Passing up on Vegas nightlife for all the Nightlife at Six Mile Cove, Nv

After a great week camped in Mojave National Preserve, near Baker, Ca, it was time to move on.  The direct route to our next destination was shorter, but it was decided to swing up through Vegas for some cheaper fuel and some reprovisioning.  So that's what we did. 

From Searchlight, it's a long downgrade to Lake Mohave, which is actually the Colorado river, downstream from the Hoover dam, and Lake Mead.  The last few miles to our preferred spot can be pretty rough with washboard, so it can be slow going.

Last year, when we first arrived, there was no one else camped here.  This year, there was about 5 rigs total, and someone had the nerve to park in my preferred spot!  We found a nice little private nook, back into the thick bushes.  Unfortunately, the spot came with a lot of free shade, which is not going to keep the solar charged, or the occupants warm.  It also boasted poor cell reception.

Some wild burros on the far hillside spent some time checking us out.

There was some good trees nearby for Bailey to practice his climbing skills.  I'd slept in my hammock among those trees in years past.  The brush there is incredibly thick,  and full of sounds and smells to attract a curious cat, so unfortunately he had to be on leash for most of his outdoor time here.  Lots of coyotes and racoons likely hiding in there.

After a few days, the 'trespassing' rigs departed, and I was able to move over to my proper spot, with much more sun, and much better cell signal than my shady spot.  Now that my Starlink is on 'pause', it is nice to find solid cell coverage.

 

It wasn't till they departed and I saw their licence plate, that I realized the occupants of the truck camper were also from Alberta!  Now, the nearest travel trailer to me had BC plates, so I realized that for a time, Canadians had had the majority in the area!  When the couple from BC walked by, I asked if they were from the lower mainland, where the majority of British Columbians by population live?  They said no, they were from Golden, a town close to the Alberta Border.  When I said I had lived in Lake Louise for 15 years, and asked if they knew a friend from there, there was a pause, and then the lady called me by first name!  Turns out, I used to know her fairly well, when we both worked for Parks in Lake Louise!  Small world.

 

 

I often put out some trail camera in my camps to see what happens when we are sleeping.  I was not disapointed here.  There was lots going on!  Don't miss this video!

 This area has historically suffered from a garbage problem, despite a huge oversized waste bin.  Every time I go there, I devote a lot of time to collecting and disposing of other peoples trash.  This year was no exception, as I collected at least 5 pails full of stuff from the beach and bushes, and others were doing the same, though it hardly makes a dent in the ongonig problem.  I can't even imagine the ignorance of some of the visitors that come here!

After a week on the beach here, it was time for a change of pace, so we headed out again.  I had spotted what appeared to be an old mining operation on the drive in, so stopped to have a closer look at it.

There is a sign asking people not to enter into the old workings, for both personal safety, and to protect the vulnerable population of bats.

 

Not that I could have fit between the bars anyway!

Our next intended destination was Lake Havasu, but after loitering for a while in the Bullhead City area, it was getting late, so we headed out into the Oatman area on old route 66, and found a familiar spot vacant. 

It was a camp spot for mixed feelings though, as I had spent close to a month here a few years back when previous cat ms Hailey began her multiple problems.  We'd camped here over the Christmas holidays, visiting the vet in Fort Mohave every second or third day, trying to figure out what was going on with her.  They conducted multiple tests, and ultrasounds, all of which which were made much more difficult because no one else could even get close to her without complete sedation.  She had a tummy ache, a serious tick infestation, a urinary tract issue, and some mystery irnjuries to her tongue that prevented her from grooming herself or eating.  She spent a few nights incarcerated at the vet hospital, hooked up to IV's.  She didn't eat or drink anything for over two months!  EVERYTHING she got, I had to put in a large syringe, and attach it to a feeding tube they inserted into her neck.  

Here she is, patiently waiting for me to mix up some food and water to push into her feeding tube.  She also developed mystery sores on her body, one of which eventually resulted in her front leg being amputated in Las Vegas.  She was a tough little gal though, and persevered for another 4 years, getting around fine on 3 legs, but some of the sores never did heal ...  After two months, she ripped the feeding tube out and began to feed herself again!
 

 A photo of our camp there in 2018-2019

And, one from this year, with Bailey out hunting lizards in the same area.

Looking down into the valley, at the lights of Fort Mohave and Mohave Valley in the distance.

Now, we're on the way to Lake Havasu to find a place to hide out and lay low for the long weekend!

Through Death Valley to Mojave National Preserve

After several days lounging in the hot springs near Mammoth, California, it was time to hit the road again.  Southward, of course.  We carried on down 395, east of the Sierras, through Bishop and beyond.  Usually, this involves a stop of a day or three in the Alabama Hills, in the shadow of Mount Whitney, just out of Lone Pine.  But a serious flood and washout more than a year ago destroyed the normal access route - the Whitney Portal road! Last year, we took the alternate route, but it's longer, and very winding and steep, and narrow, and not really worth the effort - only to get onto Movie road and find even more former camp spots closed.  So, we continued on.  There were flashing signs indicating some sort of closure or detour on 395 further south.  To get the low-down on when Whitney Portal road may re-open, and what was happening on the road ahead, we pretended we were 'authorized personnel' (see photo below) and pulled into the Visitor Center just south of town.  Where we learned absolutely nothing ...

 

For a change of pace, and to break up the routine, we decided to take the Death Valley Route.  After hiking half an hour down Centennial road before the Death Valley boundary to make sure it was passable and there was a place to turn around, a non-descript spot with great 360 degree views provided a good spot to spend the night, and for Bailey, a chance to brush up on his lizard hunting techniques!

Next morning, it was right down into Death Valley.  Coming in from this side involves 2 long, super steep, winding descents, and one brutal climb.  Traffic was very light in the morning, so it was no issue letting the engine do the braking all the way down, and gets it's exercise going up again.  Having spent time here before, we more or less cruised through the valley, with the obligatory test of the dump station at Furnace Creek.  

Departing Death Valley on 190 is a very gentle, extended climb, where the big GM barely has to shift down.  Just out of the park, and free from any pesky cell signals, we spent the night at The Pads, but opted to forgo the nice concrete pads for a more isolated spot off the end.  My Starlink was still active before it's pause for the winter, so it was still possible to be online without any cell coverage.

A short detour through Pahrump got us a fill of propane, and much cheaper Nevada diesel, before re-entering Califonia at Shosone, and on down 127 to Baker, on the I-15.

South of Baker, in Mojave National Preserve, we again shook things up a bit, and chose a spot at least 50 yards from our usual spot!  It seemed quieter than usual with few vehicles seen, and almost no other campers.  So we took advantage of the good weather and lack of people, and spent over a week there, with lots of hiking, scrambling, biking, and a bit of touring around.

Some of the required moonlight shots!

There is a rather unique cattle guard on the Kelbaker road through the Preserve.  There are NO fences anywhere near the cattle guard,  hmm?  I can only assume the guard is there to deter speeding tortoises from using the paved road!

There are some cool sand dunes in the area.

When out hiking, I can keep an eye on what Bailey is up to back in camp!

Oh, the hardships of life in camp!  Sometimes you just have to watch hockey games on an iPad while enjoying the sunsets!

Much to my surprise, the Starlink worked just fine, set up indoors on the bed.  Who knew!

That's about it for now.  Next post, we pass up on the night life in Vegas, for the wild night life at Six Mile Cove!