A hike today......

 

Our Location: 

North of MM 4, Ogilby Road, Winterhaven, California

 

I hiked back to the open pit mine behind American Girl Mine Road this morning. I've been back there a number of times but it's always a good walk and a few sights to see. As I was moving my feet back there two US Military helicopters flew over, very low, I managed to get a couple of blurry photos but at least I got them. 

 

They were not very high up there. Two of them.

I know they are blurry but they were moving at a fair good speed.

Chatted with my dad last night for a half hour or so. Things are going okay, they were calling for freezing rain or sleet and school buses were cancelled for the day. Ah the joys of winter! 

 

I don't think it's desert art.  Maybe the boss' chair?

They simply pulled the sides down and trucked it away, not a massive hole and it does not go into the ground.

I didn't climb up but I did walk the path you can see starting in the middle and going to the right.

 

Doug and I chair hopped from his rig to mine to get out of the wind for a mid day happy hour 11-1:00. We chatted about things to come and our trip yesterday to Mexico. 

 

Very rocky, hard walking so I don't climb much around here.

But I like the views even from small climbs.

The beginnings of the tailing piles. Looks like someone graded a path across them.

 

Errands to run tomorrow will keep Riley and I pretty busy for most of the day so today's hike may have to count as tomorrows steps too. We shall see how it goes. 

 

I live the colours in the tailing pile over there. One day I'm going to walk over there and look at it closer.

Lots of water in the bottom, not sure how deep but there's lots. I like the stepped sides.

Time, wind, water and other disturbances are causing the stepped sides to slide.

 

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the hike into the Cargo Muchacho Mountains and seeing the open pit mine back there. 

 

Doesn't that look like a very large hand?

I walked this trail for a while but at the edge of the mountains it went the wrong way.

One the left the light coloured spot is the area of the second group of photo above (after the helicopters). 

The light area on the right is the beginning area where I followed the trail that eventually lead to the open pit mine much further back in the mountains.
I am now on my way home from this photo, with about 15 to 20 more minutes of walking to do.

 

Until next time....

 

Take care, be safe, 

 

Deb

 

Another peak into the Cargo Muchacho Mountains....

 

 Our Location: 

North of MM4, Ogilby Road, Winterhaven, California

A nice day today but still overcast to a certain degree, we have some blue sky to the north but no sun, although it looks sunny over by the dunes, just not here at our home dirt. 

Sunset, Dec 3

The billowy clouds look so soft.

The sky was on fire and soon after this shot it was dark.

Another short drive and then a walk for me again this morning, with no threat of rain I wasn't worried about getting caught some place that would be dangerous. So after parking the Dogsled I headed back in a different direction than I went the other day, a bit more to the north. 

You can see the ghost of a trail on the left that I followed the other day. I zoomed in to see it.

That low point in the middle is where I climbed to a few days ago. It's much farther away than it looks.

The paths are not always easy and many are washed out in places.

If you ever want to feel insignificant just climb around near the mountains. They tower over a person and it makes you realize just how fragile humans really are. The force of nature be it wind, water, heat or cold can have an amazing affect on the mountains. The wind and water wear away the stone gradually but it is always working at it. The heat and cold do much the same thing but in a different way, causing cracks and breaking rocks free waiting to fall or slide down with the merest hint of pressure. A very humbling experience to tread on foot into those mountains. 

Sometimes  parts of the roads are pretty good.

Fog on the mountain top over there near the old open pit mine.

The blueish colour is tailings from the open pit mine.

We are enjoying our time here and I'm looking forward to a few more hikes as well. I've found I can't hike like I used to as it bothers my hip and makes me less smiley.  It's one of the reasons I take the Dogsled part way.  My usual step goal is 6000 which is enough to let me continue to be useful for the rest of the day. Today just my hike alone was 10,000, which for me is just under 4 miles/6.4 km, in 1 1/2 hours. That's more than enough so I'll be just putzing the rest of the day.

I  noticed this opening around the corner.

No idea, didn't go inside.

Paint? Turquoise? It was only in this one little spot.

Doug ( Miss Adventure Travels ) & Yuma plan on coming by later today for a visit, some time this afternoon he said. It's always nice to visit with folks and Yuma likes our company, probably more than Doug does.

Like sandwiches stacked up, but it's rock.

The results of nature.

A closer look at what the mountains actually look like. The white lines are veins of rock.

That's it for today, I hope you enjoyed the photos. 

I didn't go any farther.

I had to use the zoom out feature on the phone to get the height in, it was on both sides from where I was standing in the photo above.

I turned around and this is what I could see.

Until next time....

Doug and Yuma

Take care, be safe, 

Deb

Revisiting an old view.

 

 

Our Location: 

Saddle Mountain, Tonopah, Arizona

 

I chatted with Dad last night for a while, he says the nice weather may be coming to an end for them, although the long range says maybe a couple nicer days next week. He was happy to hear from us. 

 

I'm starting to climb at this point in  my walk.

My goal is up in that notch between those rises.

 

Coolish this morning again, like yesterday morning. In fact the same temperature too. This morning Riley decided to just walk close to the Igloo, her knee has been a bit twingey lately so walking on the flat is a good idea. 

 

Each one is unique.

It's amazing how they are still surviving.

 

I headed back to a spot I remember from being in this area before. It's quite a hike up and down some pretty steep paths but I decided I'd go for it any way. Round trip, heading cross country and not following the paths was just about 4 miles/6.8 km. Took me just a bit less than 2 hours. 

 

The same saguaro as above but a close up of some damage.

I'm climbing but it doesn't look like it.

 

The roadway is often rougher than going cross country but in this case, they were about the same. Off road vehicles have spun and churned their way up and down the paths and therefore often make it extremely difficult. Some of the smaller gravel stones are very easily moved and roll under foot, while others are so big and sit right in the path of ones feet. The ups and downs are steep and rutted, often times it's better to walk beside the trail but it isn't always possible. I'm extremely careful when I do these things, I'm not too daring. 

 

 

I took all of these photos with my phone.

It is a view I never tire of seeing. Pretty rocky over there. Can you see the road along the bottom?

I have found with today's walk already I know I've gone about my limit. I could have explored so many paths there but honestly I just didn't think it was a good idea, I knew I still had to climb up and down to get back to the desert floor and then home. So I left the paths unexplored.  I was happy to reach home and rest.

 

Can you see the hole over there? Now that would be a climb, wouldn't it?

I was happy just making this climb without falling on my butt.

 

We've decided the rest of the day will be just hanging around reading, maybe a few short walks to the road and back for Riley to exercise her knee but other wise I think it's going to be a pretty laid back day. 

 

 

Not a lot of folks camped here anymore.

The pic doesn't show how steep or rough it really is.

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed your visit. 

 

As you can see, it's a bit steep and rocky.

It is a very nice view. Worth the effort.

 

Until next time..

 

That white line is I-10 East/West.

I climbed up to the flat spot but then turned and headed home.

Take care, be safe, 

 

I went right and home but it would have been nice to go left and see....

 

Sage brush down there in the arroyo.

 

A stunning view.

Deb