers. Heck, what am I doing? I just climbed up a mountain that is nothing but rotten rock. This will be fun getting down off of.
The tallest rocks to the right of the cactus…
that’s where I was sitting… waiting on the satellite.
I headed down thinking I’d go straight back to the van, but when I came to the wash, I headed down the wash instead. Another amazing animal habitat, a rat’s nest, lots of holes in the banks, remains of some wooden structure, etc. The wash kept going winding and twisting downhill. I turned back for the van… picking up spent bullet shells as I went (have to collect something… and there weren’t any good rocks around). Finally back at the van, I realized I was hungry. I had been gone four hours, and had not even thought about the water in my pack. Two years ago I would have drank three bottles of water in that amount of time.
I off-loaded my pack and put things away. Settled into the van (temp.67 degrees) to make breakfast… a sausage breakfast burrito). Oh, heck, I have no eggs. So it IS a sausage burrito with cheese, red and green peppers and some onion. Yum, very good. I love my van.
And, I love the desert.
