Migrating with the Birds

After my drive and hike up into the hills in search of Area 51, I was a little apprehensive about being watched.

Sure enough, after I hacked into the spy satellite, I discovered this image …

I decided to vacate the area and go for a drive out on highway 375, the extraterrestrial highway to see what was there.  I took a few photos, but noticed nothing out of the ordinary!

I wished I had some good lenses like the Bayfield Bunch to get photos of all these birds, but mine just can’t compete.  I took a few through my spotting scope, but that’s about it.

Soon enough, Monday morning arrived.  It was rather cool with a strong gusty wind coming down from the north.  I could tell the birds were getting excited by all this – they could sense a free ride south to their wintering grounds.

I wanted to get packed up as well, but a quick look out the window showed that a couple of great blue herons, a flock of Canada geese, and a few ducks would be disturbed as soon as I opened the door.  That’s how close to the water these campsites are.

 

Eventually, we packed up and joined the other departing RV’s.  For days camped here, an constant stream of campers were all headed the same direction – south!  We managed to merge into the stream, and for half the way to Vegas we were making over 30 miles/gallon with that great tailwind, and perhaps a bit of a slope to lower elevations.

Out on the I-15, I guess I must have been day-dreaming, when I looked up and saw the business end of a semi truck apparently headed my way on the wrong side of the road!  But I didn’t hardly panic at all.

I made a few stops around Vegas, and contemplated buying a few plants! I did notice that none of them were frozen, wilted, and under a foot of snow, like any at home …

 

Rolling on out of Vegas late in the afternoon, our coin toss took us down the west side of the Colorado, and through Searchlight, and Cal-Nev-Ari.  It was about time to start looking for a boondocking spot, so we took the bait and turned off onto the Christmas Tree Pass road.  It was a bit wash boardy, and there were no pull-offs in the first few miles so we exited onto a pipeline r/w and continued on south.  It had even fewer options, and we ended up on it until it intersected with highway 163 leading down to Laughlin.  (Sometimes you find a great spot; other times not so much)  Being a divided highway and on the wrong side, took us all the way back to it’s intersection with 95 before we could get on the big downgrade to Laughlin and Bullhead City on the Colorado river.  So the lights of Laughlin were twinkling brightly as we came down the hill and found ourselves in a surprisingly quiet, secluded corner of a large box store parking lot.  Lets just say it was near Home Depot, and provided free wifi signal from Home Depot, Carl’s Jr, and Sam’s Club!

Next day, we looked around the area a bit and checked out this Canadian bus with the fancy paint job.

You can park your rig in a Riverside casino parking lot on the Arizona side of the river, and take a free boat ride across the Colorado – to the Casino and hotels in Laughlin – on the Nevada side.  So I did.

Looking back across the river, Hailey was waving out the window of the 5th wheel.  At least I think she was.  Or maybe she was having a cat nap?

Of course, a stroll down the riverside walkway was in order past several of the hotels and casinos as far as the Colorado Belle.  Can’t believe they still allow smoking in those casinos.  As if I needed another reason to stay out in the fresh air and scenery!

Sure a lot warmer down here, at an elevation of under 600 feet.  But it wouldn’t hurt if they turned that north wind down a few notches.  I found a couple of adequate overnight camp spots up the hill a bit, with a great view of the lights of Laughlin, but with this wind, they were definitely out of the question.

In other news, I have learned that Wandering Willy, who hasn’t blogged since Wednesday, March 16, 2011, has somehow gotten by us all on that yucky I-5 interstate, and is now kicking back and relaxing – somewhere in southern California.  Apparently, he now has plenty of time to update his blog, ahem!

Al, from the Bayfield Bunch has been busy as always, getting settled into Congress again – and I see he has found me a boondocking spot not far from there – for when I come a-visiting some time!  Well, actually he found it for John and Turk from Just Finding Our Way, but lets not get hung up on the details and facts.

Great photo of Taggert, saying ‘don’t bother me, I’m having a nap in the sun’ on Wheeling It blog.

Not sure what time it is here/now.  Of course we just changed from daylight savings time recently, but I’ve been back and forth between time zones so many times – including Arizona which doesn’t change (?) that I’ve lost track – not that it really matters.  My phone tries to keep up, but it could now be on a cell tower from California, Arizona, or Nevada, or back and forth like it tends to do when I am in Lake Havasu on the Az/Ca line.

In search of Area 51

The forecasted weather for our camp on Ward Mountain, near Ely, Nevada was not a good one, so it was a no-brainer to pack up and head down to some lower and warmer locations.  That’s why we have wheels on our houses, right?

After a fuel top up in Ely, we were pointed south, so that’s the direction we went.  After everyone assumed a comfortable (?) traveling position, of course.

Over a mountain pass we climbed, and down to a junction leading to Great Basin NP.  I would have liked to visit the park, but it is at rather high elevation as well, so this was not the time.  Across the flats southward on the Great Basin Highway #93 we went – into a nice headwind of course, till we reached Pioche.

After a typically late start, the sun was already starting to dip low in the sky, and usually directly into our eyes as we continued through Caliente.

We did pull in to check one NF Trailhead parking area, but it was fairly rough and bleak, and also at a fairly high elevation near the summit of yet another pass, so we kept moving along to the south.

It was well past sunset when we passed through Alamo, but just to the south we knew was the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, where we knew there was free camping on the lake shore.

 

There are only about 10-15 sites, but only some of these are designated for RV’s.  Luckily, a very nice waterfront (they’re all waterfront, actually) spot was empty, so we pulled in and set up in the near dark.

Photos out the windows the next day …

Ms Hailey wanted a better view, so she went up for a look in one of the huge cottonwoods that line the shore.

Google earth and maps showed some interesting back roads in the area, one of which - Badger Valley road – looked intriguing.  It also leads to Badger mountain, which like it’s neighbour peak Tikaboo, overlook Area 51.  The road was completely deserted, but in great shape for a back country road.

Eventually, it got a little rougher.  And there was even a little snow left over from the previous night in the shady spots.

With another usual late departure, the hike ended at a sub peak on the way up Badger mtn, but still provided good views towards Area 51, or Groom Lake as it is also known.

Strangely, my gps refused to pick up any signals in that location …

And there were strange cameras on the summit.  No wait, those look familiar.

Area 51 at far top left …

I see that the Bayfield Bunch have safely arrived at their Congress estate and are settling in, watching Corner Gas, and planting cactus, while trying to attract their usual flocks of birds.  Wheeling It and RV sue were both hanging out in the Alabama Hills area of eastern California last time I checked.  Breaking news:  just got word that elusive Wandering Willy is sneaking south from Canada’s wet coast – without blogging again.  I think everyone should post comments on his blog to convince him to return!