Take time to smell the rocks?

Today I ran away from home to go out and smell the rocks. urrrr flowers??? No, I smell rocks – guess I’m suffering from rock withdrawal, afterall, I’ve been in a city for a month now. Thought I needed a little desert time... so I followed my nose and ended up at Lake Pleasant Regional Park north of Phoenix.

Really, I shouldn't have spent the gas money that way... but just thought I deserved it. It's called "re-creation" (oh, wait, I even have a degree in that, and I should use my degree, right!).

Having spent the past month, parking lot hopping… it was good to get out and walk in the fresh air and sunshine.  We had almost 24 hours

of rain.  Things were blowing everywhere.  And that’s all the desert needs… to turn green.

This is near the Visitors Center at Lake Pleasant Regional Park… and NO, it’s not irrigated.

I understand they also have about 300 head of wild burros here as well, and I’ve seen proof of that, but no real animals sited.

Photo from: Taos Unlimited

They also have Satellite towers here… so I’ve got good internet.

OK, one of those is a Satellite tower.

The rock wall is a desert tortoise enclosure.  They are not out yet, too cold.  For more about this go to next page on Desert Tortoise.

It doesn’t get any better than this, until tomorrow.

Into The Wild–am I really doing this???

All my life I wanted to be a Ranger, Park or Forest service, but the competition for those jobs has always been really tough, i.e. 5,000 applicants for ONE job.  Well, today Smokey the Bear and I turned 68 years old and tomorrow I head into the wild to work for the National Forest Service through California Land Management (CLM).  I just can’t believe this is happening.
And competition… nadda.   I went to Quartzsite AZ last winter to learn about turning rocks into jewelry.  While there I took the opportunity to become a sawyer (someone cuts those rocks into slabs like slices of bread).  Another sawyer was talking about “camp hosting’ jobs and referred me to a guy who runs the CLM contract with the White River National Forest.  I called him.  We talked and he hired me on the spot.  He was thrilled to find a single person who wanted a remote site.  He joked yesterday at a training session how most people he hires ask, where’s the water, where’s the electric, do you provide this and that.  He told others, all I asked was if there was water nearby for my kayak.  It is kinda funny.
So, my camp will have no water, no electric, no nothing, nadda.  But it will have lots of people… and I will have to deal them and with the money and math, and I’m not good at any of that.  It’s a popular spot for ATVing.  Ick.  But I am committed and will make the best of it.  Should make for a very interesting summer.

And since it’s my birthday, my son called me on Skype (which we had not been able to make work right) but today it worked and my grandkids got to talk to me, see me talk, and move and show them things.  The 4yr old girl was fascinated with my van, my bed, my solar shower, my refrigerator, etc.  I am so fortunate to have her daddy as my son.  This was the best birthday present ever.  Thanks Chris.
OK, I will try to post updates here when I come to town monthly to resupply.  Everyone have a fun summer.
Into the Wild I go. 

Happy Birthday, Smokey.

Yes, there can be “too much quiet?

(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. 

		Blooming Desert VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

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.

Is there such a thing as “too much quiet?

At times in Quartzsite, I felt like my head would explode with all the sounds, the highway, the main street, campers everywhere. I yearned for silence and the wilderness. So before heading on northward to visit more people and fight more traffic and noise, I decided to go find some silence and wilderness.

Saw Doctor in Parker again about my knee acting up.  He assured me that I had not damaged it nor had I torn a ligament.  Just overuse.  Suggested I keep my walking stick with me when I hike around.  I told him I had bought a pair of crutches to keep in the van just in case it got bad enough again that I couldn’t walk.  Insurance you might say.

So decided to head out of Parker toward the Swansea mines and old ghost town.  Didn’t go far the first night, just pulled off by this neat hillside thinking it would be a fun place to explore. 

Noticed a lot of spent bullets on the ground.  Worried I might have pulled too far into the wash pulling my heavy trailer.  But got out and explored just a bit and then back to the van to make supper.  Then the shots began… someone target shooting.  Boy, I hope the walls of my van will stop a bullet.  By dark, the shooting had stopped and the silence began.  I took photos of the hillside wondering what geological activities had created this hill.

My first conclusion was, most the rocks are very boring.  Second, it was very very quiet here.  Be careful what you pray for.  Are there ANY creatures out here for me to listen to????  I dosed off straining my ears to hear something, anything???   Finally some birds?  Owls?  I don’t know what they were but I enjoyed their sounds… the only sounds I heard that night.

First thing I discovered in the morning that on closer inspection  the red peaks were not in front of the grey stuff, but underneath it.  Wow.  Look at it from this angle.

Went to inspect the shooting area.  Spent bullets and shotgun shells everywhere… and target material.  OK, Clay Pidgins are made to shoot, but why not recycle your old electronics and plastics, etc.? 

		Don’t Recycle: Shoot It! VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

O.K. back to the natural wonders.  As I was about to walk away from all this depressing junk, I spotted what looked like a trail coming out from between the rocks.  You know I had to go check it out.

It’s a pass going up through the red materials/rocks?  What?

Finally I come to a brick/stone wall!  This was very exciting. The camera is aimed straight on and my head probably wouldn’t come up to that hole.  I have no doubt I could climb up it, but had not brought any water, or my SPOT gps signaler, or anything with me.   Besides going up is always easier than going down.  I might even need a rope to get back down from there.  Very interesting.  Now if I can get myself back down out of there before anyone begins target practicing again.

Headed on down Shea Road and found the camping area, a large canal that takes water to Tucson, move evidence of shooting activities, and finally signs of nature again.

		Desert Plants VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Settled in for another night in the desert… very very alone and very very quiet.  And supper…

		Taco Time VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Wonderful sunset… nice evening sounds again.  Very peaceful.

As I dosed off, I was awakened by what sounded like donkey braying… or maybe burros? Interesting. I listened for them some more… and fell asleep watching the stars. Later in the night I was awakened by coyotes howling/yipping. O.K. that’s good… I like those sounds.

I woke feeling a little disoriented and concerned about the road and about pulling my trailer.  I have not had internet since I left Parker and have no really good maps with me.  It’s frustrating that I can’t check Google maps.  But I remember enough about the maps I have looked at for this route to be very concerned about pulling my trailer much farther.  About 4 miles out of Swansea, I found a place to pull off the road and dropped the trailer there.  As it was, I had gone over one hill too many I think and am concerned about getting back up that hill.

I drove on down to the townsite… all the way down there where it looks like dust in the air.  I’ll add captions to these a little later.

The open vertical shafts have been fitted with steel covers.  I think ALL of those open shafts should be covered like this.

The mine has been inactive since 1944.  I didn’t know that before visiting.

 

This is one of the five campsites… shelter, table, fire ring and bbq grill.  Nice.

Many of the walls were made of adobe.

Long nails were being used to reinforce concrete walls.  Interesting.

These timbers must have been 20’ long.

There are five campsites within the townsite and I thought I’d be spending the night at one, but I’m concerned about the trailer and feel uneasy.  The winds are very strong which always makes me nervous.  The BLM is suppose to be giving tours of the site on Tuesdays from 10am to 1pm through March.  That means day after tomorrow.  I plan to wait for them to come, although I will probably see everything by then.  This is not the best place to take a two-wheel drive… so there are places I won’t drive to.

I think I would only recommend this trip to people with 4x4 vehicles… as I feel frustrated that I can’t see everything here after making this trip.

The wind continued all afternoon and I was becoming increasingly uneasy about leaving my trailer four miles away unattended.  So, I drove back to the trailer and snuggled up close to it with the van.  Then a took a walk. Right around the corner from where I am parked is a great little campsite.  Wish I had discovered it sooner.  But it was a fun day prowling around the mines and the historical buildings. 

  Wonder what nature has in store for me tonight.  Hope it’s not just the wind.  There are burro piles (feces) all over the place.  Maybe they will grace my camp?

I might be allergic to Creosote bushes.  Allergies acting up.

Will it get better tomorrow?  And, yes, I think there can be too much silence… or at least you might have to ease into it.

(continued…Yes, there can be “too much quiet?)