Strolling Amok

Pops goes on tour.

Archive for the category “Campsites”

02 May 2015
6 Comments

Tourist Trap Tusayan?

I was astounded to find these in the sandwich shop - candy cigarettes! "Makes you look cool! No lighter required! Hey dad, can I bum a smoke?" And the Maschismo brand says, "Makes you look manly!" On the right, Machismo also offers "Manly Mints". At $2.99 per 12-pack, that puts these on a cost par with the real thing! I'd assumed these died out in the 1960s.

I was astounded to find these in the sandwich shop – candy cigarettes! “Makes you look cool! No lighter required! Hey dad, can I bum a smoke?” And the Maschismo brand says, “Makes you look manly!” On the right, Machismo also offers “Manly Mints”. At $2.99 per 12-pack, that puts these on a cost par with the real thing! I’d assumed these died out in the 1960s, but though beaten down, I guess Politically Incorrect never dies.

You know, I’ve only been on the road since 2012 and, now that I’ve had to repeat stops, it’s time to point out that not each place I camp in is nirvana on earth. Tusayan, Arizona is one of my favorite places to be. It has its strengths and it has its weaknesses, but they are unusual in that each is toward the end of the scale when compared to many places. Whether the plusses outweigh the minuses is up to how you roll.

Part of the strip that is Tusayan.

Part of the strip that is Tusayan.

Tusayan is one four-lane quarter-mile commercial strip which is a mile or so south of the Grand Canyon National Park entrance on this side. The town caters to tourists who drive and fly in to visit the Grand Canyon’s south rim, and tours are available by

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Posted in Campsites, Tourista! and tagged ,
30 Apr 2015
2 Comments

Tusayan Trail Ride

Well no, actually, this is Wickenburg, the place I left. I just put this here as a point of reference.

Well no, actually, this is Wickenburg, the place I left. I just put this here as a point of reference.

Busy day, yesterday. I figured I’d do a quick tour around a sizable loop of trails approved for car travel and camping. It turned out to be an 11-mile tour over a mix of soft dirt and rocks, and I couldn’t help but check out several branches heading this way and that. Over that distance, I found 3 or 4 super-secluded, pretty little sites. One is quite close, but does not allow the peculiar E-W aiming that the Defiant needs, nor the sun exposure either. The other sites require true high-clearance vehicles to access and, if it rains at all, four-wheel-drive. Off the main loop, some ruts are so deep that even the Mighty Furd would high-center. For a pop-up truck camper or traditional high-clearance van, the few compact sites scattered about would be very nice places to be. Slow trip to town, though!

Biking down the trail and looking off to the side. Much pleasantry.

Biking down the trail and looking off to the side. Much pleasantry.

I ultimately returned to camp, moved the Defiant over a width to get the solar panels into the sun, and then hung them up to start churning electrons. Nearby tall pines do not the best solar situation make, but since the system is configured fairly aggressively now, it works out fine. The Verizon data signal is good enough that kicking the Wilson amp into gear causes intermittent dropped connections.

There are elk tracks aplenty on the trail here, but I  Read more…

Posted in Campsites, E-Bike Pack Mule, Tourista! and tagged , , ,
28 Apr 2015
2 Comments

Tusayan!

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The scenics between Congress and Kirkland were amazing, but there’s no place to not pay attention to the road, let alone stop for a photo. So, you get I-40 heading toward Williams instead.

I arrived in the Prescott National Forest a few miles north of Paulden, Arizona today. It was supposed to be yesterday, but my departure was held up by the discovery that the 2-year-old connector hoses running from the dual 30# propane tanks to the pressure regulator on the front of the Defiant were leaking. I was going to take a date-expired tank in to a welding shop in Wickenburg that also does propane refills. They swap them for newer ones for $9.50. Opening up the remaining tank on the trailer showed it to be empty, which it definitely should not have been. Both rubber hoses showed deep cracks, so that was that. It took me long enough to find an accessible dump station, trade in the propane tank for a 5-year newer one and chase down two hoses, that it would have been a bugger to get to Paulden so late in the day.

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The Defiant Biosphere heads into the forest in Tusayan.

 

So I arrived in the camping area north of Prescott about 1 PM today. I found that the spot I was hoping for was Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Travelin' Man and tagged
27 Apr 2015
4 Comments

The Wickenburg Massacre

The 1937 stone structure commemorating the ambush of the Ehrenburg-Wickenburg Stage in 1871.

The 1937 stone structure commemorating the ambush of the Ehrenburg-Wickenburg Stage in 1871.

I was surprised to find this plaque at the end of an outing in the Mighty Furd, one that led me down some Jeep trails narrow enough to scrape its paint with thorns as it lumbered onward through open range. I had that weird sensation of history as I picked my path, and was considering how difficult it would be to prod a loaded wagon from one tiny encampment to another in the West’s early days. Winding up and down from hill to eroded wash mile after mile, would be quite the adventure. Then my surprise at finding this memorial after returning to pavement made me realize that the threats to travel were not limited to terrain at that time.

The plaque reads: "Wickenburg Massacre - In this vicinity Nov, 5, 1871, Wickenburg-Ehrensburg Stage ambushed by Apache Mohave Indians. John Lanz - Fred W. Loring - P.M.Hamel - W.G.Salmon - Frederick Shoholm and C.S. Adams were murdered. Mollie Sheppard died of wounds. Arizona Highway Department 1937."

The plaque reads: “Wickenburg Massacre – In this vicinity Nov, 5, 1871, Wickenburg-Ehrensburg Stage ambushed by Apache Mohave Indians. John Lanz – Fred W. Loring – P.M.Hamel – W.G.Salmon – Frederick Shoholm and C.S. Adams were murdered. Mollie Sheppard died of wounds. Arizona Highway Department 1937.”

Doing some research, I found that this tragedy was more complex and was backgrounded with yet more tragedy than I cared to consider. This particular attack received national attention because a young

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Posted in Campsites and tagged
24 Apr 2015
8 Comments

Wickenburg Trail Ride!

I stopped here when it struck me that I never thought I'd have the opportunity to do this kind of thing or see these kinds of sights. But they're out there, waiting.

I stopped here when it struck me that I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do this kind of thing or see these kinds of sights. But they’re out there, waiting.

I sheared off all the storage stuff on the Aurora e-bike the other day, and went out for a ride on a trail leading north. Rather than blather on about it, I’ll just show off the snaps here.

Ditto on this one. You know, you sure don't see much of this in northern Illinois.

Ditto on this one. You know, you sure don’t see much of this in northern Illinois.

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Posted in Campsites, E-Bike Pack Mule, Tourista! and tagged ,
22 Apr 2015
6 Comments

Procrastination Pays Off!

It's done...for me!

It’s done…for me!

Well, I had scheduled my trashed campsite cleanup for today, since I had a trip to Glendale AZ yesterday, and I didn’t want anything to complicate that. Lo and behold, my earlier blog post about the messed-up campsite here on State Trust land apparently turned into a call to action for one long-time traveler and new reader, known here as Roger.

He saw the posted pictures and went out yesterday to have a look-see for himself. He noticed that the three large buckets had already been scrounged, but was appalled enough at the remainder, that he loaded what was left into his own pickup and took it into the waste recycler just outside of Wickenburg! Boom! Gone! While he was at it, he also picked up some cardboard in the main area, and some beer bottles left at the entrance by locals. He told me that tidying up the various sites he visits is a pretty common practice, since he and his bride appreciate having so many sites available to us at all. Kind of drives home to me the difference between yammering about a problem and just quietly taking care of it, doesn’t it? All thanks be to Roger!

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged
20 Apr 2015
21 Comments

Tenter Trash Tragedy

Ah, the beauty o' Nature.

Ah, the beauty o’ Nature.

I went out for a walk a couple of days ago. (Yes, I do walk occasionally.) I went by a campsite that had until recently been occupied by a tenter for at least as long as I’ve been here. I’d seen his newish silver Dodge pickup depart and arrive a few times.

The tent.

The tent.

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Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged , ,
12 Apr 2015
11 Comments

Horse Camp

Clip-clop, horse-flop... Suddenly the joint is full of horse trailers!

Clip-clop, horse-flop… Suddenly the joint is full of horse trailers!

Today is Sunday. Thursday, a couple of horse trailers rumbled into the State Land Trust parcel I’m on. Friday, many more came. The three campers here were soon surrounded by maybe a dozen horse trailers, and I’m not talking about one-horse or three-horse. We’re talking the bigger ones that range from a two-horse with bunk ahead, to huge travel trailers with slides, and horse stalls in the rear. They’re no doubt here for the Desert Caballeros ride, an annual invitation-only men’s ride out in the boonies that lasts for five days. The departure day is Monday. These people tend to come from all over the West.

Yep, I was impressed. I assume that fencing tape is electrified.

Yep, I was impressed. I assume that fencing tape is electrified.

I did a walk-through on the way to a short trail hike as Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged ,
31 Mar 2015
6 Comments

Don’t Tread on Me

Surprise! I've noticed rabbits and birds using the Defiant as cool shelter from the hot sun. This was a wake-up reminder to "stay in the now, man!"

Surprise! I’ve noticed rabbits and birds using the Defiant as cool shelter from the hot sun. This was a wake-up reminder to “stay in the now, man!”

I tend to always be preoccupied with something or other when I’m outside, which is not the best possible mindset when camping in the Great Southwest. I had just returned from a hub test on the Aurora, followed by an impromptu exploratory ride further south along Vulture Mine Road to check out some recently closed campsites. I parked the bike and stowed my sun gear, then shuffled toward the trailer door, key in hand. No, I did not scream like a little girl. Not loudly, anyway. I was still about 5 feet away, and was surprised at the effectiveness of its camo. Once I moved further right, toward its rear, it Read more…

Posted in Campsites, Daily Life, E-Bike Pack Mule and tagged , , , ,
19 Mar 2015
10 Comments

It’s Wickenburg Wet

Rain or shine, it hardly matters. It's a pretty area.

Rain or shine, it hardly matters. It’s a pretty area.

The trip up from broiling Quartzsite was uneventful and beautiful along Route 60, one of many decent rural two-lanes that criss-cross Arizona. The state has what is called State Trust land, which comprises a large percentage of Arizona’s total acreage. State Trust land is distinct from federal BLM land in that it is land leased to various businesses and industries in order to raise money for the state’s schools and other programs. Rather than being public land, it is essentially private. 14-day, $15 passes are available to camp and use very limited, specific areas.

I’m encamped on one of those areas now, just south of Wickenburg itself. Wickenburg has strong historical roots in cattle raising, and as you may know from my posts a year ago, the equestrian arts in regard to

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Posted in Campsites, Daily Life and tagged ,

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