Southbound - Oct. 27 - Nov. 9, 2008
On October 27th we left our fishing friends in Melrose, MT and started south. Over the previous months we had outfitted the beast with solar panels and a catalytic (propane) heater connection. It was now time to try out our equipment. Bill selected several promising locations between Montana and Yuma, AZ where we could boondock (park on public lands in the boonies), or dry camp (no utilities in a campground).
American Falls, ID - Oct. 27 & 28, 2008
Our first stop was on the Snake River just down stream of American Falls Reservoir. Finding a place to park a rig as large as ours in this beautiful patch of BLM land was a challenge, but after a bit of jockeying we were parked. Except for a few fishermen, we had the river and campground to ourselves for two nights.
We decided we needed to stock up on supplies if we were going out into the wilderness so we hit the Costco that had just opened in Pocatello. We also made the unfortunate mistake of visiting a Master Cuts for haircuts while in town. We agreed that of all the bad haircuts we have received over the past four years, this was definitely the worst. Good time to head out to the desert by ourselves!
After dropping off our provisions, we visited Massacre Rock State Park for a short hike and spectacular views of the Snake River. Massacre Rock was also called the "Gate of Death" by early travelers on the Oregon Trail. We will leave it to your imaginations regarding how it earned its name.
The next morning we continued west to meet our friend Ken in Twin Falls for lunch at a Thai restaurant. We hadn't seen Ken since we all returned from China in March so were pleased with the opportunity for a brief visit.
After lunch we turned south on Highway 93, which we would follow all the way to Las Vegas through the lonely moonscape of eastern Nevada.
Ruby Valley, NV - Oct. 29, 2008
Our first stop was about 60 miles south of Wells, NV, off a gravel road and well beyond the sound of the highway. After a few heart-stopping dips and some deep powdery tufts - which totally obliterated Kermit with dust - we parked on a site that was level and hard-packed. We were all alone on the high desert with mountains all around and absolutely no artificial light. At night the starry sky was astounding. We were enchanted.
The next morning we mounted our bikes and rode the dusty desert roads, returning home to find a craggy, old rancher nosing around the rig. As it turned out he was just curious about the satellite dish and our communication system. During his visit he mentioned his aches and pains which told him a storm was coming. We confirmed his prognostication with a reliable online source. Not wanting to get stuck in the mud or snow, and recognizing that solar panels need solar to be effective, we decided we had best move to Ely and wait out the storm. We really wanted to stay out in the expansive loneliness of the Ruby Valley and explore the Ruby Mountains, so we were quite disappointed to be forced out by bad weather - maybe next time.
Ely, NV - Oct. 30 - Nov. 3, 2008
We scurried south to Ely in advance of the impending storm. The storm wasn't very wet, just cloudy and cold. Ely sits at 6,400 ft elevation and is surrounded by 10,000 ft high desert mountains. It gets very, very cold. One morning Susan awoke to find her bedside water frozen. Hmmm... maybe someone should turn up the heater?
We requested our mail to be forwarded to Ely so had to wait several days for delivery. To make the best of our time we explored the Ward Charcoal Ovens Historic State Park. In 1876 Swiss-Italian charcoal workers, called "Carbonari", constructed the six charcoal ovens. Each oven was capable of converting 35 cords of wood into 30 - 35 bushels of high quality charcoal for use in the silver smelters. When the silver played out and the smelters closed the enormous ovens provided shelter to travelers and stagecoach bandits - precursors to today's rustic hostels.
The day before we left Ely we visited the Great Basin National Park. Most of the park was closed due to snow, but we were able to tour Lehman Cave. The cave is highly decorated with delicate drapery, unusual shields as well as columns of stalactites and stalagmites. During the early 20th Century the cave was used for wedding ceremonies, parties, and concerts. Although the celebrants left their marks on this remarkable cave it is still 'alive' and well worth the visit.
Cathedral Gorge, NV - Nov. 4 & 5, 2008
After receiving our mail in Ely we headed 120 miles south to Cathedral Gorge State Park. The first order of business was to get the satellite dish up and ready to receive the election returns. Once that was accomplished we briefly explored our beautiful, but deserted surroundings. As the sun set we watched the cottontails and jackrabbits cautiously emerge for their evening forage.
That evening all eyes were on the election returns, channel flipping, calling friends and family as States declared, and finally celebrating Obama's victory - then sleep.
The next day we were up early catching the wonderful morning light on the coral canyon walls, exploring the caves and narrow slots, and marveling at the cathedral spires. This small gem truly amazed us - and we had the entire park to ourselves.
Cathedral Gorge is located within 100 miles of Area 51, Ground Zero+1 for UFO and alien theorists (Roswell, New Mexico being Ground Zero). We don't know if what we experienced was an earthquake, a military test or an alien invasion, but on the afternoon of November 5 a deep rumble moved across the canyon and then the earth shook for about 5 seconds. We checked the Las Vegas Review-Journal's website but there was no mention of an incident of any kind. However, it happened. We're witnesses. They're out there.
Valley of Fire, NV - Nov. 6 - 9, 2008
On November 6, in an effort to avoid alien abduction, we moved 150 miles south to the Valley of Fire State Park. After so many chilly days and nights the name itself was appealing. We planned to dry camp, but there was no space so we hooked-up in the RV sites for four days. Oh darn, we were forced to use their electricity!
Valley of Fire is incredibly beautiful, and the campground is wonderfully situated to show-off the dramatic crimson vista. We spent our days exploring and the valley and trying translate the Valley's numerous petroglyphs. During one of our morning walks we spotted two separate herds of desert big horn sheep, their white rumps contrasted against the red rocks.
On November 10 we left Valley of Fire and headed south toward Arizona. We actually drove right through Las Vegas, not even stopping to drop a quarter in a slot.
