02-02-11

Okay, its been a while since the last post. so let me catch up.

Friday, Patti and I went to the “Big Show”. It was the same thing, different year. We didn’t find anything we couldn’t live without.

Saturday, we took a ride with Suzanne, Roy, Missy, Junior and Joanne and Dave. We went through the “long term visitor area”, a BLM campground south of town and into the mountains to the east, in search of an area with a bunch of quartz deposits. Somehow we ended up on the “Dripping Spring” trail. (See blog for February 27 2010) Since we had been on this trail twice last year and knew how to get over the rough spots we didn’t have as much trouble. There is one place where there is a steep shelf that you can ether drive up or take an alternate rout around the ledge. Our Jeep “Clifford” climbed the ledge with no problem. Joanne almost flipped her quad over backwards attempting to follow us. I waved her off and suggested that she take the alternate rout.

It scared the crap out of everyone. But I have to give her credit for attempting it. The jeeps and Rhino’s made it with no problem and we got to dripping spring by lunch time. I was amazed how many people were there. It looked like a WalMart parking lot.

 

There was a constant line of vehicles coming and going.

While we were having lunch

we could see a bunch quads waiting on the ridge for people to leave so they could come down. We could see their pendants  against the skyline.

It looked like we were about to be charged by Knights or Indians.

After lunch we drove over the pass to Gold Nugget road where we eventually got on the frontage road that follows the freeway back to “Q”. We decided to go by the French Quarters to show it to J and D. Some one had left a 48 inch flat screen TV in the cabin. We were all surprised to see that.

Sunday, Patti and I drove to The Phoenix area where we got a motel room in Tempe. Patti was scheduled to take a plane to Santa Rosa Monday morning so she could attend her daughter Dina’s graduation from a drug rehabilitation program. Sunday evening we went to “Monty’s La Casa Vieja” stake house. The building was very historical and was the first building built in Tempe. The food was very good and the price was moderate.

Monday, after dropping Patti at the airport I drove back to Quartzsite.

Tuesday, we took a ride to try again to find the quartz deposit and go over the “Hog Back”. In the group were, Junior, Missy, Becky, Dennis, Suzanne and Roy. Cindy didn’t want to go so her husband David road with Me. Again we went through the BLM camping area. Along the way I noticed a strange jeep following us. At our first stop we found out that it was an old couple from the park. They were on their way to “Mc Donald's” for a coke and saw us all in a line leaving the park so decided to follow us. They were not at all prepared for a day long trip into the desert. Nothing to drink and no food for lunch.

We wandered around looking for the trail to the quartz deposit. After following several wrong trails

we finally got on the right one. At one point we came to a crossroad where it would be easy for the old couple to find there way back to “Q” so they left us and we continued on our way. We got to the quartz deposit around lunch time.

We spent about an hour and a half there so the rock hounds got a chance to play it the quartz.

After lunch we headed for the Hog Back.

We made it over the top and stopped at the mailbox cabin to check it out. From there we headed for Quartzsite along the frontage road.