Friday, February 19, 2010

Woke to a windy, overcast morning, but we had planned a ride and it wasn't raining. Dressed warm and away we went. Loaded machines on vehicles and drove to Mile 8 on Plomosa Road where we had unloaded the other day. Unloaded and headed north across the Plomosa Road.

First picture: my machine, then Gord's machine, Clint (called him Clyde in last post) That is him in the hat and April is talking to him, then Chuck and the yellow jeep is Doug and Phyllis. Glen leads and I didn't get his machine in this picture.

It was a slow morning. We had travelled only 8 km (5 miles) by noon.

I stopped to capture this poor Saguaro cactus. He is all eaten along the bottom. It is amazing that they can still live like this.

Today we covered 53.4 km (39 miles). Along our trails we found sand dunes, shale, large rocks and relatively easy riding. I found that I didn't like the sand. I don't feel much in control in that loose sand, and always feel like I will roll over or something. Glen laughed at me the first dunes we came to when I said I wouldn't ride on them.

Here is Gordon enjoying the vista from the dunes. After riding most of the day, we returned to and rode across the first dunes we had come to. I just about didn't make it over one hill, as I was spinning out. Rocked it back and forth until I could dig a little deeper to firmer ground and finally got over. Glen said I had probably not had it in 4 wheel drive. Earlier in the day when we came to a steep hill he advised me to put machine into 4wheel drive. He makes me laugh sometimes.

Notice the grass. It has a tiny bit of green coming. It amazes me how something that looks dried up and dead can come alive with moisture. There is lots of greening going on in the desert as we have had a great deal of moisture this year.

Today we spent time looking for trails. It is not usual for Glen to do this, he is very good at getting us to and from without wandering. However, we were unable to find the mines in the area. Maybe next year.

Again I am having trouble keeping things together with my post.

Here is the remains of a Saguaro cactus. The spines make great walking sticks as they are so light.

I am sitting on the top of a rather steep hill watching the others navigate it. It doesn't look like much and one day I will learn how to get perspective in my pictures. It surprised me that the jeep could go anywhere we on the quads did.

Notice the shale here. Just rock with layer upon layer. The ground has been changing a lot on this trip.

In this picture you will notice patches of sand. This is the first sand dunes we have seen in the area we have travelled both this year and last.

It was what I had initially thought the entire desert would be like - sandy with very little vegetation. How wrong I was.

Here is the remains of ironwood trees or mesquite trees. I would like to have one of these in my yard in Calgary, but we couldn't lift either of them, even if we could take them from the desert.

This is just a snap of a mountain in the area. Note the green on the ground. The last picture is of some other rock formations we saw on today's ride.

We were tired and dirty because the wind was blowing and it is usually dusty riding. However, we came home, changed, Doug & Phyllis and Gord and I went to Burger King for the $1.00 Whopper and fries then we went to JR's RV Park to the jam.

We had a FULL day today.