Slow start this morning. I got some writing done, outlining a book. Eggacados for breakfast, which we haven’t had in some time. Ashley did yoga outside. We transferred water from our external backup to the internal house tank. I checked the oils in the motorcycle and off we went to Parker, AZ then over the river to Big River, CA. Didn’t remember where Mom and Gary stayed last year and didn’t see anything that jogged our memory. Back to Parker for gas and coffee (something warm to hold in frozen hands – if they’d offered a free cup of hot water I would have been all over that!).
We looked at maps and researched separate topics. Believe that we found the campground back across the river, but was cooling down when we were ready to head out so we aimed back home again.
Ashley looked at the John Muir trail in CA. 2015’s big adventure (within the scope of our overall quest, that is) was the bicycle ride across Iowa. 2016’s focus is going to be backpacking and she’s drawn to the JM trail. She really enjoyed reading a couple of his books about time in the wilderness and wants to see where he was writing about. And, based on past experiences and knowledge of ourselves, she’s right in saying that if we don’t get out and backpack through the parks we’re likely to end up not liking them – too many people and they’ll seem too touristy. Plus, how can we possibly pass up “what many backpackers call the finest mountain scenery in the United States” that visits “some of the crown jewels of the Parks system”?
Of course, to hike the trail, we have to drastically alter our plans. Which is not surprising in the least. A loop up the coast through Washington and over to Glacier then back down the California mountains before heading east to Colorado for more backpacking. The loop through California was actually our original plan, so that seems to work out well. there’s just so much to see!
With the possibility of solar vendors here at Quartzsite I have been, once again, researching solar setups. There’s so much (conflicting) information out there and electrical systems can be complicated anyway. I just can’t seem to get everything straight in my head, or I do but then months pass before I look back at my notes and have to relearn it.
It would certainly be convenient to just go to a shop and tell them to set it all up. I’ve read too many horror stories (though just as many great outcomes) that I’m leery of doing so. Plus, I want to know how everything is set up so that I can repair/replace/alter in the future. Not to mention the cost savings of not paying for someone else’s labor. So I’m definitely interested in researching in person but don’t know that I expect to buy anything while here – unless there are just some good deals on components.
Research done and tentative plans made we head back out across the desert, aiming for home. Once there, I cook supper while Ashley writes out our most recent batch of post cards