Bigger mountains than I’m used to

Posted on Monday, 2026-Jun-8th by ralph
Mt Whitney Alabama Hills PXL_20260402_213759731 - C

Mt Whitney, Alabama Hills in the foreground

My way back to Canada north was following a different route than what I’ve done before, up the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas. It would be a bit chillier than what I’m used to, but I needed to test my furnace once and for all to see if it worked. The plan was to travel north with Carolyn for a while, she was familiar with the area so I’d get to benefit from her wisdom. But I was on my own for a bit as she had some RV issues to deal with. Join me as I encounter the Sierra Nevadas for the first time.

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Meeting people and animals

Posted on Monday, 2026-Jun-1st by ralph
Lovell Canyon Camp PXL_20260324_234208592 - C

Lovell Canyon

I had a minor repair to deal with, then a bit of a drive to the Las Vegas to meet up with Carolyn. We had a vague plan to travel north together for a bit before I had to head back to Canada at the end of my six months in the USA. ‘Vague’ turned out to be a good thing as some flexibility was to be needed for the unexpected. Speaking of unexpected, I had an unexpected animal encounter. Read on to find out all the details. Continue reading →

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From friends in Quartzsite to shooters in Bullhead City

Posted on Monday, 2026-May-25th by ralph
Scaddan Wash Labyrinth PXL_20260309_224610379 - C

Scaddan Wash Labyrinth

I was going to have a couple of contrasting weeks ahead. First, I was heading to Quartzsite to visit friends. While some people had left due to the heat, I was still dealing with more people around than I was used to. Then I was headed to the Black Mountains east of Bullhead City. That was to be dealing with different sorts of people. Read on to see my peopling!

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Harquahala remote goodness

Posted on Monday, 2026-May-18th by ralph
View to Saddle Mtn PXL_20260227_211026379 - C

View to Saddle Mountain in the distance

I was headed to the Eagle Eye Road for what was hopefully more interesting boondocking. I also needed to get a little higher to avoid the worst of the heatwave we were in this early April of 2026. On top of that, I was looking for a camp with some decent cell signal for some remote work I had planned. Before trying to meet those challenges, I needed to deal with Wickenburg for grocery resupply. It was going to be an interesting day for sure.

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Returning to where I arrived in the area

Posted on Monday, 2026-May-11th by ralph

Still Camp Lizard PXL_20260211_185706987 - C My time exploring west of Phoenix was coming to an end for the season, due in part to the unseasonably warm weather. I had scouted out a spot not far from my first boondocking spot in the area. I figured I’d go give that a try before finding some higher ground to get away from the heat. Join me as I revisit my starting point for winter. Continue reading →

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Camping around people for once

Posted on Monday, 2026-May-4th by ralph

Roadrunner on my roof PXL_20260203_162156291 - C I had been in some great solitude, but it was time to try a new area. My choice was much closer to Buckeye, but that also meant more people around. I figured if I really found it too crowded, I could always bail and head to a previously scouted area a bit further away and a lot quieter. I did end up doing some peopling, just not quite the usual chatter. Join me as I explore a popular bit of BLM land trying  to find a quiet enough spot for the night.

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Rockhounding at my camp

Posted on Monday, 2026-Apr-27th by ralph
Hill and Rig scale PXL_20260119_213739822 - C

Spot the camping place

I had found a really great spot west of Phoenix that ended up having me return for a second week of boondocking. I had solitude, scenery, hiking, and a bunch of interesting rocks to collect as well! But first, I had a resupply day that included laundry duty. Join me as I head into Buckeye to fill in the last bit of the resource list required to boondock in an area. Continue reading →

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Easy fix and easy boondocking

Posted on Monday, 2026-Apr-20th by ralph
Saddle Mountain PXL_20260108_220302468 - C

Saddle Mountain

I was boondocking west of Phoenix, having discovered an area of sparsely camped upon scenic terrain at the end of a paved road. But my first attempt at camping at resulted in me being by a shooting area I couldn’t easily get away from owing to an unexpected flat tire. It was time to fix both of those problems. Join me on the nail biting ride back to Phoenix! Continue reading →

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Unexpected shooting, unexpected inconvenience

Posted on Monday, 2026-Apr-13th by ralph
Saddle Mountain background PXL_20251230_213846250 - C

Saddle Mountain background

I was exploring a new area southwest of Phoenix the winter of ’25/’26. My first spot over Christmas had been pretty good, but before the new year hit it was time to dump and get water. I was about to find out the main downside of this area: water is hard to come by. But there are some great areas to boondock down here, making it worth a little extra travel for water around here. I also had some other unexpected inconveniences. Join me as I deal with water and scout out a new spot west of Buckeye!

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Camped close to civilization

Posted on Monday, 2026-Apr-6th by ralph
Blank sign PXL_20251228_004423430~2 - C

Blank sign at the Co-op Grill

There is always some excitement coming to a new area of the world you have not explored, but some trepidation as well. How good are the roads? Can I go offroad to camp without getting stuck? How is the resupply in the area? Are there local party or shooting spots nearby? But you also are hoping to find that kickass boondocking spot that no one else knows about, with the perfect setup for surroundings, resupply and solitude. Join me as I explore about the area on my quest for the perfect boondocking spot. Continue reading →

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