Entry #32 4/4/17- 4/7/17 Mojave Desert National Preserve
Current Location: Four Points Sheridan Phoenix, AZ (wait for the next post for that little explanation)
The drive out of Flagstaff west to the Mojave Desert was an uncomplicated one; get on I-40 west until we reached the Kelbacker exit into the preserve. We did, however, take a more scenic way through historic Route 66. We had the road to ourselves for much of the drive through hillsides in full bloom as we wound our way up to Sitgreaves Pass. We dropped into Oatman, AZ which was a stark contrast to our quiet drive. It had looked as if time had forgotten the town. What was once saloons, mom & pop shops and other staples of a 1915 mining town, the buildings are now full of trinkets, t-shirts and antiques catering to the tourist crowd. The narrow road through town is shared by vehicles, wandering people and wild burros alike. The latter have learned that food is readily available through hand feeding by the visitors as they lounge in the middle of the road.
We found a great campsite near Granite Pass, tucked in and amongst the rock formations. The heat of the day cooled off, becoming quite pleasant and we ventured out to wander up the formations, looking at all of the various varieties of flowering cactus. The views from only a hundred or so feet above the van allowed us to see the great expanses of the preserve painted in pinks, oranges and yellows of the valley in bloom. The full moon light reflected off of the white granite hills around us, casting shadows.
In the morning we drove to the Kelso Depot Visitors Center. The first version of the Depot was a train station, telegraph office, restaurant and dormitory for railroad men. The old lunch counter compete with wooden stools where travelers of another era satnow holds souvenirs and memorabilia. Trains traveling between Salt Lake and LA continue to pass through the Mojave.
Before the heat of the day kicked in, we drove to the hills in the Mojave in search of the lava tube. Unsure if Rooney could navigate the steep steps into the tube, we were excited and proud when he scurried down, excited for the adventure below. The entrance ceiling of the lava tube was low. The three of us ducked low, careful not to hit our heads. 3 feet from the low ceiling, the lava tube opens up to a 20 foot room, complete with a few skylights. Beams of light shown down and illuminated the center of the tube. Rooney cautiously looked along the walls as we took pictures.
We set up camp near the Kelso Sand Dunes and waited for the day to cool. It seemed as though all birds were waiting for the same before they became active again. An endangered Desert Tortoise wandered through the scrub brush pausing to eat some flowering grasses. Little lizards darted from shade spot to shade spot. Every now and then one would catch Rooney’s eye and he’d lift his head from his shady nap spot, too hot to care to chase after them.
We hiked to the top of the Kelso Sand dunes before sunset. There were a few small groups that decided to do the same, but by no means was it crowded. Near the top, we watched 2 younger guys jumping down the side of the sand dunes. As they landed the sand slid downhill, and the sand “whoomphed”. Although Rooney has been with us as we’ve done the same, he stopped, turned and sprinted downhill in one motion. It’s hard to say how far he would have gone if he weren’t on leash. A few hundred feet from the summit, I was able to slow him enough to try and comfort him. We ventured off the side of the dune to a slope away from the other groups where we could sit and watch the sunset in relative quiet. A train rolled silently through the valley below. The hike back down to camp was much quicker than the way up. The moon rose as we made dinner andwe couldn’t help but wonder where our desert tortoise friend wandered off to.
Our morning hike up Teuton Peak took us from the sand and into rocks and Joshua Trees. We had the trail to ourselves, minus one group we passed about halfway up and the scurrying lizards.
For our last night in the Mojave we opted for a campsite off of Black Canyon Road in a mix of Pinion Juniper Woodland, Joshua Tree Woodland and Blackbrush scrub. The campsite was full of blacktail jackrabbits, cottontail rabbits, song birds, and huge barrel cactus. Rooney loved watching the rabbits and would have very much liked to chase them through the brush if we let him. The trail for the Rings Loop went right behind camp and we saw a few groups pass by through out the afternoon. In the morning we would hike the Rings Loop trail before heading out to Phoenix.
Our stay in the Mojave exceeded all of our expectations of the desert. We were lucky to see the wildflowers in a super bloom. The heat of the day allowed us to catch up on reading and writing during the afternoon, enjoying the cooler evening to wander.
