Reggie and I meet “the regulars.”
They’re easy to spot, a bunch of guys standing next to an RV, laughing and chewing the fat. Over the past few days Reggie and I have met several of them.
Regulars are a valuable source of information.
When I spot regulars at a dispersed camping area such as this, I usually make an effort to meet them. I don’t walk up when they’re in a group to introduce myself. It’s better to meet them singly, like when out walking.
In this post I’ll share some of my conversations with two Poverty Flats regulars.
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One guy has camped on this mesa overlooking Overton, Nevada, every winter for 31 years.
That’s how long Greg has lived full-time in one RV or another, first with his wife for a few precious years (“We went all over!”), and, since her passing, by himself. He doesn’t stay at Poverty Flats for the entire winter, like several do. Rather he uses it as a place to delay his journey southward for a few weeks, much like I’m doing.
“This is a good place to stop and wait for the weather to cool further south,” he says. “I have to see my doctors in Yuma. Lots of these guys stay the whole winter. They like that there isn’t a time limit. You can stay for six months, if you want.”
Greg is 79 years old and camps in a customized horse trailer (“The structure is solid!”) after going through several other types of rigs over the years. He tells me he still loves the full-time vagabond life.
Greg has a small motorcycle.
He uses it to zip around the mesa to visit his buddies and to ride into town for groceries.
“I used to have a Harley, but it got to be too heavy. This thing is half the weight.”
Greg informs me that trash can be disposed of at the wildlife management area, and water can be taken on and waste tanks emptied at the commercial RV park at Echo Bay (about 15 miles south of Poverty Flats).
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Barry is an interesting fellow.
He full-times in a fifth-wheel, camping at Poverty Flats for the entire season. This is his tenth winter on the mesa.
After the typical getting-to-know-you chatter, I ask him, “Where does one go to do laundry around here? The laundromat in town is closed.”
“Yeah, they had to close it. Couldn’t keep up with the vandals and thieves. First they had to take out the candy vending machine. Then they had to put up security cameras which were stolen. They replaced them and then the cameras and the recorder were stolen. After that, they gave up and closed the place.”
“What a shame. Is there a drug problem in Overton?”
“Well, it’s right on the drug corridor that goes through Vegas.”
He pauses, recalling a personal experience.
“I used to ride my bike up on Mormon Mesa. That was until I suspected drug activity going on. Guys hanging around. I decided it wasn’t a good place to ride a bike and stopped going up there. Since then a guy was stabbed.”
Barry quickly reassures me, “Not here, no, not here. It’s okay here.”
“So where does one go to wash clothes?”
“There’s a small laundry at the RV park at Echo Bay. I leave here at daybreak to get the washers before it’s busy.”
Another day, while out walking, Reggie and I meet Barry again.
“Barry, I meant to ask you . . . . You stay here all winter. How cold does it get?”
“Not too bad on the mesa. The cold air settles in the valley. It can be ten degrees warmer up here.”
“What’s the coldest temperature you get?”
“Well, last winter was mild. We had one night that went down to 28 degrees. During the day it goes down into the 40s.”
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“RVSue! RVSue!”
“What is it, Reggie? What are you so worked up about?”
“Stop talking so much, RVSue! Show them the dogs that I met!”
“You’re right, Reg. I should do that. I don’t have photos of all of them, honey, but here are a few.”
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rvsue
NOTE: I stayed out of comments under the previous post. I left it up to you to keep the conversation going and you did a great job! I enjoyed reading what you shared, as I’m sure did others. Thank you very much!
Carry on, blogorinos! New people, join in! I’m going to take another break. — Sue
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This is Cholla (CHOY-yuh). Her owner found her in Mexico.
