Regaining the itch
It's unseasonably warm for November. It was in the mid 70's during the day. In November. Gorgeous day. Should be a great night for camping. Driving out to my camping spot, I find some evil bastards camping in my spot!
INFIDELS!
Parked in their mini van in my regular camping spot. I knew I should have put up a No Trespassing sign. The nerve of these people, thinking they can just camp in my spot at their leisure.
Sadly, I was forced to find a new place. Somewhere less comfortable to my soul. Less familiar. Less....mine. I should have stayed in the city at a hotel. If I have to share my space with strangers, at least it should be somewhere luxurious.
So, begrudgingly, I drive further into the canyon, in search of a suitable turnoff. This is no small order. I'm not driving a jeep. I'm driving a low profile BMW. Certainly not designed for off-road activity. So I have to find a turn-off that's in fairly decent shape. This is not a highly maintained area, so these dirt roads are not all without their storm damage.
I finally find one, about a mile deeper into the canyon area, and higher in altitude. I don't really like the spot, because it's too visible from the road. Not something I want when the morning traffic starts drifting through, but it will do.
It's a wonderfully warm night. The last time I had come out, there had been fog in the canyon, and it was quite cool. Tonight, warm and dry. And I got out a little earlier, so I wasn't exhausted. In no rush to get camp set up, I decided to go for a little walk to familiarize myself with this new area. Not too far down the side road, there's another little area to park. A dell, surrounded by pines, obscured from view of the road. Much, much, better.
So I move the car to the new location, and set up camp.
When morning comes, I feel completely recharged and energetic. I do some light working-out with the dumbell I keep in the trunk, some stretching, some Tai Chi. But it's just not enough. I look to the trail continuing on into the hills, and I just have to follow it. It's a little chilly, so I put on the wonderful jacket my brother-in-law gave me, strap on the backpack even though I'm just going a short way to see what's around and start hoofin'.
I have picked a spot up the hills, just to the foot of a small mountain that looks like an inviting climb. I've been eyeballing this mountain ever since the first night I came out here. It's flat on top, but there doesn't look like any good way up, unless there's one on the backside. I want to walk to the base, and get a closer look. From the distance, these things always look easier or harder than they really are. If I can get to the base, I might find a suitable route for a future trip.
The entire trip is uphill. And it's great. It's not overly difficult, but it's enough for a light sweat. Wonderful exercise. And it's beautiful scenery. It's a strange mixture up here. It's still low enough to be desert, with cacti and the reddish rocks, but also high enough to have pine trees growing. The air is wonderful. Crisp and clean. The smell of the oxygen-rich air from all the plant life.
Unfortunately, there's signs of man. A discarded car door. Lots of bullet casings and shotgun shells. More trash. Not as bad as the areas around Mount Charleston, and the more commonly travelled spots, but still enough to be discouraging. I didn't bring a bag with me, or I'd pack out some of this garbage. Little-by-little, I'm becoming an active environmentalist. I like it. It's a good change.
When I get to the top of the trail, I stand in awe of the sight below. I never imagined that the it would be anything more than more of what I'd already walked through, flattening out and continuing on into the desert. I was shocked to find that it dropped into a huge valley. It is perhaps the most breathtaking view I've ever seen. Ok, maybe it didn't rival the Grand Canyon, necessarily. It might be more that it caught me by surpise the way it did. I knew the Grand Canyon was coming. I was not ready for this.
It would be the perfect camping area. A flat plateau overlooking valleys on both sides, surrounded by views of mountains. Absolutely amazing. The problem with a spot like this is the exposure. Sitting up on the plateau as it does, it's going to get windy. Windy and cold. It's a shame. This would be a great place to wake up in the morning, having these views when you first crawl out of the tent in the morning. For a good half hour, I just stand and enjoy the view, taking in huge gulps of the wonderful air before heading back. I expected to start work at 9am, and it's 10 minutes till. Considering it takes me 40 minutes to drive back into the city, I'm expecting to run a bit late.
But it was well worth it.
