My Trails

June 3, 2014

When I pulled out of town at 7 am it was already in the 80’s. My van was not running well so I left the A/C off hoping to spare the engine any additional work. I usually don’t mind the heat as long as I can feel a breeze and let my sweat work as a natural evapoative cooler, but 100 degrees got to be a bit much. It wasn’t long, however, before the altitude of the Mogollon Rim gave me some relief.

Once on the Rim it was a straight shot to I40 and then an uneventful drive into New Mexico. I stopped for the night at a Walmart just outside Albuquerque, partly because I didn’t want to tackle the rush-hour traffic, but mostly because I was tired of driving.

It is not a recommended activity to sleep in a vehicle when temperatures are flirting with triple-digit numbers, but I like a challenge. My plan was to hang out in the store until the sun went down and then eat a slow hamburger at McDonalds until the air reached a more tropical degree. I can say that I slept well, but all the windows were open for the better part of the night, inviting any serial killers in the area full access to my home. There was a nice breeze in the night that helped too.

The next day I drove almost to Oklahoma City. I used my A/C part of the time. There was a strong wind blowing from the west, giving me exceptional gas mileage and actually helping the van run better. A good tail wind is the only wind I want with my top heavy rig.

As I drove Interstate 40 I noticed a strange phenomenon with my A/C. When I went up a hill the engine would start to miss and at the same time the climate control would change from blowing out the dash vent to blowing out the floor ducts. For the longest time I thought it was a coincidence but then deduced it was related. The vent uses vacuum to change and hold the selector so I may have a vacuum leak that is causing the engine to run rough when there is a load such as going up a hill.

I parked at another Walmart for the night. I checked out a State park but it was too expensive. It had a nice pool and various hiking trails but all I wanted was a place to park. I didn’t sleep as well the second night and awoke with a headache in the morning. It would be the last night I would have to bare such heat as Missouri finally gave me nice weather.

….to be continued

Last week I drove north into the Coconino National Forest to visit Richard and Dianna where they are volunteering at the Blue Ridge Ranger Station. Dianna has been in Texas helping Dayna start a new business so I won’t get to see her until next week.

It was good to get out of the heat of Mesa but I didn’t expect it to be quite so cold only two hours from the Valley. Once I climbed the Mogollon Rim and gained a few thousand feet in elevation, the temperature dropped from the 90’s into the 70’s. That would have been fine except that twice last week a cold front came through, bringing cold winds, morning and evening temperatures in the 30’s, and even snow on the ground one morning. Even though there have been some cool days, it is nice to get back into the forest. I can only take so much desert.

Richard and I had fun riding our two-wheel toys around the area. The first night we rode ten miles to Long Valley where Richard treated me to an AYCE fish dinner at the local diner. It was really good! I was afraid we would be eating things like canned food and TV dinners while Dianna was away but we put our heads together, shared our food, and made some good meals. And we even cooked and ate vegetables, Dianna!

While Richard was at work and the weather was warm enough, I would hike and explore on my motorcycle. I found some beautiful camping spots on some of the back roads. It would be nice to come back and boondock out in the forest the next time I’m out this way, but the major drawback is that there is no ATT cell service anywhere near here. I have been in lots of areas where I can’t get a signal but it is one of the plusses I look for for extended camping spots.

On one day we hiked a few miles on the Arizona Trail. We found a parking lot on a back road about five miles from the ranger station and placed one vehicle there. Then we hiked back to our home base where I hopped on my bike and retrieved the van. It was a pretty hike through nice forest with good trail.

Richard should write a blog about his work up here. It is really quite interesting to those of us who have little knowledge of how the forest service works. I was surprised at the complexity and work it takes to administer and care for our national forests. I won’t go into detail about the projects he has been involved in in hopes he will tell you himself.

Yesterday I left the ranger station volunteer parking area and drove to the Apache- Sitgreaves NF. I have been parked by R&Ds trailer with an extension cord running to their pole, enjoying my electric heater and water from the tap, but I wanted to check out some camping places east of Payson on the Mogollon Rim. We both drove down to Payson, got our fast-food fix at McDonalds, did some grocery shopping, said “see you in a week”, and drove seperate ways.

There is a road that cuts along the top of the Mogollon Rim – not surprisingly called the Rim Road – with several developed, free campsites. Right now it seems I am camped on top of the world. Only 25 feet from the edge of a thousand foot ledge it is truly a room with a view. I have good cell and the view is amazing but the wind today has been cold so I have been inside a lot. Sometimes it is good to stay inside and write something.

For me the hardest part of writing a blog post is getting started. It has been a long time since I’ve chronicled my wanderings here, but most of my excuses are in some form of procrastination.

I had a wonderful Christmas. Karen invited me to join her and Noah for a week of fun and adventure at her time-share in Sedona, AZ, giving me one of the best presents I have ever had. We hiked all over the gorgeous hills and valleys, climbed cliffs of rock, took a Jeep tour to Native American ruins, played miniature golf, and joined tourists at shops in town. It was a great time and the best part was being with those you love.

Home base for the last two holiday seasons has been Mesa, AZ. I really enjoy seeing my Mom and spending precious time with her, and I thank Donna and Daryl so much for all they do for me. They have all opened their hearts and homes, giving me joy that is worth more than anything else in this world.

The year 2014 arrived along with my big brother and his wife on their yearly migration to the southwest. I always look forward to Richard and Dianna coming to Arizona where we can spend time together at our favorite winter locations. Right now we are boondocking near Quartzsite, AZ. The big tent and RV show in town has created an influx of mobile dwellers, turning the surrounding desert into a suburb of motorhome and trailer mania. Everywhere you look in every area surrounding Quartzsite, hundreds of RV’s dot the landscape in every direction.

Today we are headed to Yuma, AZ., where we will probably stay for a couple of weeks. Yuma has a lot going for it. The nights here in Quartzsite are still chilly and Yuma is a few degrees warmer. The city has everything you need so supplies are only a short distance away, combine the weather, Walmarts, Home Depot, good cell service and TV, and its not hard to see why so many Snowbirds call Yuma home in the winter.

Eighty degrees today and a sunrise like this.

Where in these mountains are you hiding?  Are you still in Yellowstone, or have you moved on?  Isn’t it getting cold up there? It has dropped into the 80s here daytime, and 60s at night.  Just wondering about you; we heard from you so often when you were on the AT, and then having you here totally spoiled me.  I love when I know that you are nearby.

Love, Mom

Hi Mom

I was in the Craters of the Moon NM in Idaho last night. This morning while I was driving to one of the trails I was met by a park ranger who told me I had to leave.He was very kind and apologetic.It is almost getting too cold and stormy to be up here near the mountains. Every night it gets way below freezing, and with all the cloudy days, I’m having trouble getting a charge from my solar panel. I think it is almost time to migrate.Tonight I have found a hidden campsite in the Sawtooth National Forest that doesn’t appear to be important enough to be attracting attention from the forest service. I hope I don’t get a knock on the door in the middle of the night!~On The Trail With Castaway 

Love, Dale