A couple of trips planned

It seems like its been forever since we've been on a trip but we made reservations for a couple of trips.  Labor Day weekend we are heading to Marysvale, Utah!  Yes!  We'll be camping at Lizzie and Charlies' and riding the ATVs in the beautiful Utah mountains on the Paiute trail system.

In the next couple of weeks we'll be heading south for the Northern Arizona BBQ Festival in cool Williams, Arizona.  This was our first contest ever so it's always like going home.  We're taking a couple of extra days for us to explore and enjoy the area.  

Finally....a camping and ATV trip

Gosh, Iv'e been waiting a long time to get out and ride my ATV and enjoy a camping trip with friends.  We were planning on Coral Pink Sand Dunes in Utah, but our ATV permits expired, and there has been a ton of rain in the last week and the cold front forcasted snow for that area.  We changed our plans and headed to Chief Mtn near Caliente, NV.  It was great, a bit on the cool side...but great.  We were the only ones at the trailhead campsite.  We didn't see but just a handful of people all day.  We rode our ATVs over to Delamar ghost town, over Apple White Pass, and more.  Cool crisp evenings were enjoyed around the campfire after great potluck dinners.  Chris, Timm and I were joined by Alan, Liz, Mark and Jan.  Thanks for a great weekend!

Adventures Around Williams, AZ...Part One

Wow, it's taken me a while to get these posts up lately...stupid computer.  Anyway, it's about time.  After our BBQ competition (you can read all about it on the Trailhound Smokers BBQ blog) we stuck around the Williams area for five days and enjoyed an imprompto vacation. 

We rode the train in Williams.  The Cateract Creek Rambler was running for the holiday weekend.  Did you know it runs on recyled vegetable oil?  Seriously...I'm all for saving our planet but this is just a little wierd for me.  I like the steam engines better.   It was Christy's first time to ride a train and she enjoyed it.  As for the rest of us Martin's, we all enjoy trains so I'm glad she did too.

After the kids and my parents left the BBQ, we took a day and headed to Sedona and Jerome...after dropping the truck off at the Ford dealer in Flagstaff.  We had the transimission serviced since the warning light came on outside of Kingman...at least we didn't buy a new truck on this vacation.  lol  Yes, we did that one time if you must know, and we didn't regret it either.

We left Flagstaff, which is a beautiful place, and headed to Sedona via Oak Creek Canyon.  That is one beautiful drive along the creek, I can only imagine how gourgeous it must be in the fall.  Not a lot of places to pull off and enjoy the area though without paying to park.  As we got closer to the bottom of the canyon there were more places and they were full of cars and people carrying ice chests, chairs, and stuff as they made their way to the creek.  It's quite a popular place.  We only drove through Sedona, but it was full of upscale art type shops, tourists running amuck...and Pink Jeep Tours vehicles. 

Our real destination was Jerome so that's where we headed.  It is really is built on the side of mountain with narrow, winding streets.  It reminded me of Virgina City, in fact. I'm glad we had the Trailblazer because parking is at a real premium there.  At the end of town, there is an interesting little 'ghost town' full of old buildings and a huge selection of old trucks and cars...over a hundred of them. 

Chris and Scott, especially Scott would have been here all day checking each and every one of them out.  Man you could take a million pictures there...if only I had me a uber cool digital camera...hint, hint.

Cassy toured the 'town' with us, and even tried to make friends with the goats..well sorta. They didn't like her very much.  Had it been a cooler day we would have spent more time there but Cassy was getting pretty warm.

Another day was spent at Grand Canyon.  It's been so long since we were there, and it still takes my breath away everytime I see it. We hiked along the rim trail and a little more.  Cassy was great at first but as time went by she was on the hunt for shade every chance she got.  We hiked about 2 miles that day so I think she did really well.  We took the shuttle bus back to the car...she was thankful for the cool air in the bus and her service vest...as were we.

How do you like Timm's shirt?  It's just one of many sayings on the shirts you can get from Sin City Smokers.  It's BBQ people...what were you thinking?

Since we were all pretty much done walking, we drove out to the east enterance to the Watch Tower.  I don't recall ever going out there.  It's a long way but the drive is relaxing, full of trees and viewpoints.  The road is right at the edge of the canyon at many points.  There is reconstructive work being done on the tower so no great photos of it because of the scafolding and a boom lift. The canyon view is amazing though.  The river turns at that point and the views in all directions is incredible. The river is visible for a long distance.   We even saw 3 cow elk near the campground...and the road.  They could care less about people.

 

Spring Camping In The Desert

It's the end of April and I just have to say how beautiful the desert is this year.  We've had record breaking rainfall so far this year and it's paying off in a big way with tons of color and a green desert.  It's great to get out and see it. 

Timm lead the Dunes and Trails ATV Club weekend ride this month just a short 70 miles from home near Mesquite.  We headed out on Thursday...a cold, windy, rainy day...but we knew the weather was getting better each day.  No riding on Thursday, just relaxing and catching up with friends.  Friday we headed out with Keith in the lead on the way to Virgin River.  Upon reaching our location we found out that all the rain that passed thru (and headed north) had covered the sand bar and the river was just moving too swiftly to play with any safety in mind. 

On our way back we topped out on the mesa and actually found a place Timm had seen on the internet...Double Negative.  It's considered 'earth art' if you can believe that.  Here is the link for more info.

We had lots of day trippers show up on Saturday morning and ended up with 18 riders.  We headed down the mesa and across the river and up the mountain.  Our first stop was at the slot canyon. 

Our real treat and adventure for the day was Cabin Creek.  We were heading up it.  Years ago it was a paved road up the canyon to a mine operation but the road was totally wiped out by the creek and now it is just an awesome trail on an ATV.  Keith's Rhino had a few tight squeezes but nothing he couldn't handle, even the sport quad did an fantastic job.  We also ventured to the Great Eastern Mine and the Key West Mine, along with an old steam engine remains (why it's there I don't really know). 

Oh, Nickel Creek was flowing and had a great waterfall.  We all hiked up to it and had our pictures taken there.  Here I am (the short one) with my BBF Liz.

Cassy rode 80 miles this weekend (Friday & Sunday).  Here she is with her daddy at the stone cabins on Sunday's ride.  What an amazing dog she is.  It was great to get out for the weekend with friends.  We shared great campfires each night and good rides during the day.

ATV Club Rides Ely, NV

Holiday weekends always bring extra members out to ride and Labor Day 2009 was no exception. We based ourselves in the Ely KOA. They were very accomodating and friendly, the spaces are wide so you don't feel like you're on top of your neighbor, large trees shade every site, and you can ride your ATV in and out of the park. They even offered up a BBQ dinner and breakfast Saturday and Sunday for a small fee. We had dinner Saturday night and Timm enjoyed breakfast both days. Eldora is a mighty fine cook and the proceeds go to the children's cancer fund.

Here we are Saturday morning...28 riders strong ready to head out for a day of adventure. Timm was the ride leader so he gave his required speech...ride with your lights on, wait at turns for the rider behind you, and so on.









One of our prettiest places to ride was Sawmill Canyon. What a gorgeous place this is. We pre-rode this area on Friday and tried to connect over to the next canyon but it just got too rough. I hate to say it but I pulled out the 'girl card' and said someone else was taking my quad over that section. (I know, I know...I've never said that before...I was having a really weak moment apparently) It definitely wasn't a trail to try and pursue with so many riders so like much of the area around Ely, we had to backtrack our way out of the canyon.

Eventually, we made our way to Ward Cemetary and Historic Mining District. Unfortunately, the mining district was not accessible. There were large burms with deep trenches behind them where all the roads used to be. GRRRRR! The cemetary was neat though. Our plan was to go see the Ward Charcoal Ovens from there and to head over the mountain at that point. Another big GRRRRR! You can't get close to them without paying $4/person and the trail that connected up over the mountain is now closed! Two years ago, it was a fairly new ATV trail constructed by the Forest Service with wooden bridges to cross the creek and other neat stuff. Now, it's closed to ATV use and a housing development is built on part of what used to be trail access. It is so frustrating!!!!


Anyway, on a happier note, we also rode on the east side of Ely on Saturday's ride. Saw some gorgeous territory, found an old mine site, many took a steep trail to the top of one of the mountains for an amazing view of Ely, the Steptoe Valley, and more. You could see forever and a day.

We enjoyed lunch in a lush meadow that had a spring and some water troughs. I'd like to hide myself there to see what kind of wildlife comes out towards evening.

Our last stop on Saturday's ride where the train stops to turn around. We barely made it in time. It was neat to see them disconnect and re-connect the train. There was a boy losing his mind when he saw all of us along the tracks and the stopping point. Funny stuff.

All in all, it was a good trip, with lots of wonderful people. There were a few issues that will soon be resolved, and a few closed trails that made it really frustrating for Timm. Alan's quad broke down before the weekend even started. Some major repairs need to be done because the service technician didn't complete his job. I don't think those that follow know how the weight of responsibilites feels for the ride leader. Hopefully, someday they will step up and lead a ride.

Cassy and Shelby camp and swim

On our Red Desert Road trip last weekend Cassy and Shelby came along for the adventure. They got the chance to play in the creek, camp and swim in Meadow Lake. Cassy also got to ride the ATV's...she loves that.

They both had a great time at the lake. Shelby forgot how to swim for a minute...there was more splashing than swimming...it was hysterical. I put the video on Facebook if you want to see it. (Crystal Martin, Las Vegas...Cassy is the the photo with us)

They even shared the stick...although not by choice I think. It was cute though.

Memorial Day...part 3

Thank to Alan for sending over some pictures so y'all can see.

Here are some of the burros we saw almost daily. This group actually had 7 in it at the time. Never could get very close to them. They run pretty quick too...not like the lazy ones you see in Red Rock waiting for food by the roadside.

Taking a break on the trail.

No place to turn around up here guys...stay on the lower level.

Another old mine structure...how did they decide where to look for gold anyway. Did they say "This place looks good I guess, let's try here."?

This is the Carrera Marble Quarry. Each tier is about 10-12 feet tall (I know, it looks so tiny in the picture). So gold isn't the only thing they looked for around here. We even found the fountain in the middle of the Carrera town sight. Awesome! They ran wood piping from Rhyolite for the town. You can still see some of the remains from it. Apparently, Carrera was a busy place.

Memorial Day...part 2

Yes, it's a desert...watch out for snakes! Please don't remind me. Fortunately, I didn't see any. Keith ran over ones rattler on the trail...does that still make him a rattlesnake...hmmmm. Well, he's a sneaky snake now so watch out for him!

This radio tower must be fairly new...there was no conduit running from the tower to the building. The Nevada Test Site isn't too far from Beatty...I wonder what it will be for? Tracking aliens? lol

We had to run through Rhoylite everyday to get to one destination or another via the back roads, can't ride ATV's on designated streets in Beatty...yet. Nevada really needs to look at Utah and how much of a boost to the economy ATVs are to small towns...but I will get off me soap box now. :o)

The Beatty RV Park was the spot to be each evening. Yummy potlucks with way too much food, campfires for everyone to gather around, and lots of fun conversations. It was so nice to come back to the RV's with the air conditioners running to keep them cool, and endless water for showers. That's quite a treat for us dry camping, gravel pit staying ATV group. There was cell phone service and WiFi there too. Some of the girls even drug their laptops out to the campfire to check up on and add friends to their Facebooks. It was nice to have a few more of the comforts of home for a change. We look forward to the upgrades they will be doing to the RV park for the next time we stay there.

Memorial Day Vacation...part 1

We took a couple of extra days for Memorial Day and headed to Beatty, NV. What is in Beatty you ask? Most of us only stop there for gas and potty break (and some candy from Eddie's World) on trips between Reno and Vegas; but, for those that like to explore and wonder there is lots to see in the desert around Beatty. Well, that's us and a few of our friends (14 joined in for the adventures). Each day we took off from the RV park on our ATV's to explore and find interesting stuff...and we weren't dissapointed.

Rhyolite is a ghost town just a few miles outside of Beatty that was a hopping place in it's hayday. Banks, bars, brothels, hotel, and a school among the bunch of buildings that remain in this once thriving mining town. If I remember correctly, the volunteer at the bottle house (yes, someone used bottles to build his house) said there were 53 bars in town. No wonder that guy had plenty of bottles to build with...a great recycler! That's my hubby, Timm and my BFF, Liz in front of the Mercantile in Rhyolite. I'm in the picture with my hubby that overlooks the town and the valley beyond.

Out in that valley roads wonder off the highway up to the mountains to many mining ruins. This is one of them. It's hard to believe that folks could and would drag such heavy materials up the mountain side to construct these pieces so they could mine for gold and other minerals. We found more than a hand full of these structures. They are kind of a hopper where the ore would be dumped into then it would slide down thru the shoots to fill trucks, ore carts on train tracks, etc so it could be hauled off and be processed. What a hard life that must have been.

Here are some old buildings still remaining from another day's adventures. They are for some sort of storage I think...to small for people. They were next to a larger building that had collapsed. There were several large structures like the one above as well as several others, but seeing how my camera battery died I can't show them to you. I was so bummed. So I'm waiting for photos from friends to show you the rest.

Look for part 2 of this adventure in a few days...when I get more pictures.

New Years at Rasor Road

We spent our New Year's weekend with friends at Raor Road, outside Baker CA. Timm and I didn't get out until Jan 1 along with a few other couples. The rest arrived the last day of 2008. Our youngest son, Chris tagged along this time. It was nice to have him there with us for a change. His dog, Shelby came along and it was her first camping trip. Cassy showed her the ropes and she did well.

Our fist day took us to Afton Canyon. Along the way we stopped to play in the dunes, ran amunck along the valley floor (it's practically all river bed and washes), and splashed our way through the water in the canyon. I think the most fun was the river crossing near the Afton Canyon Campground. It was quite a bit deeper than las time we were there and Chris had never been there. Here is Liz trying not to get wet, and Chris...well...he's all wet!

On the way back out, there were a few stops we'd like to have made but there were all ready several groups at each location so we continued on. We did stop at the mine though. Some folks drug their trailers all the way back there and had set up camp. That's a rough road in many spots. Again, we all ran amuck and we lost Chris for a bit. I can see how people get lost in the desert. Here are Chris and I in one of two cabins that we found. We've been to this one before but found a second with all kinds and of fun and wired stuff in it.

It was a little chillier than expected with the wind that blew through at night but campfires kept us all warm. Keith is our designated 'fire dude', he can build quite a campfire and we all stayed warm.

If you don't know, sunrise is awesome in the desert. This was Saturday morning.

Saturday's ride took us south through the desert and the sand past the railroad tracks to the Desert Megaphone. I've got several books on the area, and no one can figure out why it's there. Just beyond it is the Bacon Strip Ranch. Yup, I know it's wierd but someone actually has an air strip on the dry lake bed, has built a couple of buildings and a shade structure and call it a ranch. Believe it or not, a person can actually rent the cabins out there. He will supply water, firewood, and a cabin. That's an entreprenuial spirit for ya!P.S. We're really not that chubby, just have 4 layers on (including some rain gear). On the way back we hit a really awesome dune area with tall hills. All the guys had a great time racing around on the sand. Chris was in his glory.

It was a great weekend capped off with delicious food, good friends, and fun for all. Can't wait for the next one.