Joshua Tree National Park

After spending six nights at FOY we visited friends in La Quinta and then spent the night at the Cottonwood Spring camp site (3000 feet) at the southern entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. The camp sites are mostly for tenters and we only were able just to park the RV with the tow car unhooked. There were a few other RVs but also a lot of Californians tenting (it was Saturday night).  The next day (Jan 29^th) was sunny. We paid our entry fee at 830 hrs and headed north. The park is desert country and is located between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. It was an ideal day to see the park. We saw many Joshua Trees (it really is not a tree but a species of yucca). We did a short hike at Hidden Valley (Dogs not allowed on hikes). Here there were a remarkable number of rock climbers climbing the various rocks. There are plenty of hikes in the park – for future reference. It was an ideal sunny day to see the park.

Canada Day event

Here at FOY once a year there is a Canada Day event. Serendipity again – we happened to be here when it was celebrated and friends Bruce and Pam signed us up at a table of 14. It was pot luck and there were about 280 people there. The organization was impressive – a parade of Canadian Provincial and Territorial flags with description of what is on each flag. It is intriguing to me that many of the flags have a union jack on them and most have the cross of St George. We sang the Star Spangled Banner with its war like words and then O Canada. There were well rehearsed funny skits about Champlain and Sir John A MacDonald. Then there was a choir singing popular Canadian songs and there were door prizes in which Penny won a beautiful wine bottle. An enjoyable well planned evening.

Amazing hiking

Here at FOY (Fountain of Youth) there is a hiking group that hikes three days a week. On the Monday there were ten of us – we hiked in the Mecca mountains. This was canyon and ridge hiking. Quite different from the Sooke Hills. I had never done any canyon hiking before. There were two parts of this hike – firstly a canyon climb and a long ridge with nerve racking steep sides and then another canyon hike (called Penny’s canyon) that involved multiple ladders up and down and in one place even a rope descent. Quite challenging. The GPS recorded 8 KM and 500 Meters climbed.

The Thursday hike in the Chocolate mountains was  advertised as the most challenging of the week. There were twelve of us – 6 men and 6 women, 3 Americans and 9 Canadians. We piled into a truck (all of us), hoping not to be stopped by a Border Patrol! We climbed continuously up to 2400 feet – in some places it was rock climbing – quite a workout. The views at the top were spectacular – of the Salton Sea and particularly the long aqueduct that originates further south from the Colorado River and which members thought provided water to farm land and to Indio. The descent was partly down scree and then an easy walk out along a wash. The GPS recorded 11 KM and 734 Meters climbed. We were back earlier than usual because of the annual Canada Day event that most were attending after a dip in the spa pools.

Fountain of Youth

It is called “The Fountain of Youth Spa and Recreational Vehicle Resort” and known as FOY. We have stopped here for six nights. It had been recommended by friends in Victoria – Ramsay as well as Bruce and Pam who welcomed us when we arrived.  On our third day sailing friends Paul and Judy arrived here – they are very experienced RVers but we have usually met up with them boating with the Bluewater Cruising Association. The resort was developed because of the presence of hot springs that provide the heat for two swimming pools and four hot whirlpool spas. There are 718 lots of which about ¾ are occupied by mobile homes and the rest by RVs. In addition there are approximately 100 “dry camping” spaces.  The number of activities is amazing – hiking groups, horseshoes, ATV riding, duplicate bridge, art classes, pool hall, ping pong, singing, other music making, pickle ball, Spanish classes, pool exercises etc. On Thursday evening there was an annual  Canada Day pot luck dinner!  The resort is located on a hillside and is quiet – unlike the Rincon Country West RV resort we stayed at over Christmas. There it was on the flight path of the local airport and a nearby military airport.  At last the weather has turned sunny and it is warmer but down to 5C at night. Daytime highs are probably 19C. This winter even in southern California there has felt a lot of much needed rain. San Diego has had two inches of rain in the last six days and Palomar Mountain 11.29 inches.

Quartzite

We decided to head up to Quartzite before heading into California. It was not planned and was entirely serendipitous that the day after we arrived the annual Sports, Vacation and RV show started. We found another BLM site 5 miles south of

Quartzite for two nights. You have to get a (free) permit that allows you to camp out for 14 days. We spent three hours at the RV show – hundreds of vendors (health products, RV latest gizmos, RV resort promotions, RV Clubs, many accessories for pets, hidden gun permits, hidden gun handbags for women etc and crowded.) We did not escape without succumbing to a carpet cleaning liquid /paste promotion and bought some LED bulbs for the RV. On the way out of the parking lot with the Honda Fit we again got stuck in the sand and were towed out by a Jeep from Calgary with a winch!  

At this time there must be several thousand RVs parked out near Quartzite in these BLM lands. Every type of RV – Class A, Class B, Class C, tent trailers, camper vans, 5^th wheels, all sorts of towed vehicles and trailers with motorcycles and ATVs. We have  seen a couple of  VW vans. Also here is a gathering of HAM radio enthusiasts (they were expecting more than 400 RVs for this gathering). All sorts of antenna were on the many vehicles close to where we were camped. I chatted with a couple of HAMs with a view to learning more about HAM radio and RVing. With a newly acquired Chinese made Boafung dual band radio that was programmed for me by a HAM person at Rincon Country West RV resort over Christmas I am hoping to find a use for it when RVing or hiking. Two years ago the 2 Meter HAM radio was useful to contact Blacomb Helicopters that were picking up a group of us for a week of Alpine hiking.  We are now heading on to Fountain of Youth RV Park in California.  

A Wilderness Adventure

We found a free BLM (Bureau of Land Management) wilderness campsite at Mittrey Lake about seven miles north of Yuma. This was an idyllic peaceful private spot where we did not even have to draw the drapes as night. We decided to stay for two nights. There were other campers near. It was close to the lake where there were flocks of American Coot. Unfortunately on the way out we managed to get the RV stuck in the sand with the drive wheels digging themselves in and the back of the RV jammed on the ground. I removed the tow car and towing bracket but that was not enough. Fortunately three guys came and helped. It required putting boards (which they had) under the rear hydraulic jacks then laying boards out under the rear wheels. A four wheel drive truck was then attached to the front of the RV and helped by adding a tow out. I was very grateful for the help of the three guys for a lot of digging and who all came from BC - from Sooke, the Malahat and Kamloops!  We then carried on North to Quartzite and another BLM site. (We listened to NPR and the Presidential Inaugural on the way North).

Ajo

It was less than an hours drive to Ajo and we checked into Shadow Ridge RV resort for two nights. Ajo is still in Prima County and the Sonoran desert. We did a scenic drive to observe where RVers “bare camp”. Ajo is an historic town originating in about 1847 when those in search of silver ore found a lode here. Eventually a huge copper mine was formed and lasted till it closed in 1984. The deep pit that resulted from the mining is now about 1 ½ miles across and is a local tourist sight. There are vast mounds of tailings east of the Ajo townsite. The picturesque plaza was designed in 1914 to keep its miners happy and productive. There are a lot of “snowbirds” here who enjoy many local activities. There is an excellent bookstore in the same building as the “Ajo Copper News” that has been publishing since 1916. There is also a very well stocked Prima County public library with excellent high speed internet! At the campsite we hear Coyotes in the early morning and Javelinas (wild pigs) wander through the camp site.

Two stories heard in a coffee shop discussion. One woman and her husband (snowbirds from Northern California) told us they were involved in bereavement for Mexican’s who die in the desert – they connect with relatives in Mexico after a body has been found. They said last year there were 900 dead Mexican’s found along I think the whole of the US-Mexican border.

A couple from Calgary – down here for four months – she 75 and he 84 both with pre-existing health conditions paid $8000 CDN for their health insurance for the four months.  She did extensive research and got the insurance through Medipac – the Canadian Snowbird organisation’s insurance. It makes the extra premium we have had to pay for staying two months not seem so bad!

Ajo Mountain Drive

As a resident of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Park campground we signed up for a free three-hour Ranger guided drive in a van. This was a great educational trip with introduction to the history of the area and of the many plants in the Sonoran desert. The Saguaro, Organ Pipe and Senita cacti are the three cacti that grow vertically. The young ranger, Scott, who came from Utah, was very knowledgeable about the many other plants such as Ocotillo (which was sprouting its leaves due to the recent rain), Brittlebrush, Englemann prickly pear, Teddybear cholla, Creosote bush, Mesquite, Ironwood, and Chainfruit cholla.  Here are a few pics of the tour.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

"After half a day near Tucson to get groceries, do emails by Wi-Fi in a Safeway, and fill with fuel and propane we set off on the Ajo Highway 86. It was desolate looking dry desert country through the Tohono O’Odham Nation Reserve. We then turned left down Highway 85 towards the Mexican border at Lukeville. We have “anchored” for four days at the Twin Peaks Campground that is part of the Organ Pipe Cactus National Park. It is bare camping – 208 campsites with no water, sewer or electric hook ups for a very reasonable fee. The campsite is very well planned and constructed with flat concrete pads. It is less than a quarter full. However it is very well run by the National Parks service and there is an information center, talks by Parks Rangers, an organized night moon walk, a free van tour and even free Wi-Fi at the center. Like Canadian National Parks these US National Parks are clearly well funded and maintained.

It is very quiet here (apart from the occasional military jets) and there is plenty of time for hiking, biking, reading, listening to classical music, playing scrabble and cribbage and writing! We can still get Canadian News through Shaw Direct TV. We can charge the 12V batteries with the generator as needed for an hour or so a day.

The Organ Pipe Cactus is unique to this area of the US although it does occur in Mexico. We decided not to cross the border but we did drive down to take a look at the high (Trump wall?) fence that tries to prevent Mexicans crossing at this point. Further along there is only a vehicle barrier that I think stretches the whole of the Mexican border. Talking to Rangers and Border Control officers there is little belief that Mr Trump will be successful in building his wall. On Monday 16^th we are going to be heading north to Ajo.

This is a Saguaro growing inside an Organ Pipe Cactus!

Trumps's wall?