Just out of curiosity, why does this bother you so much but not what's going on in Yemen, Syria, Africa and other conflicts around the world. Don't get me wrong, I completely agree, but there is a lot of evil in the world.
My Journey
- Thread starter YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
- Start date
ITTOG
Well-known member
They all bother me but it is like losing a loved one. At first it is extremely difficult but eventually time reduces the impact.
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
ITTOG.....I want to climb that mountain.....
mekcanix.....sure thing.....
After our five days hanging out along the Colorado River we returned to the shores of Lake Mead once again.....
I retraced my steps from last year.....picking up trash along the entrance road. It's really depressing to see what people do.....
I doubt I'll ever do this again.....at least not here.....it's beyond salvation at this location I've begun to think.....
I took time to visit the coyotes from the north pack as I had named them last year.....unfortunately there weren't near so many sightings as there were last year.....
Several days of course were spent at and in the lake.....
mekcanix.....sure thing.....
After our five days hanging out along the Colorado River we returned to the shores of Lake Mead once again.....
I retraced my steps from last year.....picking up trash along the entrance road. It's really depressing to see what people do.....
I doubt I'll ever do this again.....at least not here.....it's beyond salvation at this location I've begun to think.....
I took time to visit the coyotes from the north pack as I had named them last year.....unfortunately there weren't near so many sightings as there were last year.....
Several days of course were spent at and in the lake.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Stay long enough and the best campsite overlooking the lake will become available.....we snatched it up real quick.....
The beauty of this particular campsite wasn't just its' forever views.....this campsite sat on a knoll surrounded by deep ravines which prohibited anyone from camping nearby.....
And the views here were.....outstanding.....superb they were.....
And the dogs.....well, they swam a bit more.....
The beauty of this particular campsite wasn't just its' forever views.....this campsite sat on a knoll surrounded by deep ravines which prohibited anyone from camping nearby.....
And the views here were.....outstanding.....superb they were.....
And the dogs.....well, they swam a bit more.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
Yesterday we returned to the high desert mountains of Utah in our quest for continued solitude. ....
Times like these make me go back to listening to this song & watching this video way too much.....have a look.....
Thinking about those better days in the Himalayas, Nepal .....April, 2015.....
Times like these make me go back to listening to this song & watching this video way too much.....have a look.....
Thinking about those better days in the Himalayas, Nepal .....April, 2015.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
And finally our last Lake Mead post.....we spent just about 2 months this year hanging around Las Vegas & Henderson, Nevada, and Lake Mead.....5 nights near the Colorado River .....maybe 30 nights in the cities, and 30 nights around Lake Mead.....
Before I move on, I wanted to share a few photos of my favorite rig at the lake this year.....
This guy was also out of Montana.....he was here when we arrived and he was still there when we left.....as a matter of fact I'm not sure that that rig ever left that spot.....I would just imagine that it's a real bear to drive on the road.....
It was also the only rig that the dogs paid much attention to.....
I was able to finish yet another book while camped at the lake.....picked it up for fifty cents at the Catholic Thrift Store.....I'm not a huge fan of fiction so this was far from a favorite.....it was the title that grabbed my attention.....
And then one last story to be told.....the snake that escaped death by a mere few seconds.....just as a Jeep was barreling down the road, I spotted this snake and grabbed him just as quickly as I could.....I do indeed value all life.....
And then we were gone.....
Before I move on, I wanted to share a few photos of my favorite rig at the lake this year.....
This guy was also out of Montana.....he was here when we arrived and he was still there when we left.....as a matter of fact I'm not sure that that rig ever left that spot.....I would just imagine that it's a real bear to drive on the road.....
It was also the only rig that the dogs paid much attention to.....
I was able to finish yet another book while camped at the lake.....picked it up for fifty cents at the Catholic Thrift Store.....I'm not a huge fan of fiction so this was far from a favorite.....it was the title that grabbed my attention.....
And then one last story to be told.....the snake that escaped death by a mere few seconds.....just as a Jeep was barreling down the road, I spotted this snake and grabbed him just as quickly as I could.....I do indeed value all life.....
And then we were gone.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
ITTOG.....I indeed did research that snake on Google as I wanted to see if I too had just escaped a near death experience.....I don't recall what I came up with but I do recall that it was of a non venomous variety.....
Riversdad.....snakes & turtles are good (I'm currently hoping to cross paths with a Desert Tortoise although the likelihood of that happening is probably near zero).....
And finally we were back on the road once again.....leaving Henderson, Nevada behind.....we took the highway that meanders along the western side of Lake Mead as we drove north.....I was in no hurry that day so we stopped often on that first day as we explored some of the random ravines that the highway crossed.....
There was nothing special about a single one of these ravines that we explored that day.....and maybe that's what made each one of these ravines so special to me.....
Few people would have any reason to go to these places.....I was so ready for places just like these.....
We goofed around so much on day one of our travels that we made it only a few miles north.....maybe 20 or 30 or 40 I think. That night we camped at a place commonly referred to as Poverty Flats or Snowbird Mesa and that evening we walked around this massive informal campsite and there were two things that glaringly stood out to me.....the constant roar of generators was nearly everywhere.....and the generators were only outnumbered by the number of old people sitting in their lawn chairs. Everybody seemed to be waiting.....waiting to go north maybe.....maybe to take their last breath.....I couldn't leave here soon enough that was for sure.....
The following morning we left early.....thankful to leave behind the constant roar of the generators. In Overton, Nevada we left the main highway and drove east into the vast desert.....
Overton, Nevada is located in a low lieing valley along the Muddy River.....the road we took led us to higher country as we planned to camp on the huge mesa just to the east of town.....
That road was a steep one.....it took this guy forever to get down that road.....we waited patiently.....
We stopped at the rim to have a look around and off we went to see what we could see.....
Unfortunately this was a great spot for locals to dump the things that they no longer need.....
Riversdad.....snakes & turtles are good (I'm currently hoping to cross paths with a Desert Tortoise although the likelihood of that happening is probably near zero).....
And finally we were back on the road once again.....leaving Henderson, Nevada behind.....we took the highway that meanders along the western side of Lake Mead as we drove north.....I was in no hurry that day so we stopped often on that first day as we explored some of the random ravines that the highway crossed.....
There was nothing special about a single one of these ravines that we explored that day.....and maybe that's what made each one of these ravines so special to me.....
Few people would have any reason to go to these places.....I was so ready for places just like these.....
We goofed around so much on day one of our travels that we made it only a few miles north.....maybe 20 or 30 or 40 I think. That night we camped at a place commonly referred to as Poverty Flats or Snowbird Mesa and that evening we walked around this massive informal campsite and there were two things that glaringly stood out to me.....the constant roar of generators was nearly everywhere.....and the generators were only outnumbered by the number of old people sitting in their lawn chairs. Everybody seemed to be waiting.....waiting to go north maybe.....maybe to take their last breath.....I couldn't leave here soon enough that was for sure.....
The following morning we left early.....thankful to leave behind the constant roar of the generators. In Overton, Nevada we left the main highway and drove east into the vast desert.....
Overton, Nevada is located in a low lieing valley along the Muddy River.....the road we took led us to higher country as we planned to camp on the huge mesa just to the east of town.....
That road was a steep one.....it took this guy forever to get down that road.....we waited patiently.....
We stopped at the rim to have a look around and off we went to see what we could see.....
Unfortunately this was a great spot for locals to dump the things that they no longer need.....
vintageracer
To Infinity and Beyond!
"We goofed around so much on day one of our travels that we made it only a few miles north.....maybe 20 or 30 or 40 I think. That night we camped at a place commonly referred to as Poverty Flats or Snowbird Mesa and that evening we walked around this massive informal campsite and there were two things that glaringly stood out to me.....the constant roar of generators was nearly everywhere.....and the generators were only outnumbered by the number of old people sitting in their lawn chairs. Everybody seemed to be waiting.....waiting to go north maybe.....maybe to take their last breath.....I couldn't leave here soon enough that was for sure....."
You didn't know?
All those OLD campers sitting in lawn chairs were waiting for the local Casino nearby to open so they could all go sit hunched over their slot machine with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth waiting for the pot of gold at the bottom of the slot machine for the better part of the day.
Good times to be had by all!
You didn't know?
All those OLD campers sitting in lawn chairs were waiting for the local Casino nearby to open so they could all go sit hunched over their slot machine with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth waiting for the pot of gold at the bottom of the slot machine for the better part of the day.
Good times to be had by all!
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
vintageracer.....regretfully I think that there is some truth to that statement....
We took the "long brown path" across the mesa to it's eastern edge where we set up our next nights' camp.....here we were just waiting for an upcoming storm to pass thru.....before we continued on the "long brown path".....
The weather forecast was for a storm to roll through that night followed by wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour the following morning.....that's a significant number for an RV.....
My thought here was to camp on the rim that night and then head down the eastern slope of the mesa in the early morning hours and hide out along the Virgin River until the high winds subsided....
Once the storm passed, we then planned to return to the mesa and follow the "long brown path" north as the eastern rim of the mesa followed the meanders of the Virgin River, and eventually we would cross the Virgin River and continue on to Mesquite, Nevada where we could resupply.....
Well.....not one bit of that plan worked out for us.....not one single bit. And as I often say, that's the beauty of being a wanderer.....times & places are rarely an important thing to us.....solitude.....now that's an entirely different story.....
We took the "long brown path" across the mesa to it's eastern edge where we set up our next nights' camp.....here we were just waiting for an upcoming storm to pass thru.....before we continued on the "long brown path".....
The weather forecast was for a storm to roll through that night followed by wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour the following morning.....that's a significant number for an RV.....
My thought here was to camp on the rim that night and then head down the eastern slope of the mesa in the early morning hours and hide out along the Virgin River until the high winds subsided....
Once the storm passed, we then planned to return to the mesa and follow the "long brown path" north as the eastern rim of the mesa followed the meanders of the Virgin River, and eventually we would cross the Virgin River and continue on to Mesquite, Nevada where we could resupply.....
Well.....not one bit of that plan worked out for us.....not one single bit. And as I often say, that's the beauty of being a wanderer.....times & places are rarely an important thing to us.....solitude.....now that's an entirely different story.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
When I had originally planned our "solo overland expedition" ? from Overton, Nevada to Mesquite, Nevada (which would be 90% off road and include one river crossing.....on a two lane bridge of course) I thought that we could follow a dirt / sandy road that ran along the banks of the Virgin River and that was the primary reason for descending the mesa.....the high winds forecast only amplified our decision.....
Often when off road I'll park my "overland rig" ? at the top of steep inclines and walk down it first.....that gives me an opportunity to scope out the place before fully committing.....I felt like God was with us.....
And I felt the love.....
I also felt a bit enraged that people destroy our public lands like this.....
Sand dunes were encountered along the way.....
As the road flattened out we encountered this gate.....our "solo overland expedition" ? would not proceed along the banks of the Virgin River.....
We regrouped atop the mesa once again.....
Often when off road I'll park my "overland rig" ? at the top of steep inclines and walk down it first.....that gives me an opportunity to scope out the place before fully committing.....I felt like God was with us.....
And I felt the love.....
I also felt a bit enraged that people destroy our public lands like this.....
Sand dunes were encountered along the way.....
As the road flattened out we encountered this gate.....our "solo overland expedition" ? would not proceed along the banks of the Virgin River.....
We regrouped atop the mesa once again.....
YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
A storm rolled through and brought much needed moisture to the Nevada desert lands.....Virgin Peak was covered in a light dusting of snow.....
Now we walked along the eastern rim of the mesa checking out the rocky road that would hopefully take us further north.....
That road turned out not to be much of a road.....it was more suited to ATVs which we saw a few of.....
The real problem here was that the base of that road was made up of volcanic rock and it was like walking on knife blades.....the dogs steps were taken carefully.....they looked like they were walking on hot coals.....my concern was for my tires.....and I decided it was a no go.....
The winds howled and the camper rolled like a sailboat in a storm.....it reminded me of my it won't go away fascination with living on a sailboat.....after 3 days on the mesa we returned to Overton, Nevada and took the paved roads north.....spent the afternoon shopping at Walmart & Smiths' in Mesquite, Nevada.....then pushed further north.....
Now we walked along the eastern rim of the mesa checking out the rocky road that would hopefully take us further north.....
That road turned out not to be much of a road.....it was more suited to ATVs which we saw a few of.....
The real problem here was that the base of that road was made up of volcanic rock and it was like walking on knife blades.....the dogs steps were taken carefully.....they looked like they were walking on hot coals.....my concern was for my tires.....and I decided it was a no go.....
The winds howled and the camper rolled like a sailboat in a storm.....it reminded me of my it won't go away fascination with living on a sailboat.....after 3 days on the mesa we returned to Overton, Nevada and took the paved roads north.....spent the afternoon shopping at Walmart & Smiths' in Mesquite, Nevada.....then pushed further north.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
North on the interstate.....passed through a bit of northeast Arizona.....quickly out of Arizona and we had finally returned to southwest Utah.....I felt like I had been away for much too long.....cause I had most recently fell in love with Utah.....
We took Old Highway 91 north until we came to the junction with the Joshua Tree Scenic Byway.....we took the right turn that then took us into the Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area .....and there we set up our camp far off the main road (last time here in December, 2021 we were the only ones here) since this place was now highly occupied.....our camp was now located in the Woodbury Desert Study Area .....
I knew for sure when I left here last time that I would return when I headed back to the north.....there's just something about this place that sings to me.....I just love it here.....
A few years back I thought that I would be happy living in a big rig.....maybe it was the half hearted smiles of the old people in their lawn chairs with their big rigs that inspired me.....I doubt I'll ever know the answer.....I lasted a few months before I finally would admit my mistake.....
Here I'm inspired by the young people climbing the rock walls.....
.....and sleeping in their tents.....
I may be double or even triple their ages.....but I feel like my heart is still young.....
We've been out wandering around the desert and peak bagging as well.....logging one heck of a lot of miles.....we're having the times of our lives and I've already got a few stories to tell (sorry they're not overlanding stories). Today may be a rest day for us.....God knows that we deserve it.....peace.....
We took Old Highway 91 north until we came to the junction with the Joshua Tree Scenic Byway.....we took the right turn that then took us into the Beaver Dam Wash National Conservation Area .....and there we set up our camp far off the main road (last time here in December, 2021 we were the only ones here) since this place was now highly occupied.....our camp was now located in the Woodbury Desert Study Area .....
I knew for sure when I left here last time that I would return when I headed back to the north.....there's just something about this place that sings to me.....I just love it here.....
A few years back I thought that I would be happy living in a big rig.....maybe it was the half hearted smiles of the old people in their lawn chairs with their big rigs that inspired me.....I doubt I'll ever know the answer.....I lasted a few months before I finally would admit my mistake.....
Here I'm inspired by the young people climbing the rock walls.....
.....and sleeping in their tents.....
I may be double or even triple their ages.....but I feel like my heart is still young.....
We've been out wandering around the desert and peak bagging as well.....logging one heck of a lot of miles.....we're having the times of our lives and I've already got a few stories to tell (sorry they're not overlanding stories). Today may be a rest day for us.....God knows that we deserve it.....peace.....
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YukonMontanaTannerTrapper
Explorer
March 12, 2022.....13.4 miles hiked.....1,900' elevation gain.....
On our first full day here we were able to get in two enjoyable hikes.....the first one in the early morning hours was a planned short dog walk that turned into a 6 mile hike along the base of a beautiful cliff band that ran north / south and provided us with some magnificent views to the southwest.....
It was interesting to see the well worn path along the base of the cliffs.....the signs of Big Horn Sheep (possibly it was Mule Deer too) were significant.....looking to the south is Tabeau Peak (4,500') .....
We watched a hawk soaring over the cliffs as the early morning sun rose.....possibly out hunting for his breakfast.....but what do I know.....
The rock here is solid but it's sharp.....it makes for good footing but not so good on the hands.....nor on the dog's paws.....
I've always enjoyed exploring the small caves (and large ones if available) that are frequently seen along the cliff bands.....
Trapper enjoys the shade and the cool earth that lies within.....
I often think that these are the places where I should encounter rattlesnakes but I've never seen one in a place such as this.....and yes, I have seen my fair share of rattlesnakes.....fortunately not one here.....yet.....
On our first full day here we were able to get in two enjoyable hikes.....the first one in the early morning hours was a planned short dog walk that turned into a 6 mile hike along the base of a beautiful cliff band that ran north / south and provided us with some magnificent views to the southwest.....
It was interesting to see the well worn path along the base of the cliffs.....the signs of Big Horn Sheep (possibly it was Mule Deer too) were significant.....looking to the south is Tabeau Peak (4,500') .....
We watched a hawk soaring over the cliffs as the early morning sun rose.....possibly out hunting for his breakfast.....but what do I know.....
The rock here is solid but it's sharp.....it makes for good footing but not so good on the hands.....nor on the dog's paws.....
I've always enjoyed exploring the small caves (and large ones if available) that are frequently seen along the cliff bands.....
Trapper enjoys the shade and the cool earth that lies within.....
I often think that these are the places where I should encounter rattlesnakes but I've never seen one in a place such as this.....and yes, I have seen my fair share of rattlesnakes.....fortunately not one here.....yet.....
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