The Working Wanderer

[Gallowbraid]

So on Friday morning I got stuck in San Diego waiting for a delivery and had a later start than I would have liked. After grabbing a package from the UPS driver I headed east on I-8 trying to reach Prescott as early as possible. On the way I took in the scenery.

What do you do with land to make more money once you've leased it to a solar outfit? Easy, you store raw cheeseburgers under the solar panels.

I really hadn't planned a route to Prescott and was relying solely on Apple Maps to navigate me there as fast as possible. After stopping in El Centro to fill up and grab some food Siri, in her infinite wisdom, decided I should head north up highway 78. This turned out to be awesome because I got up and close and personal with the largest amount of sand I've seen in one place.

I went through the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreational Area and skirted around the Yuma Proving Grounds. Fighter jets and helicopters raced overhead several times as I passed through the area. Much cooler than staying on I-8! The dunes were quite impressive and I imagine this is what much of the Middle East looks like.

As I pressed on norht toward I-10 the landscape began to change.

I exited I-10 onto Hwy 60 heading toward Hwy 89 into Prescott and began to gain elevation.

I'm going to stop here and clarify something for everyone reading this who has not heard a Prescott Native pronounce the name of their city. It is not pronounced Pres-KOT, it is pronounced Pres-KIT...like biscuit. I was on the phone with an Arizona native friend on the way to Prescott and was corrected several times during the conversation. Wikipedia reveals that this is a much debated topic...

Anyway, as you begin to get close to Prescott the scenery changes dramatically from the lower elevations.

As I entered Prescott itself I was greeted by...people, tons of people. The place was jumping and quite busy on this Friday evening. I can only imagine it was prom night as there were teenagers everywhere in prom atire. At this point both my personal phone and work phone were refusing to maintain a data connection and I was unable to reach out to a local contact from American Adventurist. Without any local direction I filled up with gas and relied on my downloaded data in Backcountry Navigator to get me to Senator Hwy. It wasn't long before I entered the forest.

The first few miles of the road are paved and the forest land and trailheads intermingle with private land, homes and rental cabins. Parked at several of the trailheads were teenagers in prom attire taking pictures and hanging out before the big event. I'm going to be honest here. This, combined with a 14 hour overnight work shift and an 8 hour drive, put me in a somewhat sour mood. The road soon changed to a well maintained dirt road with dispersed camping sites strewn down its length. Every campsite I came across was occupied by either campers or more teenagers in prom dresses and tuxes. Growing more discouraged by the minute the road finally stopped being maintained and the cabins and houses fell by the wayside to reveal what I was looking for.

The road climbed a ridge and I saw mining sites begin to pop up on the map in Backcountry Navigator. In several places I saw the remnants of mining operations and at one point across a ravine an open shaft stood in the side of a hill. I remained on Senator Hwy until I reached Palace Station.

Senator Highway was originally built as part of a toll road system that connected mines in the area together and to the surrounding communities. In 1866 Palace Station was built as a log cabin home by Alfred Barnum and Matilda Spence. In it's long history it has been a ranch, farm, post office, saloon, bunkhouse and stage stop. By 1908 mining operations in the area had declined and other roads were being built into Prescott making travel on the Senator Highway less frequent. It is currently owned and operated by the US Forest Service with a Forest Ranger living on site year round.

I was quite tired at this point and turned left at Palace Station climbing up the ridge and looking for a spot to camp.

I found a spot to pull off and backed the truck in. I whipped up a quick dinner and opted just to sleep in the truck for the night rather than messing with setting up the tent in the growing darkness. The view wasn't bad though.

I fell asleep only to be awoken around midnight by a side by side UTV roaring up the road in front of the truck. I watched as they proceeded about 30 yards up the road and then stopped. The vehicle sat there for about a minute and then continued up the hill. As I listened they reached what I guessed was the top of the ridge and then started back down. Before they could reach a point where I could see them they killed their LED light bar and coasted down the hill, coming into view with the light of the full moon. The vehicle sat about 10 yards in front of the truck briefly and just as I was about to turn on my headlights and find out their intentions they turned on their lights, hit the gas and took off down the hill. I listened until I couldn't hear their engine any longer. A strange encounter to say the least. I fell back asleep and was up and going in the morning around 6 am.

 

[Gallowbraid]

As I cleared the top of the ridge my intention was simply to head down to the turn off that exits the Prescott NF and dumps you into the town of Mayer. The sunrise convinced me to stick around and explore some more though. I'm glad I did. With the strange evening behind me and a quick breakfast I stayed on the Senator Highway and continued south.

The sunrise began to set the hillsides on fire with color. The breeze was cool and there were birds everywhere. I saw some of the largest hummingbirds I've ever seen in my life.

The road begins to head back down the ridge and follows along several creek beds. Water was sparse but you could tell that with snow melt or a good rain this would be a very wet area.

The road and scenery were fantastic and I proceeded along taking in the cool temperatures and bird songs through the open truck windows.

The area is used by grazing cattle and there are numerous cattle guards and warning signs. I got to see quite a few standing cheeseburgers and I continued down the road.

Soon you head back up another ridge and are greeted by long distance views looking out over the Prescott NF and the Bradshaw Mountains.

It's good to see that shooting holes in signs is a universal act and not something just Southeastern youth participate in.

I proceeded down Senator Hwy another 12 miles or so just taking in the sites. After snapping this photo I consulted the map and decided that to do this area justice I really needed to visit again when I was equipped with more camping gear and fuel. When the time comes to point my Tacoma west from Georgia I will certainly be returning here.

I turned the truck around and headed for Mayer. Passing back through the bottoms I captured some more of the surrounding beauty in the new light.

There were plenty of walking cheeseburgers out and about on the way to Mayer.

The road soon becomes well groomed and I passed quite a few vehicles containing hikers, campers and (if their bumper stickers hold any truth) prospectors.

I stopped briefly to hike out to the end of this small ridge and take in the panoramic views.

 

[Gallowbraid]

After getting to Mayer I still had most of a Saturday and part of Sunday to finish off. What's a rambling fella to do? I seemed to remember there was a big hole in the ground just north of Mayer and I struck out to find it. ("Just north of Mayer" in this case means 2 hours or so.)

Thanks to a Free Parks Day, entrance into The Grand Canyon NP was quick and...well...free. The place was packed with people and parking was non-existent. If visiting during a peak time I'd suggest skipping any attempt to park at the main visitors center and proceed on to one of the overflow parking lots or sites along the rim trail. You can then walk along the rim of the canyon and hit the visitor center on foot.

As I caught my first glimpse of the canyon I was blown away. It is so big it looks two dimensional. Photos do not convey the sheer size of this space.

In most areas access to the rim of the canyon is totally unrestricted and you can walk right up to, and possibly over, the edge. There are areas with railings for the faint of heart. I'm not one of those and I was towing the edge of the canyon every place I could.

Plants clung to every ledge and crevice they could find and their were quite a few flowers in bloom.

I inquired about camping on the rim at the visitors center but, like most national parks, dispersed camping is "frowned on" and "illegal". The park campgrounds were expensive and full. With no hope of getting a Tribal Pass to camp on the surrounding reservations this late on a Saturday I hit the road heading out of the park toward the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests in search of some camping. As I exited the park I caught glimpses of this peak on the horizon.

I passed through Navajo land and wished I had a tribal pass so I could go exploring. A future visit is definitely in order.

Snow covered peaks kept playing peek-a-boo with me.

Headed south on Hwy 89 I came across Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. A volcano! Sign me up! There are numerous hikes to take in the park, but climbing to the top of the crater was discontinued in the 70's due to damage to the fragile landscape. (There is another crater near by that you can enter through the Lenox Crater Trail).

I wandered through the lava fields and took in the history.

 

[Gallowbraid]

I hit the visitor center on the way out and asked about dispersed camping in the Coconino National Forest. They suggested following the NF road just across the highway and camping in one of the many sites there.

After crossing the highway and entering the forest many of the sites closest to the road were taken already by a variety of 4wd trucks, vans, full blown RV's and a lone Toyota Corolla loaded to the roof with belongings. I opted to kick the truck into 4wd and climbed higher up into the mountains. I hadn't gone far when I found what I was looking for.

This site sat at the end of a rough, dead end track off the main road. The area had obviously seen a fire in the not to distant past and there was plenty of dead fall around for fire wood. I set to work making camp and then hiked up the ridge a bit for some photos.

Those snow covered peaks I had seen all day were the San Fransisco Peaks and were located right behind me. The main FS road I had been on leads into a valley at their base and on another weekend I may return here for some more exploring. From the top of the rise I could even make out Sunset Crater through the trees.

With plenty of fire wood I spent the night next to the campfire listening to the sounds of two owls calling back and forth.

Nothing beats a campsite in the morning. The smells of a campfire and a hot breakfast broke through the chilly 30 degree morning.

After a very restful night I woke up early to climb the ridge and watch the sunrise.

The moon was going down behind me.

The sun broke the horizon and woke up all the birds. A perfectly peaceful way to start the day.

Before leaving my campsite I made sure to drown, stir and re-drown my campfire. I don't want to be the one responsible for another fire in this area.

With an 8+ hour drive ahead of me I set my sights on San Diego and headed west. Saw this awesome rig on the way.

Now I'm left with the difficult task of deciding what to do next weekend!

 

[upndown]

Pic #7 in post #31 is the hill I climb heading to my cabin. Several miles once you get to the top. Love that area! Been exploring there for many years.
Best part is I can be chasing trout in Utah or Colorado in about 6 hours or less. :smiley_drive:

Beautiful pics!

 

[Gallowbraid]

Because I like to drive I made a day trip out of the Alabama Hills area yesterday. Only 10 1/2 hours of driving round trip. On the way up I stopped to checkout Fossil Falls and the Little Lake Overlook. The wind was so strong there that I could lean into it at times and it would nearly support me.

Plenty of volcanic rock in the area from a long dead volcano. Interesting to compare this landscape to the Sunset Crater landscape from last weekend. I walked up to the top of a rise to checkout a rock formation and stumbled upon some snake food foraging. Can you spot it?

Very cool area with quite a few roads leading off into the hills and dispersed camping all around.

It wasn't long after that I made it to Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills area. This area has long been favored by Hollywood and has appeared in movies since the 1920's. Most recently it was the backdrop for scenes from Iron Man, Django Unchained, The Lone Ranger and Godzilla. Remember this scene?

Alabama Hills, not Afghanistan.

I hadn't done much research on what film was shot where so I wasn't looking for any locations specifically. I just took my time driving around and exploring. I parked often to climb up rock formations and check out the views. Very cool area with abundant camping and easy access to the town of Lone Pine.

I did come across this interesting hole in the side of the hill. It looks fake and was probably built as a backdrop to a movie although my Google searches have yielded no answers.

Long distance views were being squashed by a storm that was blowing in down the valley and over the Sierras behind me. The clouds were swirling and threatening rain for most of the afternoon.

 

[Gallowbraid]

Recent rains in the area had brought out plenty of blooms. As I travel I capture pictures of flowers and send them to my wife via email. She doesn't like real flowers as a gift as she says they die too quickly. Digital flowers last forever (or until the storage medium fails).

I explored more of the valley but kept eyeballing the jagged snow covered peaks. I wanted to get up there.

Taking a look at the map I plotted a route that would take me up into the mountains and set out to find snow. I hoped the storm rolling in wouldn't dump a lot of fresh powder on me.

Soon I was gaining elevation and headed up into the mountains.

Looking back across the Alabama Hills area.

This portion of the road is paved and leads to the trail head for Mt. Whitney.

 

[jeep crawl]

thanks for sharing your pictures ,very nice areas

 

[Gallowbraid]

Snowmelt from the mountains had filled seasonal streams and there was water everywhere.

I parked in the lot at Whitney Portal at the end of the road. There's a small store here that makes food for part of the day and offers any of those small items that hikers may have forgotten to pack. There are several campgrounds each intended for a different group: hikers, solo campers or families. The hiker campground is near the trailhead and is situated this way because many people attempt to complete the trail in a single day. This endeavor usually begins between 2 am and 4 am and sees most people on the trail for almost 20 hours. The Mt. Whitney trail is approximately a 22 mile affair roundtrip with an elevation gain of over 6000 feet. The altitude alone makes it brutal. Add to this the snow that hangs around late into the year, bears and hazardous hiking terrain and you've got one hell of a hike. I'm adding this to my bucket list.

I browsed the store and snagged some patches before heading up the trail a few miles. The higher you went the more conditions deteriorated. Visibility dropped right along with the temperature and the snow began to blow hard.

I crossed several of the snowmelt streams cascading down the mountain and passed several hikers on their way down. I garnered quite a few stares and a comment or two. Probably due to my affection for hiking and camping using surplus military gear instead of the overpriced REI and Northface gear these idividuals were sporting. My pants cost $10, yours cost $110 and they do the same thing...get over it. The views were fantastic and the weather was brisk. I was loving it!

After a few miles it was getting late in the day and I headed back down the trail to make the long drive back to San Diego. I really wish I could have stayed up here for the night but I had a work obligation the next morning. Maybe next weekend...Anyone want to go for a day long hike?

 

[Gallowbraid]

Thanks! I see you're from Tilton. I've been through there a number of times and did some work in Littleton north of you and Hooksett to the south. I need to get back up that way and do some more exploring.

 

[Gallowbraid]

I did a brief stint in Seattle last week and had an afternoon to go out and explore. There's a short blurb about it over on gbexpeditions.com. Beautiful area and a great escape from the horrors that are Seattle traffic. Los Angeles has nothing on the chaos and utter failure that is Seattle infrastructure. Here's a few photos from the trip.

 

[sgltrk]

OP "I love California! (except LA...and the gas prices...and the real estate prices...and the food prices...) But this is awesome:"

We live in California and couldn't agree with this statement more (except your list left out the "politics" and the "taxes"). That's why we are retiring to Nevada. Far enough away to enjoy a reprieve from the insanity that is the CA of today but, close enough to enjoy its beauty and majesty.

Great thread! Keep the pics coming.

SGLTRK

 

[johnnytravels]

Fantastic photos! just discovered your thread, and perused the whole thing. It's great that your job takes you all over the country and affords you the opportunity to visit these cool places. You're a very lucky man!

 

[Gallowbraid]

Fantastic photos! just discovered your thread, and perused the whole thing. It's great that your job takes you all over the country and affords you the opportunity to visit these cool places. You're a very lucky man!

Thanks! I love my job, and the travel is a huge perk!

 

[Gallowbraid]

I spent last weekend exploring Pickens Nose in NC, getting stung by bees and stalked by a silent bird. The full write up is on the blog at gbexpeditions.com . It was an excellent weekend and I got the chance to make some great memories with my daughter.