Onward to Yuma and the American Girl Mine

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

After four nights at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, we made the decision to move farther west. The Southwest was preparing to experience a significant winter storm. The jet stream had dipped low into the Southwest and cold and moisture from the Pacific Northwest was being drawn south with it. Winter watches, warnings, winds, and hard freezes were popping up all over Weatherbug and we looked for the warmest, driest place we could find. Yuma, Arizona at the Arizona, California, Mexican borders looked the best, so we headed there. We needed to top off the trailer battery after too many days off of an electrical hookup, and cloudy days with low winter sun. We made reservations for two nights at Sans End RV park in Winterhaven, California, just across the Colorado River from Yuma.

No Campsite photo but we were in the lettuce capital of the US.

It felt good to get the space heater cranking once we were on electric at the park. I didn't have to sleep that night in many layers of clothes and covers. The night before it had been 35 degrees in the trailer when we woke up. Thursday we drove around to scout out a good boondock site for the next day after the rain, wind, and cold passed. We drove back on BLM land to American Girl Mine where we saw dozens of other RV's scattered around the desert boondocking. We spent time here 5 years ago and enjoyed the desert solitude. We topped off the morning with a great Mexican lunch at Tacos el Ranchero back in Yuma.

Tacos Al Pastor - Yum!

After that we drove over to the Colorado River and drove north along it to check out the Mittry Lake and Senator Wash camping areas. We enjoyed Mittry Lake five years ago, but hardly recognized it now. Many more campsites had been created, but a lot of hills had been bulldozed to do so. We moved on. While we explored, the weather system approached from the west with ominous dark clouds. As we bought groceries the heavy rain blew in and the temperature dropped to 48 degrees. Yuma is known as the warmest, sunniest place in the country in the winter. It is filled with RV parks and snowbirds. Some come from as far away as Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.

Salad stuff

Date Groves

The Senator Wash reservoir

Burn zone before the impending storm

Mittry Lake

Yesterday morning dawned sunny with bright blue skies. Most of the clouds had cleared out. We hitched up and drove west out of Yuma on I-8. A few exits into California, we got off at the exit for Ogilby Road and made our way to American Girl Mine Road and traveled the gravel road three miles to the spot we picked out the day before. We are near the end of a remote gravel road with the Cargo Muchacho Mountains nearby with their former (and current - but dormant) gold mines. To the west we see open desert and on the horizon the Algodones Sand dunes that stretch down into Mexico. The sun is warm, and each day and night will start to get warmer and more seasonal. Greg has been riding his fat-tire bike up into the mountains and I am enjoying the quiet and expansive views.

American Girl Mine Road

In the wash behind our camp

 

Signs from abandoned mines

Our boondock site in front of the Cargo Muchacho Mountains

Enjoying the evening sun

Grillin" and chillin"

Wednesday night we are due again in Tucson at the KOA for a Thursday appointment back at Lazy Days. We'll see if they can figure out the hot water tank leak this time!