Our new home!
Saddle Mountain (3,037 ft.), southwest of Tonopah and west of Phoenix
Friday, January 29
Below roaring, low-flying helicopters, the Perfect Tow Vehicle carries me and the crew away from our Sonoran Desert camp near Why, Arizona.
Soon Bridget, Reggie, and I are cruising north on Route 85, headed for Gila Bend.
Along the way we stop at a bare-bones rest area — just a shelter and trash cans — in order for the crew to have a potty break and run around a bit. As soon as I park the PTV, three guys in a pick-up pulling a utility trailer pull in. They’re checking the tie downs on their tarp when Bridget, who is off-leash (far from the road), wanders over to make their acquaintance.
The men stop to pay her the attention she seeks.
“Bridget loves men,” I remark, walking closer. “Okay, Reggie, you get your share of attention, too.”
A bicycling couple coasts into the parking area.
Soon they’re asking me questions about the Best Little Trailer which leads to questions about the full-time vagabond life. After a pleasant chat, they mount their bikes and head south down the long, straight highway to Ajo and the crew and I continue north to Gila Bend . . .
Where I pull into Carl’s Jr.
Okay. Here’s the deal. We’re traveling. I need to fortify myself for the rest of the journey. For a couple of weeks I have not let any bread touch my lips. Which makes it difficult to eat the Santa Fe chicken burger, but I do it! I almost choke!
Just kidding.
Bridget and Reggie are delighted with their hamburger patty treat. The two of them are such good travelers, I try to make our moves to a new camp as fun as I can. And if I buy them a burger at Carl’s Jr., well, I have to buy a . . . . Anyway!
On the east side of Gila Bend Route 85 heads north again.
It’s a straight, divided highway across flat desert. We pass the Gila Bend Mountains and the Buckeye Hills. I don’t take photos because it’s a hot and hazy afternoon, plus dust is in the air, making distant views fuzzy.
I miss the turn I want — Old U.S. 80 — which means we zigzag our way to Salome Road. For those following on a map, we leave Salome Road at Courthouse Road and a few miles later we’re on BLM land!
I have a devil of a time finding a level campsite.
First off, the road is made of pointed rocks. Well, it seems that way. Dark, volcanic rock is everywhere. This is the same road that led to a camp we made here in a previous year. The road is awful, so at the first opportunity I drive us over the rocks to another road.
I’ll cut to the chase.
After several tries, we settle into a camp that is level for the Best Little Trailer, side-to-side. However, the tongue end is too low. I don’t want to unhitch. In order to bring the tongue up (I don’t want to sleep with my feet higher than my head!), I put the cone under the tongue and jack up the tongue while still hitched. This works great!
Gee, RVSue. . . Could you shut up and show us some pictures, for crying out loud?
Sorry… Be patient. You have to wait until tomorrow morning.
Saturday, January 30
Oh my gosh, tomorrow morning is here!
Colors of daybreak behind the silhouette of crags next to Saddle Mountain
Hold on . . . Let me set up the next photos for you, okay?
After several attempts yesterday to find a level campsite next to one of the lush palo verde, I give up. We end up with a site next to a scraggly, little ironwood tree with several leafless branches. I’m not impressed, but it doesn’t matter, we’re in a campsite!
Well, this morning, in “dawn’s early light,” that little ironwood’s scraggly branches draw a lovely, delicate filigree against the softness of the pink-tinged clouds.
Beautiful!
Nice touch, Little Ironwood!
Shortly after dawn, the crew and I take a short walk. It’s a bright and sunny day, expected to reach the 70s.
Big Horn Mountains (left) and Belmont Mountains
No other campers are here.
Vehicles on Interstate 10 are mere specks at the base of the mountains north of us. Their lights are visible at night.
Looks like Bridget is dishing out advice to the Reggie Man.
“That was a nice walk. Time for a drink of water, right, Bridgie?”
See how versatile the blue mat is since I cut it in half.
Sunshine feels good in the face, doesn’t it, Reggie?”
The first morning at a new boondock is a delight!
Oh, one more thing before I close up this post . . . .
Remember the problem with my Olympian Wave 3 catalytic heater? How it needs a new thermocouple? How I’ve procrastinated for several weeks (or is it months?) to have the thermocouple replaced?
Well, a friend researched catalytic heater problems online and came up with a possible solution: Make sure the thermocouple is touching the pad of the heater.
I look and, lo and behold, it isn’t!
I correct that in less than 5 seconds and it didn’t cost a penny. See? Sometimes procrastination is a good thing!
rvsue
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