Anza Borrego to Bates Well - start of a new year on the road.

Bailey loved having some trees to explore at our camp in Anza Borrego!

(Tree cat!) 

We’d already spent our full two weeks in the Anza-Borrego area, so it was about time to seek other horizons. Add to that a weather forecast heavy on clouds and rain—courtesy of a looming atmospheric river aimed squarely at much of California—and the decision made itself.

Risking a disruption to Santa’s carefully planned delivery schedule, we pulled up stakes on Christmas Eve and pointed ourselves toward Yuma. Forecasts in that direction looked marginally more cheerful, and besides, any route that includes free RV dump stations and water taps is hard to resist. The rest areas west of El Centro offer both, and we never pass up a free dump and fill. It’s practically a rule.

We rolled into Sidewinder Road near Yuma on Christmas Eve and promptly settled into a week of civilization: city shopping, family visits, and the simple joy of fuel prices that don’t require a small bank loan—thank you, Arizona. 

                                 (The usual iPhone night shots - note the stars visible)

Camping along Sidewinder Road, much like nearby Ogilby Road, comes with a built-in soundtrack: a distant but constant duet of interstate traffic and freight trains, both of which apparently believe sleep is optional. A visit from the Santa Ana winds only added to the ambiance, and our plans for leisurely afternoons basking in warm sunshine were… revised.

 (Flowers near Sidewinder road)

The surrounding desert, however, offers some excellent biking, and I took advantage of it whenever conditions allowed.

(Spooked a couple coyotes while biking across the desert) 

  

One ride followed the railroad tracks as far west as Ogilby Road before looping back along Sidewinder. Riding the tracks, I discovered, is a bit like beach combing. Containers—and occasionally their contents—shake loose from trains, leaving behind a trail of oddities. Over several miles I found thousands of tiny plastic cups, along with an impressive number of lids. Other debris looked like the remains of children’s dollhouses or play sets, reduced to colorful, unrecognizable fragments. You truly never know what you’ll find. On previous rides, I’ve even stumbled across full documentation for the trains themselves, detailing car numbers, hazardous materials, and routing information for distant cities.

We had one night of fairly intense rain, enough to form shallow pools in low areas, though not quite enough to send water coursing through the nearby washes.

Still, the location had its perks. At 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve—while technically still in California—we had front-row seats to Arizona’s fireworks display just across the state line in Yuma. Festive enough for us. No need to stay up until midnight local time. We declared victory and went to bed.

We spent the next week taking advantage of opportunities to shop, fuel, eat, visit relatives, and do laundry.  

Bailey got me to bail him out of the Humane Society here just two years ago, so I took him back there to show him off!  Did I tell him I'd leave him there if he didn't behave? 

By New Year’s morning, it felt like time to move on. We packed up and headed east to Gila Bend, making good use of the free dump and fuel stop near the Chevron, followed by the traditional road-trip fine dining experience at McDonald’s. From there we turned south, with Darby Wells Road beckoning before we swung onto Bates Well Road.

There were campers scattered along the usual pullouts, but we had our sights set on a spot we’d enjoyed last year. Luck was on our side—it was vacant, patiently waiting for us to roll in and make ourselves at home.

The reward was immediate: silence. Real silence. Border Patrol traffic and passing vehicles were minimal, and it felt as though the desert exhaled along with us. Mornings here come with their own soundtrack—cactus wrens and quail holding animated discussions about the day’s agenda while we sip our coffee and listen in. It’s hard to imagine a better way to begin a new year.

(Some local fauna to keep Bailey entertained) 

 

The area is laced with primitive roads and trails, offering excellent opportunities for exploration by bike. Some sections are a challenge, especially where loose sand takes over, but in many places you don’t even need a trail at all. Just point yourself in a direction and go—true desert freedom.

(Bailey grazing on some nasty cactus!) 

I did notice a bit of “industrial” traffic on the road past camp, morning and evening, including a water truck making multiple trips each day. Curiosity eventually won, and I set out on what was supposed to be a short drive to investigate—assuming, of course, the washboard didn’t rattle me into submission first.

That “short drive” of a mile or so turned into something close to epic.

The road was in surprisingly good shape, and before long I found myself at the northern boundary of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, with no obvious signs of construction. 

 

There was a large old white bus with a Starlink dish on the roof parked on a side trail, but I couldn't tell if it belonged to the border patrol or simply another camper?  Still curious, I kept going, and soon enough came across a grader and a packer actively smoothing the road. With conditions now positively luxurious, it was nearly impossible not to continue.

Along the way, we passed several Border Patrol rescue beacons: short towers topped with solar-powered blue-and-white strobes, complete with cameras and emergency buttons.  

Nearby, tall blue flags marked barrels of drinking water, presumably maintained by aid organizations.

 

Farther south lay the remains of the Bates Well Ranch, a turn-of-the-century operation now preserved within the National Preserve. By this point, I was fully committed. The miles ticked by, interspersed with rocky sections and patches of washboard that had me clenching my teeth. At one remote intersection, I stopped to chat briefly with a Border Patrol agent before continuing south on Pozo Nuevo Road.

Before I quite realized what was happening, I reached the border wall—some 33 miles (53 km) of desert track from where I’d started. From there, Puerto Blanco Drive runs east alongside the imposing barrier for another 14 miles, eventually intersecting Highway 85 just north of the Lukeville border crossing. From that point, it was a mere 40 miles of paved road back to camp—proof that “just a quick look” can sometimes turn into an all-day adventure.

A somewhat rare rainy day turned up, and proved to be a good time to update the blog. 

Daylight shot of camp.

Moonlight shot of camp.

Quartzsite toYuma to Anza Borrego

Weather was a mixed bag when we were at Lake Havasu, and Bailey wasn't very enthused with our spot there, so we moved down to Quartzsite.  One of our favourite spots was wide open, so we moved in and set up, and Bailey was much happier, having a wash and lots of bushes to explore and sand to dig in!

We had enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast before leaving home, but with the US holiday being much later, we got to do it again.  Normally, I would be alone, but some new friends from Lake Havasu invited me to attend their pot luck celebration in one of the nearby LTVA's  I went over, and ate way too much.  But I was thankful!

I went back over to join the group a few days later at a musical jam session they have evey week.  They had a lot of 'performers', most of whom came with their own microphones and amps!

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My camp was close to a mile from the nearest neighbours by choice.  Despite this, one day, a couple of guys came by and started setting up camp barely 100yds away.  They erected a huge wall tent, so I knew they were planning to stay awhile :-(  I didn't even wait to see if they were noisy, or how many others showed up to join them, they were just too close.  We packed up, and moved to another spot a half mile away that we had previously enjoyed.

 

Bailey liked the spot just as well, and soon had his favourite bushes and stumps to search for lizards or voles.  Being his supervisor and bodyguard, I also keep him in sight at all times, and sometimes bring a chair along if the hunt drags on.  Then, if my chair was vacant, he would jump in, and seemed to expect that I would then carry him back homeward.  So it became the routine! 

Bailey, giving me the evil eye when I got back from a trip to town without him!

The usual night time shot of camp.

Evenings were mostly calm and clear, so there was time to enjoy a campfire or two.

Hummingbirds showed up for the first time this trip, so out came the feeder.  Only one or two individuals discovered the feeder, so the fights were not too intense.

 

Bailey caught something small one day, but all I could see was a tiny tail sticking out of his mouth as he proudly brought it back toward camp.  But then, he set it down, looked around and it was - gone!  Whatever it was, it was still quite mobile!  He couldn't figure out what had happened!

I did some good bike rides in the area, both on desert trails and also in the town of Quartzsite, where the vendors were already starting to get set up for the busy season and big Rv show in January.  It was nice to be able to drive around, get propane, and eat without the crowds that will soon be saturating the area.

Then, it was time to leave, and one of my favourite spots in southern Amza Borrego Desert State Park won the whim battle!  The closest route was through Yuma, so that was an obvious place to stock up on fuel and food.  After the quick stops in Yuma we continued on west back into Caifornia.  There is an RV dump with water at the rest area just west of El Centro, so we took advantage of that.  I never like to pass up a free dump and fill!

South, just across the border fence in Mexico, a big column of smoke was rising.  They often burn garbage dumps down there, so I assume that's what this was?

When we arrived at the selected spot in Anza Borrego, there was already a rig set up there - dang it!  It was later in the day, so we just parked, as far away as possible, and had some supper and a beverage or two, without unhooking or anything.

  

In the morning, it was time to consider the options.  But while out on a cat walk with morning coffee, the decision was made for us.  The rig that had been in our spot pulled out.  Within 5 minutes the move was made, and paradise was ours.

The same tree Bailey fell out of when he was a kitten!  His climbing still could use some practice - and a safety net!

There are lots of places to bike around here.  One of the first ones this year was over to Mtn Palm Springs campground, and a hike up to the Palm Spring.

One year while here, there were hundreds of 'drunk' robins flying around squawking and feeding on the apparently fermented fruit on these palm trees.  But this year, it was all quiet.  No robins or other hikers.

View of camp from a nearby ridge hike.

I did several great loop bike rides down trails and desert washes, up to 15km long.  

 I also did a tour up Indian Gorge canyon.  Biking conditions are better than I recall from last year.  As the sand dries out, it becomes looser and harder to bike (or drive) through.  But there have been some recent rains this year, and I find the conditions overall much improved.  On this canyon route, I biked a couple miles through the canyon till it opens up again.  It was fairly easy going with the e-bike only assisting a little.  The slope of the terrain is very deceiving here.  After a relatively easy pedal of over two miles on the way in, when I turned around, I didn't have to pedal even once all the way out.  Instead, I was on the brakes constantly, but enjoying the refreshing breeze, especially in the shaded sections!  The truck was patiently awaiting my return!And, any battery use on the bike is quickly topped off again by my solar system back in camp.

 

Almost never seen in daylight, the little desert foxes nevertheless almost always come by at night to check things out.

On a sunny Sunday, the idea of a bike ride along the waterfront in San Diego was not to be denied.  On the way there, it was the winding, scenic route 94, down through Campo, near the border at Tecate.  At Mission Beach there was a cool breeze off the ocean, but the ride along the beach was very enjoyable, and not at all like Alberta in December! On the way back to camp in late afternoon I-8 was the route of choice.

Beach scenes ...

Brush fire just over yonder range.  Not sure if it was a wildfire or a controlled burn?

Chances are, we'll still be here at Christmas time.  But that could change at any time due to weather, or the arrival of any undesirable neighbours!  Stay tuned ...