WE FIND A GREAT BOONDOCKING SITE IN THE MOJAVE DESERT

SUNRISE OVER THE PIUTE MOUNTAIN RANGE FROM HERE IN THE MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE

This is Wednesday’s post February 4th 2015

Anyone who has walked in the desert on a full Moon-lit night will well understand the feelings I had when Pheebs & were out after dark.  All surrounding mountains & the valley where we were camped bathed in Moonlight.  Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

AN EARLY MORNING SUNRISE SETS THE MOUNTAINSIDE ON FIRE

Seeings how our bodies are still on Arizona time we were up before 4:30 a.m.  Not a lot to do at that hour of the morning when there is no internet but we managed & at first light we were into the Jeep with the heater on & off to find us a cool boondocking spot with hopefully an internet signal.

VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER JUST SOUTH OF ‘HOLE IN THE WALL’ CAMPGROUND

 

EASY TO SEE WHY THEY CALL IT ‘HOLE IN THE WALL’ WITH ALL THE HOLES IN THE SURROUNDING ROCKS

A NICE LOOKING VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER

 

ALTHOUGH NOT OPEN TILL 9 WE WERE ABLE TO CHECK OUT SOME INFO BOARDS OUTSIDE

Took us a bit of looking around but by golly if we didn’t find ourselves a great solitary spot just off Black Canyon Road a couple miles south of the campground.  Bonus find.  Flat, easily accessible, about a quarter mile off the road & holy smokes this location is picking up a great Verizon signal at 4G’s & 3 bars.  Of course that is with our Wilson Booster & the antennae way up on top of our roof sitting on one of our air conditioners.  However……we only have those fast speeds when we are connected & the internet connection here is spotty.  If my posts are late in publishing it means I am having connection problems:((

WE QUICKLY PACKED UP OUR OVERNIGHT SPOT AT SITE 27 & HEADED OUT

 

Noticed from our new spot we can actually look south & see Doug & Yuma's rig about another mile or more south of us.  We passed Doug’s rig early this morning while looking for a spot but there  was no sign of life in his camp yet.  Doug’s a late riser.

THAT’S THE TOP OF DOUG’S RIG JUST DOWN A BIT FROM DEAD CENTER AND HE’S OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR

SPOTTED THESE HORSES THIS MORNING

Usually after a long day’s travel we generally like to spend the next day just sitting around camp relaxing & maybe doing a few walks around our immediate neighborhood familiarizing ourselves with the terrain. Pheebs & I did a perimeter walk but didn’t go to far.  The day was heating up fast. 

TURN OFF FOR THE BLM SITE IS THERE JUST ON THE LEFT & THAT IS A COW WALKING UP THE CENTER OF THE ROAD TOWARD ME…I’M IN THE MOTORHOME WITH KELLY FOLLOWING IN THE JEEP

 

SOME OF OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBORS

Heard a vehicle roll in & it was Doug & Yuma.  He had no problem spotting our lone rig out in the desert.  Yuma & Pheebs get along great & within seconds the two of them were racing around like a couple wisenheimers.  Always great to see dogs playing so well together.  We pulled up a few chairs alongside our rig & had ourselves a good chat.  Places to go, where we've been, things to see.  RV folks always have things to talk about & always good to Doug & Yuma.  Our trails will probably cross again in the coming days as we scurry about this great gem called the Mojave National Preserve.

DOUG, YUMA, & PHEEBS

 

PHEEBS DUG A HOLE UNDER MY CHAIR TO COOL OFF FROM THE HOT SUN

AND NOW FOR SOME ZANY DOG PHOTOS

 

 

I THINK YOU ARE PRETTY NEAT PHEEBS

 

TIME FOR SOME SMOOCHES

I’D SAY THESE TWO GUYS ARE PRETTY TUCKERED OUT

We will be up & out the door early Thursday morning.  Like to do our exploring & hiking around before the hot noon day desert sun is upon us.  We will search out the Rock House cabin with a 1 mile trail that leads to a well-known watering hole & site of an 1860’s military outpost.

A FEW PHOTOS FROM AROUND OUR BLM LAND CAMPSITE

I WAS UP ON THE RIG’S ROOF PUTTING UP OUR WILSON SLEEK AMPLIFIER ANTENNA ATOP AN AIR CONDITIONER…LOOKING SOUTHEAST TOWARDS THE RIG’S FRONT END

THERE’S THE PHEEBS DOWN THERE LOOKING IN THE DIRECTION OF YUMA’S HOUSE

WE THINK THIS MAY ONCE HAVE BEEN THE SITE OF AN OLD RANCH

THERE ARE MANY OF THESE ‘MOJAVE YUCCAS’ EVERYWHERE

 

I had been hoping to catch tonight’s Moon coming up over a distant mountain ridge again but was a few minutes late & the Moon had already cleared the ridge.  But no matter, I did manage to get a few sunset photos anyway……………..

SUNSET FRAMED BY MOJAVE YUCCAS

GROANER’S CORNER:(( While driving in the car with my son, I had an "oldies" radio station on. It played a song that I remembered from the 1960's.  "You know, Ron, this song was on when I was in bed with a broken leg back when I was young."  "Gee, Mom, that's too bad," he replied. "You couldn't even get up to turn it off."