2018 November–Jamie’s Van Build–Parker, AZ

Crowds and Noise is NOT why I come to the wilderness, but I tried to stay at Jamie Dimon’s Van Build Party.  Couldn’t do it.  So... I grabbed my day pack and headed into the Wild. It had been months and months since I have felt so happy and free. I had no breathing issues, no problems with my legs and more importantly, no problems with the pack on my shoulder. I walked two hours into the Wild then tried to rest a minute, but the flies found me fast. I had not brought any bug spray. So, I kept walking and taking photos and spent next two hours walking back to van.  A four-hour hike with ease… not bad for a 75-year old granny???

I took four bottles of water, and only drank 1/2 bottle. I think I can do this AZ Trail hike. I think I can. SWANKIE’S BACK!!!!

Back Story:  I arrived at Jamie's Van Build the day before it began. It was already getting crowded. But I set up camp, put a cake in the oven to bake, and tried out my new windshield cover... which did not fit. I ordered the wrong one, I guess. No way it was fitting a Chevy... it was for a Ford. My neighbor, Kaycee explained what was wrong. But it did work very well, other than NOT fitting. I have to return it, but first I needed to get an address.

Setting up camp for me... means tilting up the solar panels, raising up the T.V. antenna (but got no signals out there), covering the tires to prevent sun damage. Also had a lot to sort and and re-shuffle if I was going to easily slide my kayak out of the trailer.

In the future, I may get one of these pop-up tents pictured below, a White shade cloth, pictured, a extending T.V. and Cell antenna pole, and a Cell signal enhancer antenna or whatever they are called.  Maybe when I get rich????

The day I arrived the build was already too crowded for me... so I had doubts about staying long. But I liked the people nearby... Kaycee, Merle Redwing, Tami Otis. I enjoyed the people walking by who stopped to talk. But I was feeling anxious.

Walking around, I met this guy, who had one of the pop up tents that Kaycee demonstrated on Bob Wells You-Tube channel, but his was the next size up and six-sided, not four. He also had a pretty cool van, but the sliding according screen door really got my attention.  Is that sliding door cool, or what????

This is that six-sided pop up tent. I am going to get one. I can no longer erect the 10x10 canopy tent I had, due to the shoulder so I gave it away. But I think I can handle this one. This guy lucked out and got it for about $250. Since I hate bugs but love being outside... great solution.

Again, that six-sided pop tent on the right, I plan to buy later. I think this might be a different one.  I am adding it to my Amazon Future Wish List.

Although these people were not full time dwellers, I did like this kitchen trailer. Very neat. It tows behind their van.  So efficient, but I like having everything inside my rig, so I can cook when I please. But for short vacations, like visiting with true full-timers... it is swell, for them.

Very clever engineering... it swings away. Seems like a lot of weight, but if you go back to first photo, you can see a Jack under the other end of it. Not sure how it stows for towing.

A man car-camping, parked across from me, and was enjoying his little bit of shade.. then two larger rigs came in on one side of him and 3 more on the other side... places I never would have considered suitable. They were crowding in on him and me… my anxiety was escalating.  He finally gave up and left.

The first official night of the Build, Nov. 7, the campfire ring was established and the fires began, but there was no loud music. Jamie arrived late that morning and had to shuffle folks around to make room for himself... in my opinion he should have been there a day or two earlier to set things up... or not let others, besides the "workers/builders," in on Nov. 7, then on Nov. 8 allow only the people needing work done to come in. IMHO all the visitors and vacationers not helping or getting work done, should have parked farther down the road and walked in to lurk and visit.
I was just grateful Jamie's LOUD camp noise did not begin that night... he had not yet gotten set up for it. And because he arrived so late, he ended up closer to the QUIET area than to his designated LOUD area (areas he had designated). Ugh... is there no avoiding it? I had decided I would do my best to be there for the BUILD and endure it. I am going to give it my best try.

There were some interesting sights. These folk were set up to help others install solar. They are not full-timers either but generous to offer their help.

Met Tami Otis in town before coming to Build... and she camped with me a couple days. She came to learn about solar, and help with sewing projects. All the way from SD? Funny, folks from the far north, are uncovered and soaking up the sun, and those of us acclimated to the desert temps... are wearing long pants and jackets.
And she has this cool dog named Dash.  The lattice work is mine... set up to block off her parking space... someone remarked how she was lounging in her front yard behind her white picket fence... I thought that was funny, so I took her photo.

I didn't realize it, but I came in and parked right next to Bob Wells' assistant, Kaycee. She flew her Drone a few times and I am hoping to get a couple still shots of our camp from her later. If you watch her video for Bob on the Van Build, you will see my van and trailer in several shots.  Also parked with us was Merle Redwing. The three of us are working together later this winter on a project. Funny how we all un-intentionally met up at the same place and time.  Note all the rigs in background... the man in earlier photo with the solo car... was parked by that bush, right behind Kaycee’s head... none of those vans were there at the time. I think they crowded him out.

My trailer and work bench... it was set up to hold that space. Kaycee with her two dogs, a friend of her's, my new friend Tami Otis, and Merle Redwing. The workbench became a spontaneous breakfast spot.

Swankie's Café... served the cake I made yesterday.

I could not stay at Jamie's Van Build. The night of Nov. 8, he began playing loud music at 7:30pm and it lasted until about 11:30pm. I felt murderous rage building up in me... and that is not a fun way to drift off to slumberland. Doesn't bother some folks... Tami, right next to me, never heard a thing. So I moved a couple miles down the road... joined later by Marty Starks... and she set up the GVN sign so others would spot us and drop in.  No one did, or I was not home at the time.

2018-November GVN meet up.

Not everyone was as happy as I was. Dora was miserable. She likes her yard and green grass. Poor sweet old soul was having a melt-down.

Marty Starks and I saw a sign post a little way away from camp and walked out to see what it was. OMG... I left Colorado Springs after surgery to go find me some Wilderness... and there it was... I had unknowingly parked right at the edge of it. I was like a kid at Christmas.  I think I squealed when I saw the word WILDERNESS. There was nothing to be done but to hike out into the wild.

Tiny little cactus sprouting up between two rocks. Nature is amazing.

When they converted this area to "Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness" they closed off this old road (where my shadow is) and scattered large rocks the entire length of it. You can tell they are not in a natural location, as the lighter side of the rock should be facing down, and dark side up, like along the roadside berm.  https://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=204  

Once I got all the way down in the lowest elevation... I found a flower. Desert flowers have to be really tiny to survive.  From the web site: The United States Congress designated the Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness (map) in 1990 and it now has a total of 18,790 acres. All of this wilderness is located in Arizona and is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

On my last two-minute break...I spotted this little guy, maybe 3" long... well, at least he will have lots of flies to eat... I left him my share.

From the web site:  The Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness is part of the 110 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. This System of lands provides clean air, water, and habitat critical for rare and endangered plants and animals. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, horse packing, bird watching, stargazing, and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. You play an important role in helping to "secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" as called for by the Congress of the United States through the Wilderness Act of 1964. Please follow the requirements outlined below and use Leave No Trace techniques when visiting the Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness to ensure protection of this unique area.

Unless otherwise specified, no motorized equipment or mechanical transport, with the exception of wheelchairs, is allowed. This is generally true for all federal lands managed as designated wilderness.

See a list of other Wilderness Areas in Arizona.

As I reached the crest of the hill I had climbed over, I took a photo of my rig... my camera was zoomed in as far as I can zoom. I saw there were two vehicles there, but with the human eye alone, I thought the other was Marty Starks. That is NOT Marty's. Whose is that??? Sorry I missed you.... or maybe you came because of the GVN sign???

Well, it finally got cold enough for the girl from the North to bundle up. Tami Otis, you are so funny. She stopped by for a short visit. The LOUDness of the Build doesn't bother her, and I am glad she is able to get what she came all this way to get – give help with sewing and get help with solar… and LEARN.

I explored the area a bit on my way to Parker for supplies, and then returned for my trailer and moved my camp about 2 miles West of the Build. At the time I parked, I had not seen these rock art figures. What a neat surprise.  Modern man art.

Other rock are images were, a lizard, some mountains with sun-rising, a howling coyote, a star around a bush. Really nice.

And a very amazing sunset.

The first Wilderness area I hiked into was East of the Build. Second time, I hiked out south of my new camp... across a very wide Wash... and found sand dunes that was also a designated Wilderness area. Very cool area... lots to see if you venture out to look.

Decided to drive back to Build and walkabout... to take photos of some of the unusual rigs. Enjoy.

A carpenter shop set right up beside this rig.

Camp Central (Jamie's rig)

http://www.steampunksteve.tv/infinitebustour.htm (for the bus)

White shade cloth. I like this. May get a small one to stretch between the van and the new pop up tent.

Red bus:  Jax Austin’s - This guy got a lot of folks to help him paint his bus out there. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B1XpTT9KyCc&feature=share

Right photo: This one whole end of the build was like a giant outdoor carpenter shop... they had every tool anyone would need for anything.

Sewing work station this year.  I volunteered to help but decided my shoulder was not ready for it.

Six sewing machines, at least 7-8 ladies sewing for the entire Build time. Yes, I guess there was a need.  Even a little improvised fabric shop. Way cool the way these gals set up and organized all this. There was another gal at the far end of the build who was doing window panels of some sort.

And of course, the person who should not have a dog... fell in love with this one... how could you NOT love that face?

As I was about to drive away, I spotted this one on the road. People who had something like that, maybe these, were camp host a few years back at the Scadden Wash 2-wk. area East of Quartzsite.

So, off I went to Bill Williams Wilderness to kayak the first time since surgery.  It was divine.  I could only go 1/4 of my normal time and distance, but it’s all good. The new kayak chute in the trailer worked perfect… no lifting, no straining. I still have too much stuff.

Returning to town, I got some computer work done and in the process learned there was a prehistoric intaglio near Jamie’s Van Build so I went back to find it. Saw a video by TeardropRVTravels. I had never seen his videos before, as I don't subscribe to many channels. Well, heck, I just had to go find it. Turns out it was less than five miles from the Build site.

The Parker Giant Snake Intaglio is a protected Archaeological Site, fenced off to prevent ATVers from driving over the Intaglio.  There it is. The Giant Snake. Pretty darned impressive. I am so proud of myself.

My first camp away from the Build, was a the red bubble in lower left corner.  The Snake Intaglio is at the red x in upper right corner.  Less than a mile I think.

I walked the entire fenced in area... and found this... I believe it is a grave site. I will research and see if it is mentioned.

This depression was probably made by a Desert Tortoise.... they make these to collect rainwater... they can sense when it will rain, then they sit and wait for it... and drink their fill. They might not get more water for a year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_tortoise

Near the depression was a burrow... the right shape for the shell. I have seen many before. They can easily dig out of where it is caved in. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_tortoise

And some people think the desert is boring and there is nothing out here to see or do. I wonder how many of the 1,000 or so people at Jamie’s Van Build Party even knew about this – the Gibraltar Mountain Wilderness????

I love my life.

Learn more about me:  https://www.cheaprvliving.com/inspiring-vandweller-charlenes-story/