Quartzsite; Showgoers; Camel Stop Auto Repair; Hike; Yellow Dog Mine

January 22, 2012

My first sip of coffee is just awakening my taste buds as I type this at our boondock site just off Dome Rock road here, outside Quartzsite. I can see mountains out all windows, smell the chicken soup Leah is making, and feel a slight 65-degree breeze coming in through the open door. Lovely. Ok, I can also see I-10 traffic zooming past in the distance at the base of the mountains in one direction, so it's not ideal, but on the whole, a beautiful situation.

Click on any photo to enlarge it

Quartzsite boondock site

Quartzsite is a town with a full-time population of about 3500, but in January and February, it becomes the 3rd largest city in the state, as a million or so snowbirders in RVs flock to the area for the warmth, beauty, and the various shows and flea markets. RVs of every description are parked in and around Quartzsite, as well as in the surrounding BLM land for miles in all directions. It's really quite unusual. Google 'aerial images of Quartzsite' to get an idea of the scale.

We've been parked here for almost a week, and have visited the famous RV show, gem show and flea markets, tasted Big John's Texas BBQ (good), Silly Al's Pizza (also good), gone for a few short hikes in the hills behind us, and breathed in the ATV dust. For us, the flea markets were the best of the shows; the RV show was mostly RV-related stuff being aggressively hawked in the big tent, and while there were RVs for sale, they were from only one dealer, so variety was limited. The flea markets sold a lot of the same stuff as the vendors under the tent, but cheaper and without all the hawking and pestering. I got 4 Columbia UV shirts and 3 pair of zipoffs for about $20 each from a guy selling out of his car. These were $60-80 each at REI. Some were 'lightly used', but you couldn't tell. The guy was eccentric and full of himself ("When I was talking with George Bush, I told him that if he wanted to fix the healthcare system, he should invade Canada and steal theirs"), but knew his stuff (there was no change room, so he told me which pants would fit me--and he was right!).

Quartzsite is a giant assemblage of old guys with beer guts, wearing faded rock concert T-shirts and baseball caps driving around in ATVs. At the show, many were being golf-carted by show employees from one RV to the next. Quite a few were so overweight that they drove their own electric carts around the show grounds. Really, Quartzsite is the place to go if you want to feel young and thin! On the other hand, give those people credit for getting out there and enjoying life, even if they happen to be heavy, or old and frail...or both.

Showgoers

Another thing we saw were many older folks (there are people older than us!) who take their dogs with them everywhere--in strollers, with sun shades. Jazzy might actually like that! 

Some even dressed the dogs for the sun:

A show-goer

Camel Stop Auto Repair

While in town I saw an old abandoned building that harkened back to the 1940s and 50s. Not sure why, but certain of these old buildings draw me.

The Camel Stop Auto Repair

'Camel Stop' is an allusion to the US Army's failed experiment in the 1850s to use imported camels for freight hauling. The camel handler who came with them, Hi Jolly, as he was called, is memorialized in a plaque in town. 

Hike

Back at our camp...a hike in the hills behind the trailer:

Can you spot Leah?  

A fellow boondocker metal detecting for gold. Met one guy who did this, and found some!

Leah, with aptly-named Dome Rock, where trailer is parked.

Leah's Comment: Notice in the previous picture how I look like I just rolled out of bed and got dressed in the dark. Richard, on the other hand, is perfectly groomed and matching on our wilderness walk where we will not see another person.

Found this near our trailer. Real grave?

Saw this and thought of you, Cathy and Jerry:

Yellow Dog Mine
Left Quartzsite late in the afternoon and followed a dirt road 'til we spotted some old buildings. Had to investigate. 

Sign said, "Yellow Dog Mine". Looked around...no 'No Trespassing' signs...felt a bit creepy, but approached the buildings:

White sign (above), middle right, says:

Looked around...didn't see any cameras. Didn't look like anyone had been there in quite a while-- except that the grounds appeared to have been raked! Nonetheless, I went inside:

Pulled out a couple of books. Copyright dates in the '60s and '70s. Some were mouldy and crumbling. Didn't appear to have been touched in quite some time. Nothing new or even recent, anywhere. Left it as I found it.

Went outside again as the sun was setting. What a contrast with the inside of the cabin:

I'm sure working the Yellow Dog mine was hard, hard work. Wonder if they appreciated the view??

Back at our camp, the night was really clear, with a nice moonrise...