The next day we took them out to the potholes area on the California side of the Colorado River to do some digging. They helped shovel dirt and run the drywasher. We had a good time and found a little gold. They had brought their metal detectors so we got a little detecting in as well. It was fun to compare notes and share what we think we know about prospecting and detecting. It was hard work but I think everyone had fun.
We took some other trails that go north toward the mountains. Where we were you could only go so far and then you hit the danger signs again. It was beautiful back where we went and we had good views of the fields in the distance toward the interstate. You can't really get lost out here so that is one good thing. When we got back we realized that we shouldn't have gone on the BLM road but should have stayed on the road that follows the irrigation canals. Oh well we will just have to give it another try one of these days.
The other picture is showing the way to follow the Devil's Highway. You can take this "road" all they way over to Ajo a town west of Tucson. We had friends that drove most of it and it took them a good twelve hours. It used to be a road back in the forties that tourists followed by mistake and would get stuck in the sand and many died in the heat of the summer because there aren't any ready water sources. It is still not an easy road/trail to follow.
This trip we were able to go all the way down close to the border. We couldn't get to the wall itself because they had the area blocked off . They are working on it redoing the old wall. There were lots of big trucks rolling by carrying rock, hauling big metal pylons, cement trucks, etc. Its hard to believe that they ran the wall across a mountain side. It is fifteen or twenty feet high and this part of the wall is in a very remote part of the desert. We rode thirty-five miles south to get there and only saw one border patrol but they had two trucks positioned at different places with all kinds of surveillance equipment. So they are watching.
The orange and yellow flowers are the shape of trumpets. The hummingbirds can reach in them and get the nectar. Bees also fly down into them. Our friends have their RV on a rental lot like ours only theirs has these beautiful flowering bushes. We have an ocotillo bush that might get green leaves on it and red flowers on the top once while we are here. We also have small palm trees but they don't flower. The bushes are pretty in bloom but they also provide cover for mice and rats and other critters so we would just as soon not have any on our lot. We just enjoy everyone else's.
The RVer's that stay out here have a variety of power sources. They have a generator which requires gas to run although there is a new one out that runs on propane. You will see rigs with lots of solar panels mounted on them or portable solar panels set up on the ground. These attach to on board batteries that run almost everything. We are also starting to see more small three bladed wind generators that folks are using for a little power. I'm not sure how quiet is out there in the mornings and evenings when people are running their generators. I would want to be off by myself away from noise but you have to camp in designated areas and when it gets really busy down here there are RVs everywhere. Right now it is kind of sparse. I'm not sure if people are waiting to come down after the holidays or if covid has them staying home.
We are now back in Yuma and are going out on the California side of the Colorado River to dig. It is pretty and very quiet out there except for the occasional braying of a wild donkey. The mountains in the background are either the Cargo Muchacho or Chocolate mountains. Both are prettty and challenge most peoples idea of a desert. I always thought desert meant dried up and flat looking ground but it is full of hills, mountains, washes and lots of greenery if you take the time to look.
