Trashing Lake Mead!

When I first arrived at my campspot at Stewarts Point on Lake Mead there was garbage strewn all about, particularly on the shoreline below my site.  It was mostly fishing, and beer drinking related, quite disgusting actually.  I bagged it up, and there was so much that I struggled to carry it up the hill to my truck.

That’s it in the back of my truck – and the ‘hitch cat’.

 

A few days later I spotted an apparent US National Park Service truck in the area with two individuals out collecting garbage (they call it trash down here).  My friend Don and I immediately grabbed garbage bags and quickly had 4-5 bags full from a short stretch of shoreline.  We quickly exchanged full bags for empty ones and continued picking.  Turns out, these are fellow RV’ers and volunteers, working with Parks and staying at Echo Bay in return.  Over the next few days, a number of individuals came to fish nearby, and most of them left an array of bottles, cans and other crap on the shore without the slightest effort to contain it or take it with them.  All of these were ‘locals’, ie: no camping gear, so most likely living nearby.  I found it ironic that all of us picking up the trash were not from around here, and everyone leaving it was!

I had thought of poking fun at the signs on the highway declaring that it was illegal to litter; but I guess they are needed here unfortunately – not that the subjects in question care at all.  End of rant.

Other than the garbage situation, it has been a very enjoyable week and great weather here at the lake.  First, John & Nicole (soon to be RV bloggers?) showed up and found a great spot out on the point.  Next, my friends Don and Donna from icy cold Alberta showed up and parked beside me where we both had camped last year.  The week was spent touring the local area, Valley of Fire State park, a trip in to Overton, and a day trip into Vegas.

At Calville Bay, we got a grand tour of their largest rental houseboat – with six bedrooms, video screens everywhere.

Pretty nice boat, but a slight bit out of my price range!

Much time was spent reducing the inventory of cold beverages, while watching boats, birds, and burros on the far shore.  John came over to coordinate the construction of a proper fire circle, and brought some wood as well, and he and Nicole and dog Nibbs joined us around the fire.

John, Donna, and Don.

There is a ‘rock garden’ near camp, that someone has spent a lot of time and effort building!

When I told Hailey we were headed for the north, she began to practice for hunting seals, and whales!

It is a great spot for Hailey, who could run free much of the time with her bell on to help me keep track of her.  It was her third birthday, and she got a new reflective, break-away collar and another neon green mouse to keep her entertained indoors.  She has now been with me to the Atlantic ocean, Pacific ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and now Lake Mead, again!

We checked out the Redstone dune trail, just up the Northshore Road, that had similar formations as the nearby Valley of Fire state park.

Some of the other gang have already gone home for the summer.  Jean & Skip made it back to Vancouver Island after encountering some snow on I-5 and in the mountain passes of northern California and Oregon.  Wandering Willy has been home for a while now – but quit blogging last year ;-(  The Bayfield Bunch are starting to make early preparations for their cross-country trek to north of the line.  Crofts are starting to make their way north in Mexico.

And, it seems that my time has about run out as well. ;-(

It seems like I agreed to take on a summer job with Alberta Forestry – Fire Control section, and they want me to start in early April – brrrr.  Weather up in western Canada has not been very spring-like of late with late season snow storms, and temperatures that spend a lot of time south of the freezing mark.  I’ll be watching the road reports closely this week and hope I won’t have to break out my snow shovel to get in the driveway.  As I type here in the Lake Mead sunshine, my thermometer on the sunny side says 45.7C (110F), and the inside temp with the windows open is about 30C (80F).  I fear that long underwear, gloves and heavy jackets will soon be covering my winter tan.  And I’m not looking forward to my rig transforming from a warm comfortable resort, – to a frozen icicle with no water, plumbing, and pink RV antifreeze in the shower, toilet, and Hailey’s ‘drinking sink’.

Come on along for the trip north.

(PS – no response from the Pwerdrive 1000 inverter people.  Not a way to operate a business, if you ask me)