I wasn’t even halfway to Vicksburg, and already having adventures. What would await once I found my campsite? I drive off onto Vicksburg Pit Road, my first drive off into the wilds of BLM land on my own!
The first bit was good gravel road. They mine gravel up here I’m guessing, so the road should be able to take anything. First right, onto a slightly less well maintained road. I come to a fork, with a sign in between warning you that the road is not maintained beyond here. I go right, figuring to stay as far away from the pit as possible. The road continues to be pretty good, a few washes to slow down for, but nothing any rig can’t handle. I’m heading for the hills – I want to get as close to them and as far from the other RVs as possible. The road ends, turning into a track through the rocks. It’s starting to get hilly ahead so I scout for flat spots. As the road turns up to the left, I see a big flat rocky area to the right I can drive way down. Off I go, slowly – don’t want any of these bigger rocks flipping up into the RV.
I park a couple hundred feet off the track, using my levelers for the first time to bring the back up a bit. Yes, I am parked for a quick exit should trouble arise!
I’m pleased with my first spot I picked. It’s quiet, has a wash behind me for a little vegetation around, a view of the hills, and cell signal – I have full bars thanks to a line of sight back to the valley. I quickly unpack a few things, then throw on a pack – time to do a hike before dinner! I head for the hills.
The terrain here is rougher than at Quartzsite – to be expected near the hills here. I could wish for a less grey day – so these photos are not going to blow the socks off you. Sorry, not every day is amazing blue sky down here.
I enter one of the bigger gullies here, I see green on the wall of stone opposite of me. Could that be? Yes, it’s moss! In the desert, you get moss on just the right north facing wall with shade. I bet water is seeping through those rocks, keeping things wet. Something else I did not expect in the desert.
I get close to the hills after a short hike. Ahead of me I see Cholla, just covering the area. It gets thicker higher you go. I won’t be climbing to the tallest peak around here for sure!
I decide I can safely make it past all the Cholla on the first knoll ahead of me, henceforth known and Cholla Knoll. I carefully pick my way around all the plants. While I could pick my way further up the hill, it gets steeper, the last thing I need is to fall over in a patch of Cholla!
I carefully pick a sitting spot, and admire the view back, cursing the grey skies that make for grey pictures. Wow, it is amazing here – Cholla all around me. I might have to re-visit this spot sometime on a nice sunny day for some pictures.
Not sitting for too long here – the daylight is starting to fade and it’s a half hour walk back to the rig – get hustling back to cook myself a nice steak and potato dinner! Just not too quick down the hill, Cholla everywhere around here.
Oh, I make it back OK – but those Cholla make it back with me – sticking to the leather AND the rubber of my shoes! Have to pry them off with a stick, then pull the many needles that remain, hard! Unbelievable, like Velcro on steroids. Hate to get one of those stuck in my hand… OK, now we can go cook a good steak dinner!
