Saturday, Nov 4 (continued)
From Lake Mead Recreation Area, the crew and I take Route 93 through Boulder City. We board Route 95 and travel south to Searchlight.
Further south, somewhere between Searchlight and Interstate 40, I pull over and park in a flat gravel area frequently used by vendors selling stuff like honey and jewelry. Today it’s deserted; only a few hand-painted signs and a flag remain.
Reggie and Roger are awake from a long nap. I take them on a short walk along a dirt road that winds among the creosote bushes before continuing our journey.
A few more miles and we board Interstate 40. We travel east nine miles to Needles (It’s 73 miles from Las Vegas to Needles).
South of Needles we reach the entrance to Turtle Mountain Wilderness.
Usually I choose the first campsite. This time I go further out toward the mountains and away from Route 95. Just for a change.
The second clearing is large, allowing me plenty of room to turn the BLT around and position her just so. At first I think, gee, why bother setting up an outdoor room, we’re only going to stay overnight.
I rethink that notion.
The reason one “bothers” to put out the blue mat and other stuff is in order to enjoy this day, to live fully in this day, rather than diminish this day because of what we plan to do tomorrow.
I have to be diligent about my behavior or I easily fall into laziness and inaction.
And that can take me down Depression Road.
Not good.
Once I have the room set up with my camp chair, the doggie beds, chew bones (made in the USA), and toys, the crew begins to play and I’m glad I went to the “bother.”
I plop down into the camp chair with a cup of tea.
It’s nice here.
The boys and I feel at home again.
Routines such as creating the outdoor room give security to a camp, not only for Reggie and Roger, but also for me and my feelings of well-being.
Later we walk the wash along Turtle Mountain Road.
We find in the sand various tracks of wildlife — coyotes, rabbits, rodents, and possibly kitfoxes. The crew inspects the scat, lifting a leg to leave their pee-mail, “Fair warning: We claim this territory!”
Well, I don’t really know the message. Maybe they leave jokes like, “A coyote, rabbit, and kitfox walk into a bar . . . . ”
One of these years I ought to drive up to Turtle Mountain.
This is the third time I’ve camped here and I’ve never gone to the mountains. See post of November 2015: “Flying against the wind, lounging in the sun.”
This is a way-station sort of camp. I don’t unhitch. Therefore, I don’t go into the Wilderness.
The road tends toward deep sand as you can see in the next photo.
The PTV with her all-terrain tires and super mightiness could venture to the mountains. If the road should become treacherous, I could turn the PTV around. With the BLT tagging along, however, a turn-around may not be possible.
Well, it probably would be possible by driving off the road, looping around, and returning to the road, leaving a scar of tracks and crushed plants. I try not to put us in a position of having to do that.
Good boondockers stay on established roads!
Typically the desert turns cool when the sun goes down.
I heat up a can of chicken and rice soup for supper. The 12-volt system still isn’t working but my laptop and jetpack air card are charged because I had them plugged into the PTV’s cigarette-lighter-type receptacle during this morning’s drive.
The internet signal is good here — not great — but good enough to blog, read comments, and catch up on the news.
It’s been a fine day, from hiking the rocks at Lake Mead to this quiet, secluded camp under a dome of bright stars.
Sunday, November 5
I pack up the outdoor room, secure the interior of our home, and the crew and I take off to our next camp!
rvsue
NOTE IN REAL TIME (Thanksgiving week): Thank you for your comments, compliments on photos, and wishes for our thanksgiving. Many of you are busy with preparations for the special day and may not have time to comment. If you do find the time, I hope you will write on a topic of your choice or ask a question or jot down a few words to let us know you’re here or what’s going on in your life. — Sue
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG!
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Turtle Mountain Camp, looking toward Route 95
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