The Swing of Things

[kcowyo]

"Have fun getting lost on the way home!"
- Jerry Jeff Walker


Catching up on a recent 2.5 week trip over the Thanksgiving holiday and into December, that saw us travel from our home in Wyoming, through a blizzard-infested Utah, to a not-as-warm as expected Arizona, before capping it off for a week in Death Valley to soak in the hot springs in Saline Valley...

My plans to enjoy a 3 day weekend in southern Utah, were scuttled by a severe snow storm throughout much of the region. We spent two chilly but cozy nights just outside of Capitol Reef National Park, near the town of Loa. Huddled in the camper with the furnace on full blast, our evenings were spent playing cards, watching a DVD on the laptop and suffering in the wind at every call of nature. The next day wasn't much better as it took us 2.5 hours to drive the 35 miles from Torrey to Boulder, in a complete white-out on an unplowed road at 9,000+ ft in elevation. Utah... gotta love it.

Thinking that by heading south we would find warmer temps, we pushed on to the Grand Canyon. We by-passed the north rim at Jacobs Lake due to the road being closed and under significant snow. It was a sketchy drive in poor conditions off the plateau, but driving in white-outs, ice and blizzards is kinda my specialty. Soon enough we were crossing over the Colorado River into canyon country...

Along the south rim, we pulled into several overlooks for her first peek into the Grand Canyon. It was still cold but the sights were well worth it -

I caught the owner of this boss Landcruiser Troopy checking out my truck & camper and debated offering him to trade vehicles...

Not too many people out checking out the views due to temps in the teens -

The snow on the ground made the trails on the overlooks extra dicey -

Hoping for a better day to follow, we chose to stay in Mather Campground on the South Rim. Of the numerous loops and hundreds of campsites, only 1 loop was open with maybe 20 campsites available. Snow covered the entire area and the cold temps plunged along with the sunset. My heart went out to the tent campers we saw on our way in as I knew they were in store for a helluva cold night... We blasted the furnace again and made some comfort-food dinner of beef stew & bread. Throughout the night I could hear car engines firing up as the tent campers, of which surprisingly there were several, opted to spend the night cramped but warm in their vehicles. Sucked to be them as temps dropped down to 5*F overnight! With the heater off while we slept, we awoke to condensation icicles hanging from the ceiling... It was brutal and a lengthy process in the morning to warm up, dry out & wipe down the camper before moving on.


Saw this funky RV (obviously an import) on our way out of the campground -

That was my third trip to the Grand Canyon, and the third time I've frozen my posterior off. I can unequivocally state, it is the coldest place I've ever camped. Maybe I need to stop going in November...
.

 

[kcowyo]

"When you come to a fork in the road, take it!"
- Yogi Berra


With high hopes of higher temps, we cruised outta the Grand Canyon, confident it will be there another time... I called a buddy in Sedona for a local weather report there, only to hear of more cold & wind. WTH? Disappointed that we would miss camping up on popular Schnelby Lane in Sedona, I make a judgement call - we would go instead to Lake Havasu City. Back in '97, I passed through that area and with fond memories of wearing t-shirts & shorts there in November, I sell her on the idea of sitting on the deck of the London Bridge Brewery, sucking down cold ones while watching the parade of boats & jet-skis cruising by on the river...

Yeah, that didn't happen. The cold weather & headwinds followed us to Havasu. And before that, every snowbird from Canada. The town and campgrounds were crawling with motorcoaches and generators.... Lake Havasu City has certainly grown up in the last decade. The dispersed camping areas I recalled, in secluded bays on the water were now closed off. Beaten, but not defeated, I managed to find a nice enough RV park with a dry camping section in soft sand at La Paz State Park, right on the Colorado River, south of town. We settled in for 2 days and only had to turn on the furnace once or twice.


Out of our element in an RV park, but the views were ok with us -

Shangra-La? Not exactly -

But she could sip her tea, sitting in the tree on the river -

Not much for us to do but clean, reorganize and watch the ducks -

We took lots of little walks around the RV park and chatted with neighbors who spend up to 5 months a year there. Truth be told, it wasn't that bad. It wasn't what I had envisioned, hoping to find a lonely secluded beach on the lake, but aside from some unruly winds, it was alright. Not surprisingly, other campers mentioned how nice it had been just a day or two before... Feeling guilty for leading the cold weather there that had so far been stalking us on our trip, we rolled out on Thanksgiving morning before they figured out we were to blame for the sudden shift in weather...
.

 

[chnlisle]

KC
As usual great pix and story.

 

[kcowyo]

"Miracles appear in the strangest places."
- Willie Nelson


While 'wandering the west' is certainly en vogue around here, our trip actually had a purpose. Two reasons actually... the first being to attend an annual get-together in the middle of nowhere with several friends over Thanksgiving weekend. Often it's the only chance to for many of us to see each other as we hail from all over the western US. But each year, we meet up in a desert, drink flaming rum punch, eat Brazilian BBQ and enjoy each other's company for a few days. It is by far, my favorite trip of the year -


This year, we chose to gather in to Swansea, Arizona, an old silver mining town -

Reconnecting as the sun sets... and yes, those are heavy jackets they're wearing. More brrr! -

Grab a plate of Brazillian BBQ -

See who is camping in what this year -

The Tent-Mahal -

Landcruiser FJ60 with a Carbon Fiber Columbus roof-top tent -

Watch the sunset over the mountains -

Arizona sunsets are truly the best in the west -

Then go warm up your butt by the fire -

Get cozy if you can (Jonathan Hanson, editor of Overland Journal, and his wife Roseann) -

The party really starts with the lighting of the Feuezangenbowle - rum soaked sugar cones, melting into a pot of red wine, orange slices, cinammon & spices. OMG good -

Drink and be happy -

The subsequent pancake breakfast is a great hang-over cure -

But the party is always over too soon, and we're rolling down the road soon after -

An excellent get-together with some wonderful people and close friends... It doesn't matter what you camp in, what labels are on your gear, or how often it has been since last seeing each other. All that matters is once a year we make the effort to see each other, to share stories, food & drink and company. I can't wait to see them all again next year -
.

 

[kcowyo]

"You don't want to outlive your pecker."
- Fred Imus


Leaving Arizona, we planned to make a quick stop in Las Vegas to see some family but it wasn't that simple... I missed a turn out of Parker, AZ at one of those fruit-station checks on the highway into California. What are those about anyway...? Thinking I'm almost to Laughlin, when I see a sign for Joshua Tree National Park. Hmmm... 40 miles in the wrong direction. Well, whatever, we're on vacation. We double-back, gas up again in Parker, back through the fruit-check station (taking the correct turn this time) and call it a night at Lake Mead. I found this nice campground there on Cottonwood Bay last year, so we stay again. And again, we're the only campers there -


Hanging my camera out the window going 65mph on Hwy 95 -

On the road the next morning at sunrise -

We fulfill our family obligations in Las Vegas, restock a weeks worth of groceries and booze, and head out without so much as a Double-Double at In 'N Out... I hated to make such a huge sacrifice, giving up the best burger in the business, but Death Valley is calling and we gotta go!

We managed to make it to Panamint Springs that evening after I take her for a quick run down Titus Canyon. She had never seen it before and loved the drive by Leadfield, through the deep & twisty turns of Titus Canyon. By the time we got to Panamint Springs it was dark, so we stop for the night, short of our goal of Saline Valley. I've driven into Saline Valley once before in the dark and it's no fun. Tomorrow will do.


Panamint Dunes from the Hunter Mountain turn-off viewpoint -

Descending into Saline Valley -

It was a perfect drive in. We got buzzed by two low flying jets at the Hunter Mountain turn-off - just after putting my camera away of course. Two more buzzed us as we dropped down Grapevine Canyon, but that was it. We didn't see a soul as we passed by the turn for Lippencot trail and the Salt Trams. The solitude of Saline was all around us as we bounced over the washboards...


The bat-signal lets you know you're in the right place -

The wild burros are the official greeters -

Alone, alone, alone...

One of the great things about Saline Valley is the non-natural sights... Sure, you can see fat, old men soaking in the nude there. Those guys are all over. But the funky vehicles that manage to drag their owners in are always a highlight to me. I mean, if I want to see a naked guy with a beer gut, I can look in the mirror...


Pushme-Pullyu VW Westfalia. F'n hippies...

Homemade pop-top on a Toyota truck -

Non-Sportsmobile mobile -

The owner told me he had $800 in his whole set-up. I believed him -

We had finally arrived... A week soaking in the pools was the second reason for this big trip so far from home. We've gone to Death Valley every November for the last six years because the weather is good, the crowds are non-existent and it's the perfect way to cap off our year before getting snowed in at home for 4 long months. Sometimes we go to Saline to soak, sometimes we just drive other bumpy dirt roads to the lost cabins & townsites. But we go to Death Valley, no matter what. And we will go again next year. Especially after the week we had at the Warm Springs in Saline Valley -
.

 

[generubin]

Yep, I know practically every one of those Saline vehicles, including the double length VW bus.

I love the "Funky RV". I'd love a collection of Funky RV's. There was one very funky little RV here in Ventura for sale years ago that I regret not buying. And then there was the one made out of a VW Thing........and then....

Great pictures, looks like a nice trip.

Picture below is "Checker Larry" from Saline Valley, about 25 years ago. He used to drive a Checker Taxi Cab to Saline but upgraded to this bus.

 

[kcowyo]

"I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in tune once more."
- John Burroughs


Content and at peace, we make a quick camp. The first camp-spot I wanted was taken but no matter. I park us next to the Wizard Pool and open a beer... Alien Amber Ale is a favorite micro-brew from Roswell, New Mexico. I don't know if it's a "great beer", but I only get it once a year when a buddy brings me some at the Feurzangenbowle gathering, so it's a special treat -


Alien! -

She goes for Diet Coke and some black label Southern Comfort -

Nestled against the palm trees, we are right where we need to be -

Nuthin' wrong with Peace -

A small plane, not one of the usual military jets, dropped in to the dirt runway in Saline -

She huddles by the fire on a brisk night -

Greeted each morning by spectacular views -

Afternoons were spent relaxing by the pools...

...and taking little walks...

...and more soaking -

Evenings were spent digging on the sunsets -

Saline Valley sunsets don't suck -

So for 5 days we did a whole lotta that... soaking, drinking, eating, walking, napping, taking photos, talking, reading, etc. Essentially a whole lotta nuthin'. And we were as happy as could be. We could have spent our whole trip just sitting there for 2.5 weeks... We had plenty of food, water, booze and books. The weather was perfect and the camper & truck performed flawlessly. We chatted with a few other campers and dreaded the day we were to leave. For all of the cold and winds we endured on our trip south, we had none of that in Saline. Just good times making great memories.

Do we really have to leave?
.

 

[kcowyo]

"Another place, another time..."
- Jerry Lee Lewis


Cursed obligations... not mine, hers. I would still be sitting under a palm tree, feet soaking in the Volcano Pool were it not for her obligations. No need to blame, we had a wonderful week. And hey, gas ain't free, so back to the real world we go. We stayed as long as we could, barely giving ourselves enough time to make the 1,000 mile drive home. In years past, we've run into bad weather on the way home from Death Valley, getting snowed in Podunkville, Utah for 3 days. No fun.


A last look on our way out, at Furnace Creek Resort -

Uber rare 4wd Toyota Sunraider at Furnace Creek Campground. One of only 40 or 50 ever made -

We chose a different route than we normally take. Having made the cross-Nevada trek every way possible, we simply head back to Las Vegas. We finally get our long-awaited lunch at In 'N Out (two Double-Doubles animal style, no fries) and spend the night in one of our favorite campgrounds at Valley of Fire State Park, about 40 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The VOF is ok, but the two campgrounds there are by far the most unique anywhere in the US. I can't recommend it enough, even if you're not typically a campground kinda person. And the best part? They have a "dry-camping" campground, ie NO generators. Bonus! Another added bonus is the gas station at the turn-off has the cheapest gas on I-15 between LA and St. George, Utah. Just an FYI -


Sunrise in the Valley of Fire -

Nice Sportsmobile in Valley of Fire -

Hoping to avoid the weather in Utah that had smacked us around 2 weeks before, we made a beeline up I-15 for Salt Lake City. Our GPS lied to us, stating there was a Chik-Fil-A in Sandy, Utah. We stopped there, but no nuggets were to be found... We did see this really nice Tacoma and Four Wheel Camper though -


Supercharged and ARB locked -

As she silently pouted about the absentee nuggets, I spied another In 'N Out. No freakin' way... Laugh all you want CA folks. When you live on Gilligan's Mountain most of the year, certain food cravings cannot be denied. So we stopped for yet more Double-Double's and saw this nice Chevy and Flip-Pac combo...


Better for deserts than Deseret, IMO -

And because I'm a Landcruiser fanatic also, I snapped a shot of this FJ45, somewhere in Heber City, I think...

As is standard for us, we drove the last 300 miles on snow covered roads back home. Happens every time... I didn't sweat it. We'd spent the first half of this trip fighting the weather and bad roads and crazy headwinds... Places that we thought we'd be warm, weren't. Places like Saline, where the wind typically rips, it didn't. So snow on the way home was no surprise. I've even learned enough by now that I remembered to leave the snow shovel sitting out by the front door to the house. And we needed it when we got home. Dammit. But hey, I've got all of these memories now to keep me warm during these long winter months, until we can hit the road again...


Thanks for tagging along. Let's do it again soon -

 

[Fergie]

Did the crows get fed in Saline?

 

[brett13]

Fantastic, thanks! My appetite is thoroughly wet for my DV trip in late Feb, which will be my first time there

Now, where is this shot?

 

[Accrete]

enjoyable read! thx for sharing the pix and words.

 

[kcowyo]

No macaroons to feed the crows Fergie. I'm guessing you like that Sunraider..? Stalker...

Brett, Valley of Fire State Park campground in Nevada, off I-15. Definitely keep it in mind if you're heading that way. They have 2 campgrounds, right beside each other. One has hook-ups and one doesn't. We dry camp in the one that has no hook-ups, it's one of our favorite "formal" campgrounds anywhere. Have a great trip!

Thanks for the feedback Gents. Twas a real good time -
.

 

[4llamas]

Very entertaining. My niece from Australia recently came over and toured the West. She sent us a picture of a "4X4, animal style, no fries" from Las Vegas and Wifey and I howled about it. We thought it was Australian for cheese burger. Funny stuff.
Thanks.

 

[craig333]

I really need to get down to DV. Great trip report as always.

 

[DirtyDog]

Wow great report KC! I was in Arizona over Thanksgiving and while it was colder than expected it certainly beat the weather back home at the time This was the coldest November I can remember (i'm a poet......).

Whats up with that VW thing van thing?

 

[kcowyo]

I hear ya about the weather over Thanksgiving... The day after we left on our trip, it dumped snow here and they closed the pass. If we hadn't left when we did, we would have lost 3 days off our trip before they got the pass opened up. Lucky for us.

I don't know about that VW van for sure, I didn't see the owners while we were there or I would have asked about it. Somehow they chopped and welded two vans together though... Certainly a unique way to add more space to an existing camper. Saline Valley seems to attract some fun camping oddities!
.

 

[SunMan]

Oh the irony...Great report KC. Somewhat embarrassingly I sit here at the lower springs reading this on my iPhone, yes , there is faint AT&T 3G coverage here. I'm on the 3rd glorious day here at saline but after another perfect day we are hunkered down tonight in 40-50KT winds. The lighthawks are also nearby. I ran into Gene and Lawnmowerman yesterday and hear deltarat and camelracer may be around as well. Nights like this are made for good tequila, pozole, and a good book. Sure glad I'm in a camper, some miserable tent folk around here right now. Buenos noches and sorry for the hijack.

 

[DLN]

Excellent pics and report as usual KC, thanks for posting.

 

[ski3pin]

kcowyo, thoroughly enjoyed your narrative and photos, very nicely done once again! Thanks for sharing and we also greatly appreciate the travel tips and suggestions. Looks like great times were had!

 

[Marc]

Awesome as always. One of these days well hook up again.

marc