Tuesday, October 31, 2017

WE HAVE ARRIVED

Yes, we are back in Caliente in Florence, AZ for most of the winter.  We stayed two nights in Hawthorne, NV then three nights in Beatty, NV and five nights in Payson, AZ.   With those multi day stops it took us sixteen days from when we left Victoria until we arrived in Florence.  We spent the five nights in Payson waiting for the hot weather down here in the valley to moderate. 
We arrived here about 11 yesterday morning.  After pumping up a couple of tires on the RZR then jump starting it, we were able to move it out of our way so we could back the motor home into it's spot.  After lunch I got started cleaning the carport of the accumulated debris brought in by the wild weather during the summer monsoons.  I pick up the larger debris then sweep up what I can then vacuum before finally using the water hose to flush the rest out.  There didn't seem to be as much as some years.
I cleaned out neighbour John and Carol's this morning which proved to be good timing as they arrived this evening.  John isn't doing very good this year so there is no way he could have done the cleanup anyway.  He was very grateful.

Near Payson, AZ looking across to the Mogollon Rim.  This major topographical feature runs about 200 miles across Arizona.  The Rim is an escarpment defining the southwestern edge of the Colorado Plateau.   The Rim rises as high as 8,000 feet.  Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour used the Rim in various novels. 

I was out geocaching one morning near Payson when I stumbled onto Mud Springs and surprised this Redtail Hawk at waters edge

He flew up into a willow tree and kept an eye on me for a while

Looking over the town of Payson, AZ

The view to the east from a hill above Payson

The view north east to the Rim

And a view to the west

Southeast view

Mitzy and I surprised this rabbit on our morning walk this morning

On my return from Coolidge this afternoon, I spotted this sky tractor.  These guys seem to be a bit crazy dipping under the power lines to dump their spray.  


He didn't seem to be spraying an existing crop so perhaps he was killing the weeds in preparation to turn it into cropland

Thursday, October 26, 2017

GRAND CANYON SIDE TRIP

On our last day in Beatty, Nevada, I took the Titus Canyon Road into Death Valley National Park.  It is a 27 mile long one way gravel road.  I saw a total of eight vehicles during my trip.  The sign at the beginning said to allow three hours.  I took five and I could have taken much longer.  It was a fascinating journey and I would repeat it again if we ever venture that way another time.
We moved on from Beatty to Seligman, AZ which was our most expensive campground and the absolute worst for internet.  We are now in Payson, AZ at about 5,000 feet elevation.  We are spending at least five nights here as Aileen is happy with the temperature which is considerably less than is current in Florence.  Phoenix set another record yesterday at 99F so Florence would be pretty close to the same.  We hope to get to Caliente early next week.  It is only 109 miles from here.

On my way out of Beatty in the morning, I spotted two Moms and babies and the male

A few miles along the Titus Canyon road looking back toward Beatty

Looking ahead at my first high point


Looking toward the big hill that I went up to enter a high pass on the right

And looking back from that pass.  If you look closely, you can see several sections of the road I traveled.

Again looking back from the pass

Closer view with two Subaru Outbacks crawling along

Looking ahead from the pass

Along the route

The mighty back roads CRV

Approaching Leadville a very short lived enterprise that was mostly a swindle by a stock promoter.  Funny how some things don't change?

That would be me

Starting to approach the actual canyon

And in we go





The canyon section was at least a couple of miles I'm guessing.  I didn't think to check as I was going through.

After supper, I took Aileen out to see if we could spot the burros.  It turned out they were all five on their way in to town for a drink at a water tub someone had installed outside their fence.

Monday, October 23, 2017

DEATH VALLEY VISIT

We are spending three nights in Beatty.  We might have spent longer but the campgrounds are totally booked starting tomorrow for the annual Beatty Days.   I spent a fairly long day in Death Valley yesterday mostly around the Furnace Creek area.  I was quite pleased with the light as I was concerned there would be too much smoke but luckily that wasn't the case. 
I made another visit to Death Valley National Park today but that will have to wait for another post.  Tomorrow we will be moving down the road somewhere.  Probably through Las Vegas then eastward.  It was 30C here today but at least 36C in Death Valley.  We will be looking for slightly cooler temperatures for the next few days and will be monitoring the temperatures down in Florence to see when it is comfortable to go there.


                                      
On the way into Death Valley

Death Valley

Death Valley

Old Harmony Borax facility near Furnace Creek

20 Mule Team Wagons

Above and below are of Zabriskie Point


The next five are in Twenty Mule Team Canyon, a great one way drive.  Well worth the stop. 

The CRV is parked way down there.  I got up here and looked and took lots of  photos and nobody else invaded my space.  A couple of vehicles drove by but they weren't stopping.




These two are up at Dantes Viewpoint elevation 5475' looking down on Badwater Basin elevation minus 282'


These two are along the highway at the 20 Mule Team Canyon turnoff

Yep, she's dry!

The next four are along Artists Palette Drive 

The Artists Palette

Anyone else see the fish head?


North of Furnace Creek on my way home