An Appealing Wash.
For several seasons I have been crossing this one particular wash at least once. Every time I cross it I wonder if it can be navigated.
From the crossing, it looks like it goes up a narrow canyon with some smallish boulders along its course.
You never know what it will be like further in until you try it. I didn’t want to try it alone in case the jeep got so hung up that I couldn’t free it myself, or just plane broke.
Therefore, I have never attempted the wash until now.
Y-Wana Take A Sunday Ride?
Around 11:00, we went over to see Sue and Denis to talk about the Monday ride.
We are going to a party Monday evening and we had a pretty long trip planned.
To take the pressure off we decided to take a shorter ride this Monday and take the longer ride the following Monday.
While we were visiting, I mentioned this wash I wanted to check out to Denis and asked if they would like to try it this afternoon.
“But I only have half my jeep washed!” Denis complained.
“It’s a good thing I got here when I did then.
Otherwise you would have the whole thing nice and clean and you wouldn’t want to get it dirty”.
“How about after lunch say, around one o’clock at my place?”
I suggested.
“Good, I can finish cleaning my jeep, have lunch. Then we meet you at your place at one.’'
After a little more visiting Patti and I left to go get some lunch and filled the jeeps tank.
On Our Way.
Around 1:00, Sue and Denis pulled up in front of our place.
Denis suggested that we air down before we start since we only had a short drive on the pavement.
We did so and after about 10 minutes we were on our way.
We drove to Sunkist Rd. (BLM-0088) and headed out into the desert.
After about 5 miles on Sunkist Road we turned east on the trail that takes you toward Preachers Pass (BLM-0078).
As we drive along we can’t help but notice that spring has come to the desert.
Just sit back and look at the pretty pictures.
We are almost at the wash.
The Wash.
The entrance to the wash was a little bumpy but it got smoother after a short distance.
There are some nice rock out crops…
and this nice old ironwood tree.
A Small Obstacle.
We came to our first obstacle.
The worst thing about this spot was cutting back the thorny brush.
Once we got the brush cut away it was easy, with a little guidance.
It went like this for a while; you get over a small obstacle and drive on the sand for a little ways then you come to another waterfall or ledge.
You get over that one, go a little further and there is something else.
Then there is more fun stuff.
Then back to the sand and small rocks.
Then some bigger rocks.
The Ocotillo cactus are really getting green and the blooms are starting to show.
Eventually we came to where the wash intersects with the trail near the Preachers Pass trail.
From here we headed for home and got home by 4:00.
That was fun!!
The Monday Ride.
This Monday ride is to “Patton's Camp”.
It is amazing how many WWII training camps are scattered around the desert here in Arizona and California.
The one we visited today is in California.
Getting There.
We met at the fire station at 9:00 and headed north to Parker, AZ where we crossed the Colorado River and turned west on SR 62. At Videl junction we continued west on 62.
We stopped at this old road side rest to check the map to make sure we haven’t passed the road we want.
I am not sure where people get the idea that shoes are a good source of decoration but here is some of their work.
After a short break here we continued our search for “Patton’s Camp”.
The Camp.
Eventually we found the correct road. This monument at the beginning of the road was a good hint.
We drove down the narrow sandy trail and eventually got to a fence and drove along the fence for about a mile. At intervals along the fence there are turnstiles to allow access.
We drove to the last turnstile, parked the jeeps and went into the fenced area.
A Couple Churches.
Here we found the remains of the Catholic Chapel.
There are a lot of stones outlining where there were different tents and other military structures.
We wandered around the area for a while but there is so much brush growing in the area that it is hard to get any good pictures. A drone would work good here.
After a while we drove along the north side of the fence until some one saw this partial structure. We stopped to check it out.
It turned out to be another church.
A Fence Inside The Fence.
We continued our ride along the fence until we came to a section that had a chain-link fence inside the barbed wire outer fence. There was a turnstile here so we entered here. We walked around the chain-link fence trying to figure out what was behind it.
We finally decided that it might have been an ammo depot.
It sure would be nice if there were a sign or two telling us what we are looking at.
Lunch.
We continued our ride around the fence and when we got back to the entrance road we stopped for lunch.
After lunch we went back to the highway and started back toward Videl Junction.
Another Couple Road Side Attractions
A couple miles down the road we came to an intersection with an interesting sign post.
The signs show the distances from here to all kinds of places.
Here is a close up.
After taking a few pictures we continued our ride.
More shoe-fitti at the Land of Lost Soles.
This is a large area that is fenced. I guess this is supposed to be cool but it just looks like a mess to me.
We left the shoe graveyard and continued our trip home.
The railroad bridge across the Colorado River at Parker.
A Weenie Roast.
We got home around 3:30. I took a little nap and about 5:30 we went to Joy and Robert’s for a weenie roast. Most of the Wednesday jeep group was there.
We burned some dogs…
ate a lot of goodies…
and had a good visit.
Around 8:00 we went home. It was a good day and a good weenie roast.
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