A ROUGH AND TUMBLE DRIVE AND HIKE IN ARIZONA’S CABEZA PRIETA

Let me first give you a few statistics of the an area we traveled and hiked in today just west of Ajo Arizona.  The CABEZA PRIETA is the 3rd largest Refuge area in the United States outside of Alaska.  It is 60 miles long by 26 miles wide and encloses 860,000 acres.  The Refuge shares a 56 mile border with Mexico.  Temperatures here can reach a hundred degrees for 90 days straight in the summer months.  Hundreds of people and countless animals perished crossing the Cabeza Prieta during the 1849 California Gold Rush.

We set out on the late side this morning arriving at the Cabeza Prieta Visitor Center about 9:40.  Forms had to be filled out before we were issued our permits to travel on the Wildlife Refuge and a 20 minute video was recommended prior to heading out. 

At 10:20 we left the smooth pavement of Rasmussen street in Ajo and headed out on the long dusty 17 mile gravely and rutted road to Charlie Bell’s Pass.  This road is rough with sections of washboard that will scramble your shorts.  Many dry sandy washes are crossed and a few sections of road were partially washed out but navigable.  I was glad we were driving a 4WD Jeep.

FOUND ME A WINDMILL FOR YA MIKE
I would say the first two thirds of the tire bruising road are the best with the last third being very rock infested.  This last section of road will definitely have you leaving some of your vehicles rubber behind in the Prieta.

Lots of Saguaro Cactus and Cholla plants along the way and the drive is scenic but if you want more scenic, less bumpy, and a much shorter drive I would recommend you do the Darby Wells loop drive which also runs out of Ajo and is just south of the Wildlife Refuge.

At times on this road I was in the bottom end of first gear crawling along over the rocks or easing down into or out of rutted dry washes.  It took us one hour and 40 minutes to travel 17 miles to the trailhead at Charlie Bell Pass.

We had not thought this out very well because it was sliding into the hottest part of the day and here we were about to descend on foot down a rough and rugged trail leading a long way below to the floor of Growler Valley between a gap in the Growler Mountains.  It is reported that famed naturalist writer Edward Abbey is buried somewhere in the Growlers just to the south of where we hiked today. 

Our downward trek was a mile and a half of ankle twisting loose gravel, rocks and small boulders.  Very few flat level sections anywhere.  We reached the Valley floor and kept plodding west. We were hoping to eventually reach a windmill and a bunch of nearby Petroglyphs.

THIS IS WHERE WE PARTED WAYS WITH THE JEEP AND BEGAN OUR LONG DESCENT DOWN THAT ROAD AT RIGHT TO THE VALLEY FLOOR BELOW
 
We were told by the Ranger at the Visitor’s Center this is an active area for Mexican illegals moving through the area and if we see any unusual activity around the well we were to turn around immediately and return back up and out of the Valley.  We figured we had gone about a mile and a quarter when our hike came to a halt.

LOOKING ACROSS GROWLER VALLEY TO THE NORTH GROWLER MOUNTAIN RANGE

IT IS SAID THAT WRITER EDWARD ABBEY IS BURIED UP THERE SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH GROWLER MOUNTAIN RANGE
There was Border Patrol personnel and vehicles ahead.  Not wanting to walk into something we shouldn’t be walking into we decided to quietly turn around and return from whence we had come.  We figured Border Patrol activity way out here in the middle of nowhere constituted unusual activity.

A RATHER TREACHEROUS TRAIL TO HIKE
It was a hot exhausting climb back up that rocky trail with the warm mid day sun on our backs and no cooling breezes to cool us off.  Took a short break about two thirds of the way up and then made the hard slog for the top along the steepest and ruggedest part of the trail.  Needless to say we were happy to see the Jeep hove into sight and how great it was to take off the two heavy cameras I was carrying and flop into the soft cushy Jeep seat. 

LAST REST STOP BEFORE THE FINAL AND HARDEST PART OF THE TRAIL TO THE TOP OF THE RIDGE
We didn’t waste any time sight seeing on the way back out of the Refuge and it only took us 50 minutes to reach Ajo.  We had been away from the doggy guys back at the rig longer than anticipated and we were anxious to get back.  It was the longest time we had left Pheebs so far.  We knew Motor would be fine but we were a little concerned about the Pheebs.  Let’s just say we had the desert hammer down and had a fun and super bouncy drive back through the desert to Ajo:))

YEP, WE SCUFFED UP A FEW TIRES TODAY ALRIGHT
Glad to get back to the rig and find the gang just fine.  Pheebs had managed to pull a few potatoes out of a closet but other than that everything was honky-dorry.  It’s always a great big happy and slurpy reunion every time we come home.

A QUICK STOP AT MARCELA’S CAFÉ FOR A QUICK BITE ON THE WAY HOME…BURRITO FOR KELLY AND A BURG FOR AL:))
And, a few words about Monday night’s blog.  It has been brought to my attention that from time to time I get myself just a little too over the top, a little too enthusiastic, and a little too excitedly opinionated about my love of the boon docking lifestyle.  It has been suggested it is a topic I talk about too much.  Reluctantly, I have to agree and it’s a topic I will try to curb my enthusiasm and opinions about in the future.  Sometimes some of us fellers have to have a few things pointed out to us now and again eh:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((     After hearing a speech on motivating employees, the owner of a large business posted signs that read ‘DO IT NOW’ on the wall of every department at the office. It was impossible for the employees not to see them all through the day.
A friend dropped by a week later. Seeing the signs, he asked if the scheme really worked.
Well, says the business owner, not exactly the way I thought it would. The cashier ran off with $20,000, the office manager eloped with my secretary and the rest of the employees asked for raises!
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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

THE WINDS OF TRAVEL PLAN CHANGES ARE BLOWING AGAIN………

Advantage of where we are is that each morning we can set off in any direction we like on our morning desert walk and always see something pleasingly different with nary a person in sight.  There are no boundaries here so we can walk as far as we can see.

GETTING A CHOLLA BARB OUT OF PHEEBS PAW
Decided to take us for a drive 11 miles south to Why this morning.  This is old familiar territory for us and I always like to touch base with old memories.  Drove through the BLM land at the 2 mile marker south of Why and found the spot where we had stayed back in February of 08.  I like old memories but they are kinda sad because we had Max and Checkers in those days and I could see them happily running and playing in the sandy wash beside the old campsite again this morning.

THIS WAS OUR CAMPSITE AT MILE MARKER 2 BLM LANDS SOUTH OF WHY ARIZONA BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 08
Although not as scenic as Darby Wells this is still a good boondocking place because of the level hard packed sandy clay surface.  Lots of room here for probably a hundred rigs to scatter about among the Mesquite and still have respectful privacy between them.  This BLM land has a camp host as well at it’s entrance and you are allowed a stay of 14 days.  Some folks then move up to Darby Wells for 14 days and then back down to Why.

WE KNEW WE WERE BACK IN THE HICKIWAN TRAILS AREA WHEN THIS A-10 WART HOG FLEW LOW AND SLOW OVERHEAD ROLLING HIS WINGS FROM SIDE TO SIDE
From the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) lands we headed back through Why to the Coyote Howls East RV Park.  This is where we used to park on the road out front with our laptop to pick up their internet signal back in January of 07.  This is also where we will dump our tanks later this week because our plans have changed and we will be backtracking southeast shortly.

From Coyote Howls it was a mile down the road for another trip down memory lane for us.  This is where Hickiwan Trails RV Park is located and the one which you have often heard me refer to in my posts.  Some of our earliest and best RV memories took place at Hickiwan Trails and it will always be a special place for us.  Type Hickiwan Trails into our ‘Search’ box for our times there.

AFTERNOON WALK WITH PHEEBS THE WILD CHILD:))
Took a drive around the Park first and spotted a fifth wheel from British Columbia in a spot we had once stayed at there.  Sure enough, it was Bill from Enderby BC so we stopped in for a visit.  Bill’s wife was out for a walk but he did remember us well from 3 years ago and we were able to get caught up on some of the local gossip we had missed from the past few years.  From Bill’s place it was up to the office to see Hickiwan Ray….but Ray was in Casa Grande today so we had a visit with Ray’s wife Marsha.  Again, we caught up on what’s been happening since our last time there.  And yes, Marsha did remember the Cave People.  (Dennis & Donna:)) It was kind of our version of old home week even it was just two people from the past we saw today.  Too bad we missed Hickiwan Ray…he’s a character:))

PHEEBS HAS BEEN DOING REALLY WELL AT AVOIDING THESE PRICKLY TEDDY BEAR CHOLLAS, PRONOUNCED…..CHOY-A’S
When’s the last time you changed a headlight on your vehicle?  A screwdriver to remove a few screws holding a round chrome rim, right.  Wrong!!  Check out what IVAN had to go through just to change a headlight on his GMC truck.

MORNING SUN IN THE DESERT
After a series of medical challenges RETIRED ROD finally has the wheels rolling west as he and Loyce are quickly making tracks from colder Kansas to warmer Arizona. 
 
DENNIS AND DONNA are so far back in a Louisiana swamp they have seen Alligators playing banjos!!

THE ROAD TO OUR HOUSE
Someone recently inquired about our solar set-up.  I had all that technical info filed away somewhere but couldn’t find it.  Not being a technical person myself I can only tell you that we had the system installed in December of 2008 and it has worked perfectly ever since and we have never run out of power.  Of course, we are not power hogs either and have no washer and dryer on board, or dish washers or hair dryers, etc.  We haven’t traveled in hot weather so have never had to use our A/C.

We are in the habit of kicking on the generator in the morning while the coffee is brewed and that’s about it.  Solar power for us is no different than the electricity at home.  Flip a switch and the lights go on etc.

HEADING BACK TO THE RIG AFTER A MORNING WALK
Here’s a paragraph I just found from a previous post of mine regarding solar…..Our solar system was installed by SOLAR MIKE'S SUN WORKS in Slab City, California. I know we got two solar panels on the roof with numbers like 120 or 130. I think that has to do with watts or something. They are Kyocera panels I think & there should be some pics in our Slab City Installation album which I will put a link in for below. We also had 4 new batteries installed, 1 monitor, 1 control panel, & 1 2500watt power inverter plus lots of wiring. The inverter is bigger than we needed but it was used & had just come out of a fifth wheel while we were there. Those people were going to an even bigger set-up. Our total cost was somewhere around $3,000+ I think. Installation took a day & a half & you can read about it here....
-INSTALLATION DAY -OUR LAST DAY AT THE SLABS

OUR TWO SOLAR PANELS ARE VISIBLE ON THE ROOF IN THIS PHOTO
We are planning to drop into Solar Mike’s at Slab City this trip to have him check on a clicking sound in the monitor and just generally go over our system to make sure things are still operating well.  By the way, we would definitely recommend Solar Mike to anyone needing a professional solar installation:))

YEP, THAT’S US OUT THERE AT TOP RIGHT….TUCSON IS ABOUT 80 MILES BEYOND THOSE DISTANT MOUNTAINS IN THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO
And, why did we decide on Solar Power?  In our first year of Snow Birding it only took us a few stays at RV Parks to convince both of us we needed to make some immediate changes if we were going to continue the RV lifestyle we preferred.  We knew if we were going to continue traveling it was imperative that we become self sufficient and that in a nutshell is why we went with solar power.  It is a decision we have never regretted for one millisecond.  Our system has paid for itself many times over when you figure the cost of nightly stays at RV Parks and the fees we would have had to pay these last 5 years.  Where we are boon docked right now is simply a fine example of our way of thinking.  We have the freedom to go wherever we are comfortable.  This week our door opens to a natural Saguaro cactus garden that stretches for as far as the eye can see in any direction  Mountains ring the horizon and the only sounds we hear are maybe a distant Coyote and the whistles of nearby Cactus Wrens.  Not everybody’s cup of tea but it sure work’s out fine for us:))

SAGUARO CACTUS

Well, now to our change of travel plans again.  I love it when plans change because that means new things will be happening.  Received an email from the Ranch Folks near McNeal Arizona this morning wondering if we could look after the ranch for 3 weeks beginning the middle of December.  It was coincidental because just this morning I was saying to Kelly I thought we should check out the Patagonia area south of Tucson on our way back through here in a couple months.  Now we’ll do that Patagonia area on our way to the ranch over the next couple weeks.  We may be at the Ranch longer than 3 weeks but not sure yet.  Anyway, when we leave the Ranch again we will slide right on through to southwestern Arizona and southeastern California.  Like I said, I love it when plans get all jumbled up and I like it when new travels are afoot.  Routine day to day boredom is my number one enemy so anything to keep things constantly on the move for me works just fine.  We will start our slow backtracking to southern Tucson and then Patagonia and Cochise County by the end of the week probably:)) 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Man: "Just look at that young person with the short hair and blue jeans. Is it a boy or a girl?"
Bystander: "It's a girl. She's my daughter."
Man: "Oh, please forgive me, sir. I had no idea you were her father."
Bystander: "I'm not. I'm her mother."
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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

SLIPPED INTO AJO TO HAVE A LOOK AT SOME MURALS

HERE IS SOMETHING FOR YOU MUSIC BUFFS…IN TONIGHT’S PHOTOS YOU WILL SEE MUSICAL NOTES PAINTED INTO A MURAL ACROSS A BUILDING IN AJO, ARIZONA…PAINTER MIKE (WANDERWOLF) TOLD US THESE ARE THE ACTUAL OPENING NOTES TO A VERY WELL KNOWN WESTERN SONG WRITTEN MANY YEARS AGO.  I WILL TELL YOU THE NAME OF THAT SONG AT THE END OF THE BLOG:))

A sunny 74F under another big bright sunny Arizona sky today.  Had the weather not gone downhill in New Mexico last week we might still be there but we decided before we left home this year that we just wanted to be where it’s warm.  I think we’re headed for 80F+ tomorrow:))

IT TOOK WANDERWOLF MIKE AND FELLOW ARTIST HOP DAVID MANY MONTHS TO COMPLETE THIS LARGE MURAL ON THE FRONT OF THE AJO COPPER NEWS BUILDING…

We slipped back into Ajo again this morning to pick up a few things at Olsens IGA that we had forgot the day before.  Nice well stocked grocery store.  You will remember us visiting Mike (WANDERWOLF) Saturday so we thought we would check out some of his murals in Ajo.  He had told us about one in particular that he worked on with fellow artist HOP DAVID.  Located on the south facing wall of the Ajo Copper News building we wanted to have a look at that.  He told us they put a lot of ‘little things’ in that mural and the more you look at it the more you will find.  These ‘artsy’ type people are a very clever bunch you know and in the photos below you will see why.

 

NOTICE THE 2 BLUE FEET PAINTED ON THE SIDEWALK IN LEFT PHOTO….KELLY STANDS ON THOSE BLUE FEET AND CAN SEE HOW THE NATURAL WAY THE BUILDING ON LEFT’S ROOF LINES BLEND INTO THE PAINTING

THE TWO BLUE FEET PAINTED ON THE SIDEWALK IS THE OPTICALLY CORRECT POSITION TO STAND WHEN VIEWING THE MURAL

I have always thought of Ajo as kind of a tumble down town that has fallen on hard times since the closing of the big copper mine years ago.  Yes, it has fallen on hard times but we drove through a couple neighborhoods today that were certainly not tumble down.  Noticed they had a nice park, community center and children’s playground.  Talked to a Snow Bird from Alaska at the Laundromat a couple of days ago who has been wintering in Ajo for the past 15 years.

 

LOOK CLOSELY AND YOU WILL SEE GHOST RIDERS HERDING STEERS IN THOSE ORANGE ARIZONA CLOUDS INTHE SKY

MANY HIDDEN FACES AND CREATURES IN THIS ROCKY MESA

 

Some readers have mentioned about the BLM land just south of Why.  It’s at mile marker 2 and we were actually boon docked there in early 08 before moving to Darby Wells at that time.  It seems the Verizon signal is smokin hot down around Lukeville at the Mexican border but tapers off further north where we are.  The BLM campground at mile marker 2 is about half way between Lukeville and Ajo. 

 

MORE OF MIKE’S MURALS IN AJO ARIZONA

We considered moving down to Why but the scenery at that spot is not nearly as nice as where we are.  Also, our Verizon is working slightly better now that we have changed a couple of things.  Moved our router up on top of the Motor Home roof plus we’ve discovered if only one of us is on line at a time things seem to work better.  Still no cell phone but Kelly is able to access her Deer Park Lodge messages now by using Skype so we plan to stay where we are until our black tank is ready to be dumped and at that point we’ll head for Gila Bend, dump our gray and black tanks, take on water and decide where we will head from there.  Could be by the end of this week.

AJO HAS A VERY PRETTY DOWNTOWN DONE IN A SPANISH STYLE

Someone asked what our co-ordinates are at Darby Wells road.  I’m hesitant to give that out until after we have left.  One never knows just who is reading these blogs of ours.  I can tell you that our nearest neighbor in a Class C is about a quarter mile away barely visible.  There are maybe a half dozen rigs in the area but they are a mile or more south of us scattered all happy and contented among the tall cactus growths. 

THE NOON COFFEE KLATCH IN AJO’S OUTDOOR CAFE

Had hoped to get some nice Moon and Venus photos tonight but I see they have moved too far apart now for me to capture them in a single telephoto frame. 

COULD THIS BE JUAN VALDEZ BRINGING MORE COFFEE BEANS TO AJO’S OUTDOOR CAFÉ……

It was nice enough tonight for me to write part of today’s post outside while waiting for the Moon and Planet Venus to appear in the evening sky.

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Friend: "I suppose you carry a memento of some sort in that locket of yours?"
Woman: "Yes, it's a lock of my husband's hair."
Friend: "But your husband is still alive."
Woman: "I know, but his hair is gone."

---------------------------------------------------------------Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

And the name of that song in the mural……Ghost Riders In The Sky