It has been ages since we have written anything here and some of this is going to seem like ancient history. If you get bored, just skip ahead to the pics. We have been relatively stationery over Xmas and the New Year. We met up with friends (Jackie/Tim and Val) at Mittry Lake, just north of Yuma. We previously enjoyed our stay here and looked forward to having the water for a view. Camping here is boon docking with no water or electrical hookups; the BLM allows you to stay ten days per year free of charge.
We camped along an irrigation canal west of the lake, 3 Roadtreks one after the other and proceeded to prepare our Christmas dinner. We combined our efforts and had a very tasty dinner including BBQ’d stuffed turkey breast, tons of veggies from Val and delicious desserts from Jackie. While at Mittry Lake we did a 3.7 mile hike and saw a big horn sheep and a great horned owl. They were both too far off for a photo though.
The previous day Val had accompanied T&J on what was to be a short hike but they took the wrong trail on the way back. It brought them very close to our camp site but, unfortunately, on the opposite side of the canal. This is mountainous country where cross country hiking without a trail is dangerous for a 20 year old experienced climber and suicidal for those of our vintage especially when carrying several extra pounds of residual turkey. After back tracking to find the right trail, their short hike turned into a 4 hour ordeal. There was no camp fire that night as they were in the sack right after sun down. Dam good cure for the turkey hang over (as in belt) though!
Marty and I made a brief stopover in town and hooked up for an afternoon and evening with family. Ken, Cora and Cory provided gracious hospitality especially after dropping in almost unannounced. They gave us Chinese dinner out at Panda Express (best fast food franchise we have experienced), and a home cooked, gourmet breakfast the next morning. The full size shower in their guesthouse was also a treat. It was good to see them again after such a long hiatus. They have a very interesting adobe style home and Ken has done some amazing renovations and landscaping.
CAN-OE IMAGINE!!!!!
Having a canoe has been on Marty’s mind for some time and he has been determined to find one to explore the surprising number of wetlands in the desert. In preparation for buying a canoe, he had to come up with a way of transporting one. He has been running back and forth between Home Depot and Lowes for material, so much so that he is now on a first name basis with all the cashiers at both stores. Each day, he has been fitting together his pieces for a roof rack. Half of the roof rack was finished at Mittry Lake and we were then driving around with all these bits of plumbing on the van roof. Did I fail to mention that the canoe rack is being made out of PVC plumbing fittings????!!! Yes, well now we get the weirdest looks from people and lots of “What on earth is that up there?” from passing strangers. And so we started our quest for a canoe--- in the desert. Sounds impossible to me but what do I know.
LO! AND BEHOLD! Marty has found what may be the one and only canoe around for miles. Not only do we get a canoe, but also two paddles, an anchor, a motor mount and a dolly with two flat tires. It has classic lines with wooden gunnels, ribs and seats but a fibreglass skin instead of the painted canvas typical of this antique design. We went away for a discussion on whether to purchase the canoe or not. The discussion was very brief, how much will we offer below the asking price. The owner said yes to the offer with no hesitation, like it was meant to be.
After another day’s labour, a couple more trips to Lowe’s for a few more plumbing parts, the rack is custom shaped to the canoe’s profile, finished and fixed to the roof of the van. On our first effort at mounting the canoe, it gets hung up on the bicycle handlebars, then the nose gets stuck under the rack’s centre cross brace. With a few more stumbles along the learning curve, this thing almost 10’ above the ground is successfully mounted, without dropping it through the windshield. Now people are looking at the plumbing parts as an inspired feat of engineering--- no longer a “What is that?!!!). The rack tilts forward and with a tug the canoe easily slides off. Of course, we’re there to catch it.
We had to wait a few days to get back to Mittry Lake but finally on January 12 it is LAUNCH DAY! The big test! Will the canoe be as easy to get up and down as Marty has planned? Since the canoe went up, there has been a rearrangement of the bikes on the rack. The canoe should no longer get caught on the handlebars.
The canoe came off the rack like a dream, went into the water, floated and stayed dry inside. It has a lovely wide beam and very comfortable caned leather seats. (Mine has a back rest.) We are both very happy with its performance. Not only that, we loaded it back up with ease in less than 2 minutes. It is very easy for Marty to paddle while I sit back on my back rest with my feet up and the camera ready for all the wonderful wildlife we are now going to see from out on the water. On Mittry Lake, however, all the wonderful wildlife consisted of American Coots (seen too many Coots to give a hoot) and I was forced to paddle for awhile as the wind came up on the nose on the way back to our launch site.
IMPERIAL DAM
Now that we have a canoe, we are actively seeking out wetlands for our canoeing playgrounds. Best choice here has been the Colorado River, with its various lakes above all the many dams. First stop was at the Imperial Dam. I was surprised to see how this dam functioned. There are 4 channels on the down side of the dam dividing water into all the irrigation canals that fan out over Arizona and California. The smallest amount of water is directed through to a 5th channel, the original river channel going into Mexico.
First day we arrived at Squaw Lake we had Launch Day 2. Launch 1 wasn’t a fluke! The canoe performed perfectly on a trip across the Lake to the main river channel and back. Imagine finding a canoe in the desert. As father would say, “Who’d a thunk it?!!” Got back just in time to batten down for high winds and a dust storm.
Squaw Lake camp ground was sparsely populated when we first arrived with a parking area for large rigs and a second nearer the water for small rigs. There is a boat launch area and a beach front to land kayaks, canoes and small fishing boats. Lots of picnic tables and 4 clean washrooms with private unisex shower rooms; 5 minutes for 4 quarters and another quarter for each additional minute and half.
Marty and I did a ‘You wash my back, I’ll wash yours’ joint effort for a buck and a quarter. It felt great as we had been without a shower at Mittry and had to be content with a sponge bath. As we were drying off, Marty noticed that there was light shining from the coin slot in the coin machine. He put his eye to the slot and said, “You can see a good part of the back service room through this slot, which means that someone in there could see just as well into this room. I don’t mind being peeped at if it means having a good shower, but it doesn’t seem right to have to pay the peeper while he’s doing it.” I felt like telling him to clean up his act, but since he had just finished doing that, I let it go.
Next day was still too windy to go out on the lake. We rode our bikes around the Senator’s Wash Reservoir. I don’t even want to hazard a guess as to the number of miles we rode on a dirt/stone road, across a dam and up and down several deep washes, but it took us three hours. After the bike ride, Marty (ever a bear for punishment) took a hike in the hills to see if he could find a canoe route through the reeds into Clear Lake which is on the far side of the peninsula just north of the camp ground. He found a route another camper told him about.
The next day we both went on an extended version of this hike and circumvented the entire peninsula. This was a very scenic and dramatic hike. The peaks rise hundreds of feet right out of the reed beds and the lake, with rocky bluffs and jagged slopes. The trails are well developed but often only a foot or two wide, cut into the side of a 45 degree rock slope. There were many different vistas on all 3 sides of the peninsula.
We launched at 9:30 the next morning for a 2 hour paddle around to Clear Lake and back. Our hike the day before had shown the precise route and we made good time. We had just got the canoe put away when the sky filled in with cloud and the wind came up again. We still saw plenty of coots, however, this trip we were surprised by a trio of raccoons swimming across a small channel. We hurriedly tried to get closer for a picture, however, you can only see the tail of the last raccoon as he leaves the water and gets deeper into the weeds. (And that’s if you blow the picture up about 10 times.)
During the 19th through 22nd, the worst storm here in 10 years rolled through. Torrential downpours, high winds and flooded washes. A tornado touched down north of us, roads were washed out. We were confined to the vehicle throughout the storm and were somewhat worried that the reservoir, 80 feet above us on the other side of an earthen dam, would come crashing down on top of us.
During our ten day stay at Squaw Lake, we had high wind, dust, torrential rains and unseasonably cold weather. We were able to put the canoe in the water only twice in the ten days, had a hike on the peninsula and an exhausting dirt road bike ride. Some times having fun is far too much work!!!
AFTER THE STORM
