Friday, February 06, 2015

CHECKED OUT ‘MID CAMPGROUND’- ROCK HOUSE CABIN & ROCK SPRINGS TODAY

DSC_0034

This is Thursday February 5ths post………. 2015

Desert night’s are cold but we are toasty in our rig.  With curtains pulled back we watch through our big windshield for morning’s early sunrise.  With what seems a steadily worsening internet connection & time not spend on our laptops we are out for our walks earlier.  Of course earlier does mean colder.   

DSC_0002 DSC_0003

KNOWN AS ‘SPANISH SABERS’ THESE MOJAVE YUCCA SPIKES ARE HARD, NEEDLE POINTED, & DEADLY.;;THEY COULD BE EFFECTIVELY USED AS EITHER AN OFFENCE OR DEFENSE WEAPON 

It was 7:45 when we piled into the Jeep & headed north on Black Canyon Road with our eventual destination being Rock Springs just beyond a stone cabin built back in the late 1920’s by a returning World War 1 veteran.

DSC_0004

Paved road from I-40 to ‘Hole In The Wall’ campground is paved but north from there it’s sand & gravel.  Road was good for about 5 miles until it narrowed at a couple large water tanks & became very washboardy in spots all the way to a turn off to ‘Mid Campground.’  Road is doable with an RV but it will probably scramble your fine China.

DSC_0018 DSC_0019 DSC_0023DSC_0006

EVIDENCE OF HUGE FIRE HAVING SWEPT THROUGH THIS AREA WAS EVERYWHERE

Wanted to have us a look at Mid Campground so turned left & drove 2 miles in.  This whole area has had a massive fire go through here awhile back & hillsides are covered in burnt Pinyon Juniper trees for miles & miles.  The fire swept through Mid Campground but not all of it.  There are still some nice spots left in what was once a beautiful heavily forested place.  I would say maybe a third of the camp is still picturesque.  I took a liking to Mid Campground & for anyone wanting a remote location get away this is a nice place.  We checked for an internet connection but couldn’t find one.  I wouldn’t recommend this campground for large rigs over 25’ though.  Sites vary in size & I’d say small Class C’s & truck campers would be Okay.  I’m sure this is a haven for many tenters.  Road leading into Mid Campground from Rock Canyon road is reasonably good if you take your time.

DSC_0005

THIS IS A DOUBLE SITE AT MID CAMPGROUND

DSC_0008 DSC_0016

NOTE BURNT TREES BEHIND WASHROOM

DSC_0009

HARD PACKED CRUSHED STONE ROAD THROUGH CAMPGROUND

DSC_0007 DSC_0021DSC_0010 DSC_0015DSC_0012

DSC_0022 DSC_0023

FIRE DAMAGE IN MID CAMPGROUND

Heading back we stopped at a large outcropping of rocks where Mid Campground road meets Black Canyon Road.  Great place to stop & do some rock scrambling. There was actually a fellow camping in a tent here. This single big outcropping of boulders reminded me of ‘City Of Rocks State Park’ near Silver City New Mexico. 

DSC_0024

HEADING FOR THAT SMALLER JUMBLE OF ROCKS ON THE LEFT

DSC_0025 DSC_0042

THERE’S THE TENTER BESIDE HIS TENT EATING A SANDWICH & KELLY CHECKS THE LOCATION FOR AN INTERNET SIGNAL

DSC_0026

DSC_0028 DSC_0032 DSC_0033

PHEEBS IS QUICKLY OFF TO DO SOME EXPLORING

DSC_0027

DSC_0029 DSC_0031DSC_0040 DSC_0036DSC_0051

KELLY GRABS A FEW PHOTOS WITH HER BLACKBERRY AS WE CRUISE AROUND THE ROCKS

DSC_0037 DSC_0048DSC_0049

DSC_0043 DSC_0052

DSC_0046

DSC_0054

TWO WINDMILLS VISIBLE IN THIS PHOTO PLUS SOMEONE HAS DONE SOME NICE ARTWORK ON THIS OLD RUSTED WATER TANK

DSC_0055

From the large boulder pile it was only 3 miles further north to Cedar Canyon Road.  Made a right hand turn onto a well graded hard packed sand & gravel surface & traveled maybe 5 miles to our destination just off the right hand side of the road.  Small roadside sign is easy to miss.  A short sandy lane led into parking lot trail head with a washroom & garbage disposal bin.  Rock Cabin was a short walk from there.  It was obvious right away this stone built cabin was in good shape due to probably being built right in the first place back in the late 20’s.  Stone walls are thick.  History of this cabin & 2 owners can be seen in photos below.

DSC_0057

DSC_0058 DSC_0059

(CLICK TO ENLARGE

DSC_0061

DSC_0062 DSC_0065DSC_0068

A FEW INTERIOR PHOTOS THROUGH CLOSED WINDOWS

 DSC_0067 DSC_0063DSC_3205

<<< CATCHING A SELFIE AT THE CABIN

There is a loop trail beginning on the west side of the cabin which leads back around to where an old ore crushing copper mill was located.  A concrete foundation, half a dozen burnt timbers & a pile of odd colored stones is about all that’s left.  Trail from there leads down through some rocks to a sandy wash.  From here it was a short walk following many animal foot prints in soft sand to the water source known as Rock Springs.  Not a lot of water but there was a spring running & Pheebs was able to get herself a drink. 

DSC_0114

DSC_0085 DSC_0086

REMAINS OF THE OLD COPPER MILL AS WE FOLLOW THIS TRAIL DOWN TO ROCK SPRINGS

DSC_0088

One can only imagine the history that took place at this location.  Tribes of Indians camped hear near the water source.  In later years settlers traveling the Mojave trail stopped here.  It was a source of water for miners & ranchers in the area as well. 

DSC_0089

PHOTO ABOVE WAS TAKEN IN THIS WASH BELOW WHERE WE FOLLOWED NUMEROUS ANIMAL TRACKS INTO THOSE ROCKS AHEAD

DSC_0100

DSC_0093 DSC_0095

PHEEBS FINDS HERSELF A FRESH SPRING WATER DRINK

DSC_0094 

IF ONLY THESE ROCKS COULD TELL THEIR MANY TALES

DSC_0099

Around 1860 the U.S. Government built a Cavalry outpost in a flat area beside what is known as Watsons Wash.  This army post was known as Camp Rock Spring & was set up in conjunction with a string of other posts to protect the mail & supply route along the Mojave road running from California to Prescott Arizona.  Nothing left of the outpost anymore except a small flat piece of ground.  The outpost was only a few hundred yards from the water source just up the wash.  If only these rocks & boulders could talk & tell us tales of all the activity that once went on in this now nearly forgotten little place so crucial to so many back in the 1800’s.  I’m sure with the ghosts of Mojave Indians, old 49’er Miners, tired wagon train settlers, dusty cow punching cowboys, & Government Cavalry troops, our way back along the winding trail to Rock House Cabin was well watched over.

DSC_0101

ON THIS FLAT GROUND BEHIND READER BOARD STOOD ARMY CAMP ‘ROCK SPRING’

DSC_0102

ON THIS READER BOARD IT SAYS, ‘OF 73 MEN STATIONED HERE FOR VARIOUS PERIODS, 23 DESERTED’

DSC_0103 DSC_0107

CAMP ROCK SPRING WAS LOCATED HERE ON THIS FLAT PIECE OF GROUND

DSC_0106

We left Rock House Cabin & headed our way back in the direction from whence we had come but decided to turn off on the Mid Campground road again & take a 10 mile Jeep road back to our rig just south of ‘Hole In The Wall Campground’'.  Found this road very scenic & in better shape than the washboardy Black Canyon Road we had originally headed north on earlier in the morning.  It’s 2 miles longer going this way.

DSC_3213

INTERESTING MARKINGS ON THIS ROCK…DID INDIANS DO THIS OR WAS IT SOLDIERS FROM CAMP ROCK SPRING…ROCK WAS AT THE OUTPOST SITE

DSC_0104

KELLY DOES A LITTLE FANCY FOOTIN THROUGH A GULLEY

DSC_3212 DSC_3209

DSC_0112

ALMOST BACK TO THE TRAILHEAD

Think it was around 2 when we made arrived back at the rig which made for a 6 hour day trip & that is just about right for us.  It is these kinds of days when we set out in the Jeep in search of things that are my favorite kinds of days.  Seeing new scenery & tracking down locations of old west history works for me every time & we’ve done a fair bit of that since we started RVing back in 06.  Ghost Towns in Cochise County just to mention a few.

DSC_0118

THESE WERE THE GOAT PENS AT ROCK HOUSE CABIN

DSC_0119 DSC_0121

All & all we had ourselves a good day & in the morning will probably head for the world’s largest concentration of Joshua Trees.  No not Joshua Tree National Park.  The largest collection of Joshua Trees are right here in California’s Mojave National Preserve.  Plans right now are to Jeep there Friday morning but there may be another plan in the works.  We are frustrated here with the spotty internet & are toying with the idea of re-locating over to the west side of the Preserve on the other side of the towering Providence Mountain range.  Logic dictates reception may be better there with major population centers further west.

DSC_3215

ON THE JEEP ROAD BETWEEN MID CAMP & HOLE IN THE WALL CAMP

DSC_0123

DSC_0126 DSC_0124DSC_0125 DSC_0127

DSC_3216

CLARK MOUNTAIN IN THE PROVIDENCE MOUNTAIN RANGE REACHES 7,929 FEET

DSC_3218

Once the domain of older retired folks RVing is quickly evolving as technologies keep improving.  More & more younger full time working people are joining the older full time RV’ers on the road.  The folks latest post over at Techmomadia addresses the issue of, Tips For Balancing Work And A RV Traveling Lifestyle.  Practical renovations may be needed to make your RV work friendly.

DSC_0133

STOPPING TO CHECK AN INTERNET CONNECTION AT ANOTHER POTENTIAL BOONDOCKING SITE & I THINK WE HAVE A TIRED POOCHY TODAY

And a correction to Wednesday’s post about the ‘Hole In The Wall’ campground information center near by…..it is open for the season & not closed like I said.  Also here’s something the Park Ranger told us.   Even if we are boondocking in the area we are allowed to use the campground facilities such as free water & dump plus use their dumpster for garbage.  What a great place this is & who knew.  Thanks Sue:))

DSC_3220

What a great feeling to wake up each morning, look out our windows & see nothing but nature’s handiwork all round.  How nice to hear nothing.  Maybe a few distant Coyotes.  Nothing between us & each day’s sunrises & sunsets other than wind, mountains, & desert.  It is this exact boondocking lifestyle which first attracted us to the southwest way back as far back 2005 when we made a quick trip to Big Bend in Texas.  For me the southwest had been an irresistible draw since first experiencing it way back as far as 1992.  These days here in the Mojave take me back over these past 9 years to our favorite times on the road & memorable places we have camped.  Our home base in Congress Arizona is great but as with anything there are some drawbacks.  Being out here in the quiet desert with no neighbors, no people pressure, & no noise sure is a nice way to spend these fine days docked in this magnificent splendor which surrounds us from horizon to horizon.  We definitely need to get ourselves back to quieter times the way we used to be.  And some day when all things are said & done it will be day’s like today I will longingly return to in search of my favorite memories.

DSC_3217

OUR FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE GREAT KELSO SAND DUNES WE HOPE TO SEE IN A FEW DAYS

GROANER’S CORNER:((  The counselor was giving advice:  To gain self-confidence, you must avoid using negative words, such as "can't" and "not." Do you think you can do that?  The young man responded:  Well, I can't see why not.

---

One day in school..... How do you spell elephant?
E-l-l-e-e-f-a-n-t   That's not how the dictionary spells it.
You didn't ask me how the dictionary spells it!

-------------------------------------------------------

- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

8 comments:

  1. It's gorgeous and you make me want to be there. Thanks for all the road tips. I get that we like to be out in the middle of nowhere but it's kind of funny how we want our technology too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What an awesome day. The Rock House is so nice. Can't image all the time and sweat it took to build the house.

    Love the hike. Being around large boulders always reminds me of how blessed we are to enjoy this wonderful way to live life.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Another wonderful journey into the past!! Thanks so much for this information for a future trip. Don't you just love finding art in the desert! Love that photo of Pheebs napping in the dirt, as you said...one tired pup:) Great photo of Kelly's selfie:)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Loved the great documentation and photos of Rock Springs and surrounding area. Glad you were able to capture the inside of Rock Spring cabin. That was neat.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Poor or non existant internet is a pain in the you know what. As much as we have enjoyed the beauty of the last two State Parks we have been in, the lack of a decent rate of connection was a big negative. On the otherhand, what is so important that it can't wait a few days? This week I had the unusual experience of reading news from a large sheet of paper while in a waiting room of a Jeep dealership. It was oddly plesant.

    ReplyDelete
  6. What a great day, nothing better than being alone in beautiful wilderness.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It looks like there are some very nice sites at the campground, and it's hard to believe a big fire swept through the area. Glad it wasn't all destroyed.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Sure enjoyed your post tonight. Some of those big boulders would look right at home in Joshua Tree NP. You got some good shots of Kelly and Pheebs too. What beautiful scenery.

    ReplyDelete