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All week I planned to leave for Arizona but the snow grew deeper with each passing day. Finally it ceased on Thursday morning and the temperature climbed to 41 degrees by noon. Two feet of snow fell since Sunday and the driveway was buried. I plowed for three hours on Wednesday afternoon but quickly ran out of space to put the fresh snow. My 4 wheeler, a Yamaha Rhino can only toss snow three feet high. The drifts on each side of the driveway were now 5 feet tall.
I emailed my good friend Jeff Riederer and he came up on Thursday with his John Deere tractor. Jeff was able to lift the snow up six feet and dump it on top of and over existing drifts. While Jeff cleared the driveway and dug a narrow canyon I readied the Jeep by installing chains on the rear wheels and hitching up the trailer. At 11 AM I followed Jeff up the driveway and out onto Sagittarius Skyway. The Jeep tracked perfectly up the narrow canyon driveway and easily pulled the trailer to the road. The 8 mile drive down the mountain took almost an hour but I descended 1,500 feet around hairpin turns covered with ice and fresh snow without ever slipping or sliding. Once on the paved road I removed the chains and drove carefully to Emigrant center and then on to Livingston and Butte. Several times snow squalls engulfed me and I had to shift into 4 wheel drive. I just kept going until the gas gauge passed the 1/4 mark and I was in Meredith, Montana on Interstate 15 south around 3 in the afternoon.
US Route 93 near Willow Beach, Arizona |
Lake Mojave at Willow Beach, Arizona |
My destination was Willow Beach, Arizona which I hoped to make in two days. Travel was difficult and slow. The roads were often snow covered and almost always wet. The Jeep pulled the 1,400 pound trailer steadily but I could not safely go faster than 65 miles per hour. Gas mileage dropped to around 12 miles per gallon from 15 mpg. I stopped frequently to fill the 20 gallon gas tank. Nightfall saw me crossing into Idaho and a few hours later I pulled into the Motel 6 at Idaho Falls.
The next morning I ate a hearty breakfast and continued down I-15 towards Utah. For a few miles the drive was pleasant then the road repairs began. Lanes disappeared and traffic increased substantially from Ogden through Salt Lake City and to Nephi. Salt Lake is a huge city and seems to be ever expanding. I felt like I was driving back east in New Jersey and approaching New York City. By 2 PM I was in Nephi where I bought a tuna sub and relaxed with a late lunch. The sun felt warm and the sky was clearing. I decided to head towards Delta, Utah and then across to Nevada. After a pleasant drive over two lane desert roads I pulled into Delphi around 5 PM. I stopped here once before maybe 30 years ago and visited the Topaz internment camp in the desert. I noticed that a new Topaz museum was open and I wished to visit. I stayed at the Antelope RV park just outside town and camped for the first time with my converted cargo trailer.
I slept well and rose early. The sky was cold and gray. After a toasted bagel and tea I drove to the new Topaz museum in the center of Delphi. In a town center that has seen better days the remodeled building boldly stood out. I learned that the National Park Service lavished funds and made possible the extensive remodeling and many of the interior exhibits. I had studied several first hand written accounts of Japanese families that were interred at Topaz and learned that they were denied constitutional rights but were treated fairly and humanely at the camp. Many used their hardships to improve their lives and the lives of their children after the war was over.
The films and exhibits were informative but they kept trying to depict the internees as victims of a cruel and racist society. The final exhibit concentrated on how the internees constitutional rights were violated. The over riding question was "Could this happen again?". Yes. Unborn babies do not have constitutional rights and they have been slaughtered since Roe VS. Wade passed the Supreme Court in 1973. In an instance that involves the National Park Service (NPS) many people want to deprive other Americans of their constitutional right to keep and bear arms. In fact the National Park Service up until 1998 or so refused to allow citizens to carry guns in National Parks. Currently citizens cannot bring guns into any federal building in the Parks. No mention was made of this or all the babies who were denied their lives. Perhaps the social justice warriors at NPS should further examine the Constitution and the source of their funds.
Rain and snow continued to dog my journey. When I left the Topaz museum a cold, steady rain was falling. The temperature was just 36 degrees so I headed back towards I-15 and Fillmore, Utah. Sleet was falling in Fillmore and 2 to 6 inches of snow slowed my progress on multiple mountain passes as I headed south. Large semis threw up huge sheets of slush which battered the Jeep and trailer and temporarily blinded my view of the road ahead. Onward I pushed. A light rain fell when I passed the stunning Virgin River and canyon just over the Arizona line. The river was full, reddish brown and fast flowing. Only when I crossed into Nevada did the rain stop and the sun peek out from behind the clouds. I stopped for gas and made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches around 3 PM. As the sun set I arrived in North Las Vegas and then followed city roads to Boulder Highway. Just after 9 PM I safely arrived in Willow Beach and the temperature was a balmy 66 degrees Fahrenheit. I set up camp and slept soundly inside the trailer; my tin tent.
North Sides of the hills are the greenest. |
Purple flower amidst last year's stalks. |
Willow Beach sits on the Nevada side of the Colorado River about 20 miles south of Las Vegas. The river forms a large lake below Hoover Dam. A marina, docks and a campground comprise Willow Beach. If you hike into the hills above Willow Beach the views are spectacular. In the photo above four mountain ranges are pictured. Closest is the Mc Cullough Range. Next at about 80 miles away is the Death Valley mountains. Then at about 135 miles is the Panamint Range and finally at almost 200 miles away is the majestic and snow covered Sierra Nevada mountains.
Spring was just beginning at Willow Beach and the normally dry and barren hills were alive with green leaves, tiny plants and the first early season flowers.
Early spring in Willow Beach, Arizona. |
Green hills roll towards a high butte cloaked in green. |
River Island State Park just north of Parker, Arizona was my next destination. I arrived on March 6th after a half day drive from Willow Beach. A steady rain fell for about an hour along the way. Then the sky cleared and the wind picked up. By 3 in the afternoon I settled into a comfortable camping site on the grassy banks of the Colorado River. The temperature was 72 degrees Fahrenheit and felt wonderful!
River Island is a small campground with moderately spaced sites. Parker is just 11 miles away and has a well stocked Walmart, a laundromat and many places to eat. The park sits in a steep walled canyon so wireless phone service is spotty and I could not pull in any channels with my 150 mile range trailer mounted TV antenna. I received four Las Vegas stations at Willow Beach which also had moderate mountains. On the other side of the Colorado River is California.
A sandy beach at River Island park. |
A rocky point at River Island park. California is in the background. |
Every evening just as the sun is setting a flock of birds scratch the grass and feed along the river. They are used to people but will run away if anyone comes closer than six feet or so.
During the day paddle boarders, kayakers and folks with power boats populate the calm bay and river. The river is dammed and thus behaves like a series of lakes. Sometimes in early morning it has a discernable flow as water is released from upstream dams where electricity is being generated.
I spent my days relaxing and reading. Occasionally, every other day, I would hike the high canyon cliffs and bluffs that walled in the park. They were carpeted in green and many flowers were brightly blooming.
An inviting sandy beach and boat ramp at River Island State Park |
The desert floor is awash in poppies. |
A tiny daisy-like flower. |
A black-eyed susan type of flower. |
The Arizona Boys Club constructed a series of well worn footpaths that lead to the high bluffs on the east side of River Island State Park. The trails are easy to follow and ascend to the tall cliffs and bluffs along the Colorado River. In March of 2019, a wet spring brought forth copious blooms that carpeted the hillsides. The views are panoramic, and breath taking in every direction. I wandered up and down, explored a small mined out cave, walked along a desert wash and enjoyed the beautiful wild flowers for over two hours on a cool, bright and sunny morning.
River Island trees, shrubs and flowers. |
The Colorado River at River Island. The California side is on the right. |
A Creosote bush in bloom. |
A six foot tall and wide bush with tiny lavender flowers. |
Tiny white flowers with fern like leaves. |
Four white petals and a yellow center. |
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