We Took A Ride Around A Mountain

(If you click on the pictures they should open larger in a new window.)

March 4, 2017

I was up, out, and sitting in my chair in time to see the sun peak over the Plomosa Mountains. Always a beautiful way to start the day.

Sitting there it looked like the sun was spot lighting a green area
of the desert floor. 

Bundled up in my shawl I continued to sit and watch the shadows
from our chairs and the Stinger B stretch across the desert floor.

To me there is just something special about the first morning light on the
desert floor. I cannot explain why I love this time, I just do. For me this
picture along with the three above capture those early moments in time.

After coffee we got ready and headed into Quartzsite to have lunch with Rose and Art. They are packing and getting ready to slowly start heading towards home. So it was nice that we had the opportunity to sit over a nice lunch and chat a bit. After wishing each other safe travels we parted ways until next time.

We decided to take a Jeep ride, after stopping off at the La Posa South office to inquire about a map. We keep seeing trail-markers and wondered if anyone knew of a map that identified them. George, Our Awesome Travels suggested checking there and they did in fact sell one for $5.00 of the Yuma region. (Thank you for the suggestion, George.)

We like parking at La Posa South and, of course, looking at the mountains in the distance. The first year we did head down the road but with the truck we only could go so far before we had to stop and turn around. Now that we have the Jeep we figured we could make it further in, which we did. Actually, we ended up circling the mountain we have watched the sun come over when parked out in La Posa South. (We think it is Elephant Back Mountain.) It is not what we planned on doing but it is what we did none the less. When we headed out we thought we would just take a short drive and be back on our way out no later then 3:00. By the time we were back to roads we recognized it was well after 5:00. This was a ride we will not be repeating. Neither one of us is sure why we kept going except for the fact, from the map and the trail-markers, we knew we would end up back pretty much where we started. Plus, after we had gone so far the prospect of heading back was far worse then forging ahead. (What we have decided we need is a map that says there is a very steep and rock/boulder filled wash ahead do not go through it. If you do, be warned there are several more ahead of it.)

The beginning of the ride.

We are now on the eastern side of the mountain
we usually see the sun come over.

The road ahead looks good.

The desert is beginning to show its colors.

The road ahead is still looking good.

We saw a couple of these today. They
say nugget finder and there are some
numbers on them.
Not sure what they are for.

Tom coming back up after checking the
first steep wash we came to. This is where we
should have turned around.

Closer view

We are up and out.

The view all around us is beautiful.

Yet another long steep winding wash.

The road was flat and we actually thought, what is ahead,
it is too flat.

Then we came to this wash Tom is looking ahead  off
in the distance. This was the last bad one we went through.

Then the road went into a wash.

We took a road leading out of the wash though we could
see that some vehicles has stayed in. We could see the wash, on our left, 
as we rode along.
Eventually we crossed through the wash and could see were vehicles
had come out at this point.

We had one last wash crossing that
was pretty flat. Looking down as
we drove across.

Not long after this we could see RV's in the distance and we turned a corner and knew we were back in La Posa South.

One last thing, about the map, we are glad we bought it and we know we will use it often because we will still take the Jeep out on back roads. Yes, we are slow learners but the fun outweighs the, what were we thinking.

Then because it was still light and we had not had enough "fun" for one day we decided to take a ride out past the Scaddan Wash BLM. We were looking for the end of a road, we were on for a while earlier, that comes out on I-10. (It also looked like it went over the mountain to get there so we were curious.) We did not find it but what we did find was an area of BLM camping spots we did not know about. More places to add to the list for future consideration. 

Views from the last ride we took today we can see the semi's on I-10 

and Quartzsite in the distance.

Back at the Stinger B Tom captured the sunset.

Dance Through Life

When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain

place on the floor. It's to enjoy each step along the way.

~Wayne Dyer