2003~04 First year Anniversary in the Desert!

First Year Wedding Anniversary back in Death Valley

We left Mendocino in easy fashion December 30^th.  I had told Lolli that I had to be at the VA Dermatology department, in Santa Rosa, by 1:45 PM.  "I am leaving by eleven o’clock.  Period!”.  She whipped things together and we left fifteen minutes ahead of schedule!   A new record!

 The 29^th had been another day of hammering rain but the 30^th turned out to be a rather nice sunny drive.  We got to the Santa Rosa area early enough to be able to stop at Trader Joe’s and buy some last minute treats for the trip.  Then off to the VA to see Dr. Oh.  Dr. Oh had taken a biopsy off of my neck, below my right ear, a month earlier.  It turned out to be a pigment melanoma and now I was back to have the rest of it removed.

 Dr. Oh was busy and I didn’t get in to see him until almost 2:15 PM.  Finally, he appeared and hacked a considerable chunk out of me!  Two inches long and about half an inch wide and deep!  He installed several stitches below the skin and eight stitches on top!  He had Lolli come in so he could show her how to change the dressing.  Lolli was a trooper.  I thought she would pass out but no, she did great.  We finally got out of there around 4:00 PM and headed for my sister and brother-in-law’s in Dublin, east of Oakland.  Traffic wasn’t too bad and we arrived before 6:00 PM.

 Del and Diane were home and Del had the barbee going.  We did munchies and wine and conversation and soon had barbequed salmon, lettuce, and pasta.  I had brought along my accordion which Diane wanted to learn to play for their church.  She was expecting me to just bring it and show her how to play it, she didn’t expect me to give it to her! 

Off to bed. 

We get up to a leisurely coffee and fruit cake and eventually sausage and eggs.  We are looking at some beautiful wooden bowls Del made and Lolli indicates interest in turning a bowl!

       

Soon Del had a chunk of Black Walnut chucked up in his lathe and showed Lolli how to turn the outside.  It ended up Del and Lolli did the outside shape and Del and I did the inside shape.  I then used Del’s wood burner to write “Ron & Lolli 12/31/2003 Del & Diane” on the bottom.  We call it our one year anniversary bowl and it turned out very nice. 

We finally packed up and hit the road.  Del and Diane followed us over to the local school playground to watch me fly my LazyBee radio controlled airplane but it was too windy so we said our goodbyes and hit the road.  Yes, I brought one airplane along!

 Some stop and go on the highway through Livermore but then up to speed and over Altamont pass.  After that it was pretty easy sailing.  I inserted the first of seven cassettes of the story, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.  The miles sure fly when listening to a good story.

We arrived in Bakersfield early enough to, “do Basque”, and stopped at Benji’s.  It was 7:00 PM and their parking lot was full.  It was New Years eve after all!  The Hostess said there would be an hour and a half wait so we said no thanks and decided to go try someplace else.  She then said she could sneak us in.  And did!!  The service was a bit slow but the food was great!  I had rib eye steak and Lolli had Lamb.  Perfect! 

Over Tehachapi, through Mojave, heading east, I watched for a turn-off, found a dirt road, took it, and drove off far enough to get away from the highway noise. 

January 1, 2004   Overcast and 44 degrees.  I plugged in my laptop and GPS and loaded Sarah’s waypoint.  (We buried my dog Sarah here during spring break almost two years ago.)  According to the GPS we were about half a mile east of it.  Lolli walked towards it while I finished getting the Vanagon ready for travel and then drove over to it.

The dog dish was sitting right where we had left it.  I placed a red tennis ball in it.  She was a good old dog. 

Back to the highway and east on HWY 58..  We stayed on the old highway that skirts the north side of Barstow and I took some photos at a wrecking yard that welds up cool stuff.

     

The sign said, “Come on in. take photos, leave tips here”.  I did and I did. 

On to I-15 heading for Vegas.  What a zoo.  Gobs of cars and trucks and campers running in packs.
I kicked back to 58 mph and followed a semi. 

An hour or so of that and we turned off into Baker.  Another zoo.  I had to wait in line for a gas pump to become available!  Regular $2.149 per gallon!  Then cross the road to the Mad Greek to get Lattes and Souvlaki for lunch.  Another zoo.  Lolli didn’t return and didn’t return.  I finally went in and looked for her but could not find her in the crowd waiting in front of the counter.  Finally she came back to the bus with the goods in hand.  But hey!  It is New Year’s Day! 

We are off and heading away from the madness.  I was thinking of stopping at the dry lake where we fired the model rocket one time with Ed and Suzanne, maybe I could fly my LazyBee and have our lunch there but, by the time we got to the lake, a tail wind had come up so we just kept going and ate our lunch while driving.  At the little Dumont Dunes there was a huge cluster of motor homes and campers and dirt bikes and dirt buggies whipping up a huge cloud of dust upon themselves.  We marveled at how silly that looked and kept going, heading for the Hot Springs of Tecopa! 

We arrive at the Hot Springs and by golly, they are open New Years Day!  We grab our towels and go our respective ways.  I have a shower and a soak and get my stitches clean and looking good.  Back in the Vanagon Lolli puts some salve on my stitches and we head for the vast wilderness.  Perfect. 

I had the laptop and GPS hooked up and I had the site of the first cabin on the screen.  Soon we arrived at the turn-off and could see a straight dirt rut going up the alluvial fan.  We pondered whether we should try it or continue on and maybe go to the cabin we visited last year instead.   Then I think that what with New Year’s and the way the week end fell this time there are a lot of folks out and about maybe that cabin is occupied.  We decided to give this cabin a try. 

Up the rocky dirt rut we went.  In places, where it crossed washes, it was pretty hairy looking but when I got to the actual crossing I was able to pick my way through and continue on.  Recent tracks were evident.  Up and up we went.  Finally we entered a canyon and there was a gravel wash to cross.  I decided to park and walk ahead to see if it was doable.  After walking just a short way around the bend I saw the cabin up at the head of the canyon.  I returned to the bus to drive on.  Lolli walked.  When we got close we could see several pick ups, a pile of wood, a propane light burning in the window of the cabin, and a tent.  Two guys and two dogs came out on the porch as we pulled up.  I asked them if they knew Dr. Webe and the Ski Bum.  One guys hollered back, “We’re leaving Monday”.  I repeated my question.  They don’t know Dr. Webe or the Ski Bum.  We turn around and drive back down the wash.  I bet they were surprised to see a VW bus!

We drove back out of the canyon and onto a flat spot near a pile of talc that had a splendid view out over everything. 

We set up camp and stayed inside the Vanagon because the wind was kicking up pretty good.  We shared our bottle of Navarro Champagne that was given to us by Doug and Joy for our Wedding Anniversary.  Good stuff.  That and a great selection of munchies and cheese and crackers and smoked salmon well, we called that dinner, and just read our books.

Morning arrived and although it was rather cloudy it was very peaceful.  The cloud features and sun play on the surroundings were so striking I spent quite a bit of time taking photos.  Lolli went for a walk in the afternoon and of course I didn’t think about our walkie-talkies until she had been gone for quite some time and I started to worry.  I went for a walk and found her tracks.  I followed her for a while but finally turned around and got involved with taking photos on my way back to the Vanagon.  Pretty soon, she returned.  She had gone quite a bit further out an old road and up to some mine where there is a mine shaft and some narrow gauge tracks.  I decided to take a look the next day and take along my flashlight.

 We settled in the Vanagon and had a munchies supper and listened to the last cassette of Huckleberry Finn.

First sunlight cleared the hill and struck the bus at 7:20 AM.  37 degrees.  No wind.  In fact, no wind all night!  What a change from the night before!  We went for a walk and Lolli laughed at me because I had my geezer bag, my walking stick, the water bottle, two FM transceivers, my headlamp and a flash light.  Never mind.  I planned to explore the mine.  When we got to the turn-off to the mine Lolli took one radio and said she would continue walking along the old road to the west.  I headed up the hill to the mine.

The loading chute was still intact.  The narrow gauge rails still in place.  Metal compressor piping.  I walked into the mine.

     

It went straight back a ways and I turned on my light.  There was a room off to the left that had a ladder going up and a loading chute built into the wall with boards across the opening to control the flow.  Further in the mine a spur to the right with an open door across the entry.  That spur didn’t go far.  Further on two more spurs left and right with the main shaft continuing on.  Then a dogleg to the right and back to the left.  There was a place where there had been a fire and the overhead timbers and side supports were burnt through.  I had seen enough and retreated.
(Later I was told there is over a mile of tunnels!.) 

Lolli was returning on the road below, I joined her, and we headed to the Vanagon and settle in for book reading and tacos.

 January 5, 8:28 AM  I was typing on my laptop and by golly, here come three vehicles from the direction of the cabin.
“It’s all yours!  We’re outta here!”
Then on down the hill they rolled!  Nothing for it but to pack up and move on up to the cabin.

 

Arriving at the cabin I noticed it was bigger and more substantial than the one we visited last year.  It had a rock foundation and concrete floor.  There was an added on room with a shower and storage area.  Tin roof, sort of an inverted, funnel style, freestanding fireplace that can not be cooked on.  A sink, cupboards, some canned goods and water.  Two beds, two tables, and four chairs.  No bedding, one candle, a log book. 

The cabin was not quite as shaded in the morning as I thought it would be although it was in shade by 2:00 PM in the afternoon.  Probably a welcomed relief in the typical hotter weather.

Reading through the cabin logbook there was a lot of squawking about the vegetation at the spring and around the cabin.  Evidently it was all cut back and burned a while ago.  Some folks blame campers for cutting firewood, some claim what was cut and burnt was invasive plants, not indigenous to the area, and needed to be removed before it took over.  The logbook also noted that quite a bit of wildlife had been seen here because of the year round water; Ring tail cat, Kit Fox, Big Horn Sheep, Rabbits, bats, owls, ravens, hummingbirds, sparrows, and other birds. 

We lit some candles and enjoyed the evening fire but move back into the Vanagon for Dinner.  The menu was spaghetti and to cook it we had to use the stove in the Vanagon and since we were cooking in the bus it was easier to eat in the bus too.  Some book reading and we called it a day.  To bed at eight.  Up at eight.  Twelve hours in the sack!  That is the nature of winter time camping when it gets dark so early and light so late. 

We woke to solid overcast skies but forty five minutes later it half way burned off.  I turned on the radio to KGO to discover that there has been a big snow storm in Portland and Seattle!  In San Francisco it is raining.  Meanwhile...  41 degrees and clearing.

    

We went for a hike up the canyon.  I investigated an old car, possibly a Dodge.  Lolli found tracks of coyote and after that tracks of deer!  Then Lolli spotted a Tarantula laying on the ground by a ledge.

After looking it over I decided it was either hibernating, or dead.  Its legs were flexible! Not desiccated and all dried out.

We stopped and took some photos of rocks with quartz stripes through them.  We finally turned and hiked back down the wash to the cabin.
Overall we covered almost eight miles.  It was a pretty good hike! 

The cabin was in shade and rather than start the fire in the cabin we just elected to hole up in the Vanagon, read our books,
have some wine, cook dinner, and call it a day.  Perfect.

I took another  photo of my Tarantula friend!  Just to demonstrate the size, you understand! 

We greeted an overcast morning!  Packed and left.  It was time to re-supply.

In Shoshone Lolli went to the museum to get postcards, I filled the gas tank and water tank.  While Lolli was grocery shopping I asked the store owner if there was anyone around that could remove stitches?  He pointed to the health clinic just three buildings up the highway! 

I walked over to it and, sure enough, a regular health clinic.  The nurse had me go into one of the small rooms, took a look, and asked why I had eight stitches in the side of my neck.   I told her.  She sat down and removed them.  She said, “Who ever did those stitches was really good, they used one continuous running stitch!  I don’t see that kind of work very often.”  Soon she was done.  I asked how much.  "No charge"!! 

 I caught up with Lolli and we had lunch at the Crowbar Café and Bar.  A cheeseburger for me.  Prawns for her.  Lolli finished her postcards, off to the Post Office, then to Tecopa for a shower and a soak. 

After our soak, we headed back into the vast wilderness to visit the cabin we had stayed at last year before, and after, our wedding.  It was four in the afternoon and the sky completely overcast so it was already getting rather dark.  We got to the turn off and up the rut we go.  The cute thing about this cabin… we never know if we have it to ourselves until we make the final turn out of the wash.  We made that turn and Yippee!  It was ours!

 We parked and looked around.  A propane barbeque was out in the “front yard”.  In the cabin there was a down vest hanging on a chair.  The place looked like someone was there, maybe out walking.  Further investigation convinced us no, except for the mouse, it was all ours.

Darkness arrived and we got the 55 gallon barrel fireplace going and the chill off the cabin.  The place looked real good.

 

 We woke to a beautiful day coming on, did the lazy get up and I decided to fly my LazyBee.  There was no wind to speak of.  I got out the table and the equipment, checked receiver and transmitter voltages, and fired her up.  The driveway to the left of the cabin looked pretty good for takeoff so I set her down, ran up the throttle, taxied, and poured on the coal.  Up and away she went and then to the left and it started to spin and spin.  I wiggled the sticks but I could not get her straightened out.  She was spiraling down so I finally remembered to cut the throttle.  She landed in the rocks.  Damn!  I walked out to get her.  All that was damaged was the prop was broke, the spinner cracked, the landing gear rubber band  broke, and the landing gear structure pushed back some on the right side.  Not too bad.  I took her back to the bench.

 

I replaced the prop and got the landing gear straightened out.  I had thought that maybe I had mixed up the sticks and used the left stick instead of the right to try and turn but no, I discovered that the pushrod clevis had come off the rudder control horn!  Evidently the rough driveway takeoff had tweaked the tail gear and caused the clevis to pop off!  I put it back on and was good to go.

 

The next time I hand launched and that went fine.  Up and away she goes.  I flew around and around and did some fly byes and then I decided to see if I could land on the gravel road.  I brought her around and slowed down and committed to landing, coming in good... and discovered I was too far to the right of the drive and was going to hit my lawn chair!  I gave it some up and cleared the chair but clipped the work table!  Lolli thought I was trying to land on the table and I almost did!  No damage, amazing!  I decided to take a break from flying!

 We started our first game of Petanque.  We were playing and suddenly a Toyota 4x4 comes around the bend, down the grade, and honks an "Oooga" horn!  We waved and on down it comes.  Some white haired guy with a dog.  He parked and hopped out and we introduced ourselves.  His name was Jake.  His dog was Tinker.  We visited and talked about the cabin and he mentioned he was here to check and see what needed fixing; he and some friends were coming out Friday to do some work.  He had a drill motor with him and we fixed the upper hinge on the outhouse.  I told him I was going to fix a couple of chairs in the cabin that were loose and wobbly.  He left for Pahrump.

Lolli and I played another game of Petanque.  I am now two games up!  What I call a good game!

 5:26 PM and well into dark, we holed up in the cabin with the wood stove going, the candles lit.  Lolli read her book and I caught up with this missive.  It had got up to around 60 degrees during the afternoon!  

 There was a full moon shining in the Vanagon windows at night and bright sun striking the Vanagon at 7:26 AM.  Perfect.

 The weather just got better and better.  We did our lazy morning get up and I got inspired and did some fixing around the cabin.  There was a largish sheet of Plexiglas in the cabin.  Since the glass was missing in the window by the wood stove I figured it must be for that window.  I removed the window frame, measured and cut the Plexiglas to size, and installed it.  Some of the wood screws holding the frame together were stripped so I used tooth picks to add grip.  I straightened the photo of the ring tailed cat, put the door back on the medicine chest that some fool had pried off.

                     

I did a drawing of the cabin on the cover of the log book.  Then we went for a hike.  During our walk we saw coyote tracks, deer or sheep tracks, and burro tracks!  It looked like maybe three or four burro and a baby burro had walked along our route within the previous 12 hours.  By the time we got back to camp the solar shower was ready!  After our showers I beat Lolli at another game of Petanque; I am now four games up on her! 

 

In the morning we woke to a nice moon setting behind the cabin.  We had our breakfast and coffee and I was just getting started on repairing more furniture when a white pick up came around the bend, an old grizzled guy with white hair and beard pulled up.  I said, "You must be Tom".  He said, "You must be Ron, Jake told me you were out here".  Soon Jake showed up and then their friends Jeff and Marti.  Soon they had their guns out and were shooting.  Mostly 22’s but Jeff had a 223 something that was quite loud.  Tom had made a target out of the protective cover from a oxygen cylinder and had mounted it to a heavy link chain.  He had a length of re-bar with a tab welded on top to put a bolt through to hold the chain.  Jeff had a sledge hammer so Tom and I walked over to the hill and he picked out where he wanted it and I pounded it in. Jeff grabbed his 223, took aim, BAM!, and the target fell to the ground!  Jeff had cut the chain in half!  Tom said, "Well, Damn!"

Marti set out a bunch of deviled eggs and sweet rolls, then got out her cleaning supplies and set to work cleaning the counters and table and sink in the cabin, then swept it out.  Us guys got to work cleaning out the fire pit, dealing with the outhouse by smoothing out the pile and put lime on it and then soaking it with twenty gallons of water.

Late in the afternoon Marti brought out hotdogs and chili and beans.  I checked and lit the barbeque that had been left at the cabin; by golly the five gallon cylinder of propane felt almost full.  We heated the food on that and soon had a buffet style lunch and sat around and visited.

 

Nice bunch of folks.  Soon they headed out.  Marti left us hot dogs and beans and chili for our evening dinner.

Saturday morning we packed up and put the cabin to bed, closed the shutters, latched the door.  Then played another round of Petanque.  I beat Lolli again making five games straight for the Old Fart!  We rattled out to the highway and went to Tecopa for a dip in the Hot Springs.  Jeff said that the Tecopa Hot Springs are going to go private because the county can’t afford to keep them going!  I hope he is wrong.  I heard the same story several years ago.

From the Hot Springs up to Shoshone and then over to Pahrump, Nevada.  We hooked up with our new friend Tom and he showed us around his place.  He let me fill my Vanagon water tank with his well water.  He builds birdhouses as a hobby and gave Lolli one.  He is 78 years old and bought a 1977 corvette last year... but he really wants a Harley!  I like his style!  A very interesting guy.

Into Pahrump for a late breakfast of sausage and eggs at Mom’s.  Next a laundry matt.  Then a Smith’s market for groceries.

We headed for our next cabin at 4:30 PM as the sun was going down.  Seventeen miles up Salisbury Pass, the CV Joint started talking for the first time the whole trip!  I eased off the throttle, got it quieted down, hoped for the best, and pressed on.  I had the laptop and GPS going and soon we arrived at the turnoff to the cabin.  We started through the greasewood on a sandy rut thinking we would just pull over and call it a night if the going got too rough or the CV joint seized.  We were creeping along and soon Lolli spotted the cabin through the gathering darkness and by golly, we arrived.  We hopped out and explored.  The cabin was quite large and had several rooms.  We would explore more in the morning when it got light.

The morning sun cleared the hill quicker than I thought it would, 7:30 AM.  Perfect.  42 degrees.  By 1:30 PM it was 65 degrees in the Vanagon with the ShadyBoy deployed, the sliding door open, and the back hatch open!  A very light breeze coming up from Death Valley.  Perfect.

        

The cabin was surprisingly well stocked.  The boom box worked as did the portable radio on the table.  The refrigerator would need ice to stay cool since there is no electricity.  Kerosene in the lanterns.  Log book.  Wood stove.  Very nice.

     

We did a walk-about.  There was a lot of debris from mining activity, even an 1950’s era Hudson laying in the weeds.  Up the hill was foundations and timbers and mining odds and ends.

       

After our walk I went to work.  I got out Eddie’s half shaft that I had been hauling around with me just in case I had CV joint trouble.    Aren't I smart!!  I jacked up the Vanagon and removed the left side half shaft and installed Ed’s.  I hope it is going to work okay.

I beat Lolli at another game of Petanque but it was close, 12 to 12!  I squeaked by and got the final point.  It was total calm by 4:00 PM so I expressed thoughts about flying the Bee.  Lolli said go for it!  I checked the batteries, still good, fired her up.

     

  I hand launched and had a hairy take-off but I got her straightened out and the throttle cut back and soon was buzzing around the cabin and the surroundings.  I practiced doing fly-byes up the driveway.  My last landing went really quite well.  It was beautiful to see it flying in the late sunlight.

We moved our chairs and barbeque up in front of the cabin and used the outdoor fire pit.  This was our first outdoor fire of the whole trip.  It was very nice.  I barbeed pork steaks and Lolli did fried potatoes with garlic and also cooked broccoli.  Yum!  It was a splendid evening.  Bats flying around.  We are going to hang out here for another day or two and then mosey back towards the barn.  The view and surroundings and the duration of the sunshine makes this place wonderful.  We have a very comfortable set up what with the ShadyBoy, the bus leveled, the propane refrigerator keeping things around 40 degrees… we are living large!

Two days later we headed out at 11:00 AM after Lolli beat me at yet another game of Petanque.  The running total, Me 7 She 3.

We drove to Shoshone and Lolli bought more postcards.  We drove to Tecopa and took a dip.  We unloaded our trash at the dumpsters by the trees in Tecopa, then over to the post office to send our post cards.  I mention I would like to stop at the dry lake north of Baker and fly the Bee if the wind isn’t too strong.

Down the hill we go and when we get to the dry lake we see a bunch of motor homes lined up in a row.  What are they doing out there?  Why aren’t they over at Little Dumont Dunes or someplace else.  I whip out the binoculars to see what they are up to.  By golly there are model airplanes on stands by some of those motor homes!!  We drive over to them.  Yes!  Model airplane folks!  Turns out they are a group from Pahrump, Nevada!!

     

We are invited to join them.  I see three U-Can-Do, and Extra 300L and a twin.  The guy next to where we park, Tom, has a big electric plane that he scratch built.  He makes his own props.  We stay the night.  Everyone heads off to their various motor homes for dinner but we are invited to their group campfire in the evening.  Hopefully the wind will be calm in the morning.

     

There were clouds at daybreak but it cleared as the day came on.  The wind had subsided.  I got out the Bee and flew some big lazy laps around and some slow fly byes.  Tom flew his electric powered Wendell/Williams racer and John flew his twin.  The other guys flew U-Can-Do’s.

We couldn't stay so said our good byes and hit the road around 11:00 AM.  We stopped at the Mad Greek in Baker for munchies.  Gas in Barstow, took the new bypass around Mojave, over Tehachapi, down into the fog, FOG!,  through Bakersfield, and onto I-5 for the long grind north listening to books on tape, this time, Jeremy Irons reading “Lolita”. 

The miles sailed by and soon we were at our little camping wayside by Firebaugh Road and called it a day.  Seven hours of driving under our belt.  Not a peep from Eddie’s CV Joint.  Perfect!

By 3:30 PM, the 16th of January, we were home.  A great vacation!