Pandemic Drive Home.

Depart Yuma Wednesday Midday-Arrive Winnipeg Sunday Midday.

____ Sitting in the desert as the World reeled from the relentless spread of Covid 19; we felt we were in a good place. The snowbirds had thinned; neighbours had left throughout the previous two weeks and we were surrounded by wide open wilderness. Our only close interaction with crowded areas was at the launderette and Fry's supermarket in the Foothills, near Yuma. A once a week, fifty mile round trip.

____ The original plan was to be back on Canadian soil by April 14; the determining factor being our health insurance. After last years tragedy; when Gilles from Montreal collapsed against the side of the truck with a stroke, health and fitness has been of elevated importance. Good coverage for over 65s is expensive for long-term visits to the US but totally essential. However, once the coronavirus situation had been designated as a "Pandemic"; all health insurance policies refused to pay for treatment. Then the Canadian government issued a "No Travel" advisory for the USA which gave the insurance companies the excuse to cancel all travel and health cover to people in the States. We were given ten days to get back to Canada.

___ The Mack had developed a few problems since the start of the trip, nothing too serious and stuff that could wait until the return to Manitoba. But coming North in the tension of a country on the verge of shut-down was stressful. The fuel pump was leaking, a drip, drip, drip at idle; the 11 litre motor marking its territory at every truckstop, rest area and car park. The diesel fuel at the front was now being complimented by a oil seal leak at the differential. The fuel level gauge in the diesel tank abruptly stopped working. One of the battery isolating solenoids gave up the ghost; so the truck now just had the one operable 12 volt battery in the front bumper. Somewhere, unknown, a parasitic draw resulted in a flat battery every morning; luckily a 3500 watt generator easily over came that problem.

___ But Macks are built tough, they get the job done. A bottle of gear oil in the rear axle every morning and a lot of concentration; we brought it home. Many Canadian snowbirds on the same roads; playing leap-frog with Manitoba plated travel trailers, 5th wheel and motorhomes all the way from Tucumcari. The final two nights were cold, drumming in the fact we had returned too early, but a strong tail-wind gave us good fuel mileage and the price of a gallon was way less than the outbound journey.

____ The border at Pembina/Emerson was the last stressful obstacle. There were plenty of warnings on the Internet that the border was closed with chaotic advice about who would be let into Canada. At the end of Interstate 29, the line-up was short and we were across with just a few questions answered. However we  did have agree to a 14 day period of isolation at home. Go home, straight home and don't stop a Tim Hortons for coffee at Morris. So, the Mack is back in same spot where it was re-purposed; the snow is still two feet  deep on the deck. The groceries are delivered and I have conditioned myself to sit and watch TV for 16 hours a day. The Mack needs a lot of TLC but with such an uncertain future, there is no time-line; just a quiet determination to get through the unforeseen darkness that has enveloped everyone's lives.

Whale Watching At Guerroro Negro, Baja California.

____ Some more of Cheryl's wonderful photographs from her Mario's Whale Watching Tour.

Mexico 2020

____ The days before Mexico were spent at Mittry Lake and at Quartzsite. Mittry Lake for the access to good easy kayaking. We parked by the boat ramp and paddled every day on the mirror smooth waters. Seeking out the hidden places as we pushed through the reed beds and corralled the cootes. A fully stocked larder lasted a week and as we passed the New Year at our lakeside campsite, We replenished the food  with a trip into Yuma and stayed another seven days; hiking in the hills that formed the edge of the desert as it came down to the fertile valley of the Colorado River.

____ The departure to Quartzsite corresponded with the need for more supplies and the need to empty the waste tanks. Seventy miles north on Highway 95 where RVs out-number cars and trucks through the Sonoran Desert. A few days before the big RV show with enough time to do laundry, buy food and settle in before the massive influx of every imaginable recreational vehicle to a small town on Interstate 10. We cycled into town everyday; taking the dirt tracks through the vast camping area on the southern edge of town known as South Posa. Busy, busy, busy with sold out food shops and gridlocked traffic in and around the Big Tent showground.

____ Two days of looking around everthing RV and a whole lot more; electric bikes seemed to be the new “must-have” for motorhomes with multiple vendors on site. I came away with a couple of roof-light covers and a couple of sore feet from all the walking. We signed up for membership of the Quartzsite library; a busy place with its free Wi-Fi and vast free-to-borrow DVD collection. It was handy to have a place to print copies of stuff from the Internet; we bought our Mexican vehicle insurance on-line and registered for our FMM, Mexican tourist visas.

____ The show lasted for a week but we shipped out after three days and headed back down Highway 95, straight through Yuma and onto St.Luis de Colorado; stopping overnight just north of the border. Not much RV traffic but plenty of locals crossing both ways as we lined-up and got through in about an hour. That left plenty of time to get down to San Felipe, restock the fridge and fruit bowl and set up  for the night at Pete’s Camp. Just the one night before five nights at Gonzaga Bay and a chance to kayak on the Sea of Cortez where early starts were a must as the wind chopped up the water later in the day.

____ High-light of the kayaking was a long paddle to Punta Final when we came across a group of grey whales. Laying on their sides with one fin waving in the air; about six whales were so close we could hear them breathing. Close enough to feel vulnerable, sitting on top of a plastic kayak. We quietly drifted away as the wind started; taking photographs that somehow turned out crap.

____ Mulege, pronounced “Mule-ah-hay,” had been the long held destination of this Winter’s roadtrip. Gaining a mystical-like presence to me as people had been asking about our plans. Some knew of it and recommended it; others had never heard of it and expressed surprise that we should go into Mexico with a thirty year-old vehicle at all. But finally we were less than one day away and on our way to Mulege. Highway 5 had just been finished being paved all the way through to Highway1, south of Gonzaga Bay. So new that the asphalt laying machine was still parked at the roadside and they hadn’t finished the white lines. A great piece of road that put to shame Highway 1, a narrow, shoulder-less black ribbon that ran through the undulating Baja Californian desert from Tijuana to Cabo San Luca.

____ After all the talk of Mulege, the town was a disappointment, nothing outstanding, nowhere to park the rig and before we knew it, we were out the other side of town. Now heading for one of the beaches on the Bahia Concepcion; we pulled up at Playa Santispac, blasted the air-horns at the gawking customers at Armando’s bar and grabbed a palapa at the water’s edge. The start of two weeks in paradise; sunshine and sheltered calm seas with a dozen yachts moored offshore among islands. Two restaurant/bars, Armando’s and Ana’s, a regular supply of fresh fruit and veg, fish and shrimp, pastries and cakes, even drinking water and propane, all brought to your vehicle by local vendors. The usual tourist tat of blankets and jewellery as well; but nobody was pushy and all very friendly. A great place, except for a couple of things; the toilets were disgusting and the beach lay at the bottom of a steep hill which was Jake-Brake alley for every Ken-Mex Dubya 9 with straight-through pipes as Mexican truck drivers played “Wake-up-a-camper” with their engine brakes.

____ Kayaking around the islands on clear, calm water as pelicans dived for fish, hiking the shore line trails or dipping into the natural hot-springs filled our days. It was a popular spot, being the easiest of the beaches to access. For some it was a long-term stay, for some just an overnight halt on the road to La Paz and the southern tip of Baja California. We contemplated moving on but couldn’t envision anything better; so we stayed until the peso count got low. It was 200 pesos a night, not exceptionally good value but that was a typical price for all the places we stayed. Mexico is not as cheap as it is made out to be. Sure, beer and groceries are cheap but expensive diesel and paying for campsites eats into your funds. Boon-docking is possible but didn’t seem practical to us in the Mack, maybe in a Jeep with a tent you could hide away every night but we went for the easy option.

____ Coming back North, we overnighted at Guerrero Negro on the Pacific coast. Number one spot in the World to watch whales. Cheryl went with Mario’s Tours and was not disappointed. At Gonzaga Bay, we came across a P-reg VW camper. Lee and Willow touring North America with Subaru power and a cat called Aimee. Great couple on a great roadtrip; check them out onhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UC19-hATcDPEGCYj92PccfgA/featured?disable_polymer=1…. Finally we rolled back into the US and set up camp, back at Imperial Dam.

680 miles, North to South and hardly touched on what is possible in Mexico.

Cow Patty. Lunch stop between San Felipe and Gonzaga Bay.

The smooth waters of Gonzaga Bay

Dawn at Gonzaga Bay.

Kayaking around the islands of Bahia de Concepcion.

On the Playa de Santispac, South of Mulege.

The yachts offshore were mostly from Canada

Lee and Willow with their VW Camper at Gonzaga Bay.

One of Cheryl's photos from Guerrero Negro.

Christmas Day In The Gravel Pit.

____ Christmas Day in the gravel pit; just like any other day parked in the desert. The only noticeable Christmas festivities had been the parade of the side-by-sides; all festooned in coloured LED light strips. Five nights with a dozen rigs criss-crossing the tracks that make up the Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area. We had stocked up with goodies on the previous Saturday and had a bulging fridge and two cooler boxes full with food and drink.

____ Percolated coffee to start the day with fresh fruit. Bags of oranges and grapefruits from the back of a truck parked at the Cloud museum. Local produce at $2.00 a bag. Great, not to start the day by firing up the truck; just lazing around wondering what to do with day. A hike, a bike ride, kayaking on the lake or some little maintenance job, like oiling squeaking doors. Or if Les came over for a chat; then that the morning done and dusted. With limited day-light, the evenings are the longest part of the day but we worked our way through the DVD collection at the library, read and played cards. Weather stayed dry, wind in the afternoons and clear starlit nights that made it chilly enough for two blankets.

____ A change of scenery before New Year, when we went into Yuma for supplies and went to Mittry Lake on the way back. Within sight of Imperial Dam LTVA but across the Colorado River. Free camping for 10 days in a calendar year, lake side parking, toilets and easy access to the water for kayaking. Mostly Canadian campers but with lots of locals bringing speedboats for fishing trips on the lake.

____ So, looking back on ten years of blogging. A lot has happened but not much happening now. Maybe time to knock it on the head and give up trying to think of interesting things to write about when I’m not doing any thing interesting. But I’ll keep it going; if something does happen worth writing about or I get a chance to take some decent photographs then I’ll post’em.

Imperial Dam And Life In The Desert.

Imperial Dam LTVA in Summer; not an RV in site.

____ Born and brought-up in England, the freedom of wide-open spaces was not part of my life in an over-crowded island where my roaming was always thwarted by the bellowing of “Oi you. Get off of my land.” Rambling on unfenced land and wild-camping, apart from during a couple of Summers in the South of France, eluded me until I retired. Then it became “Boondocking.” Living free, self-contained and un-troubled in an easy-going climate where economy meets relaxation meets contentment. In Arizona, in the United States; a place with such strict immigration and border controls that you would think the place had such a bulging population that it could not possibly take one more person. During my years as a long-haul truck driver, I never ceased to be amazed by the vast emptiness that is much of North America. The States of Wyoming and Montana with no houses for miles on grassland that stretched over the horizon in all directions. Arizona and New Mexico with arid scrubland and rocky out-crops on land that could profit no-one. Then there is Canada; where flying across country shows so much forest, lake, mountain and plain without road, house and human being.

____ Any area of un-usable land in the UK is fenced and probably owned by an aristocrat who has been handed-down the estate for centuries. The enjoyment of the people is denied on the pretext that a threatened species rare butterfly is breeding near-by. Although that doesn’t stop the annual pheasant shoot for the Lord of the Manor and his cronies. Imagine how surprised and delighted I was to find that this selfishness does not apply in Arizona. Apart from a few square miles that are set aside for military use, the State of Arizona positively encourages the population to go out and enjoy the wilderness that will not sustain agriculture. Living off the grid in a recreational vehicle in the desert is totally possible and under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management it has become simple. The usual back-country rules apply; pack-out what you pack-in and leave no trace. You can be as far away from civilization as you can get or you can opt for a place such as the Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area.

____ The LTVA is not free but at $180 for seven months, it is very good value. Access to potable water, a place to dump waste water and garbage and a community of fellow like-minded people. How much you have to do with your neighbours is entirely up to you; moving you vehicle to another camping area is always an option as is yoga, going to church and visiting the library. Safety in numbers is reassuring in the potentially hostile desert environment  and a friendly daily wave to everyone you meet means you can be pretty sure that they will keep an eye-out for you. Some neighbours are chatty some are very reclusive, some interesting life-stories with many returning year after year to Imperial Dam and Arizona. Some expensive rigs on show with all the toys in attendance; some people on very tight budgets with even a few tents but an economic lifestyle at the fore front of most people’s way of life.

____ To be continued.

December Sunset.

December Departure 2019.

Seven Days of Driving.

____ One week into December and the bitter cold of the Winnipeg Winter begins to hit hard. Finally all the ducks are in a row, Cheryl has the all-clear after her cataract operation and we are ready to head South. The Mack is reluctant to start at minus 16 degrees C. Two magnetic block heaters, the propane heater, the battery charger on 75 amp start-mode plus a healthy shot of ether and the 11 litre diesel fires-up as snow flurries fly in a grey Manitoba sky. South of the border, the weather is the same with an Arctic front bearing down on the whole Mid-West. We decide to push-on into the night, driving in a warm cab as opposed to sleeping in a cold living quarters. Then at Sioux Falls, the alternator packs-up. No volts at the volt-meter and it’s not a broken fan belt. Into the Coffee Cup Truck Stop at Vermillion for the night, knowing that the batteries are flat and tomorrow will not be easy.

____ Having a self-contained, off-the-grid vehicle does have some advantages in our sorry state. The generator charges the batteries while we go for breakfast, the house-batteries in the back of the truck can be used to boost the flat batteries and with another shot of ether we can continue. The old-style diesel engine of the Mack is well-suited to running on reduced electrical power; we keep the lights and heater fan off, running for three hours as the voltmeter slowly drops from 12 to 10. Another blast on the generator at lunch time gets us through to nightfall. Same scenario for the Sunday and by Monday morning I start looking for opportunities for getting the alternator fixed. With the Mack being a fire-truck, the alternator is not the normal unit fitted a 16 ton truck; it is a huge 250 amp lump and not what would be easily sourced, new or re-built. We make steady progress, even with our disability, maybe Arizona would be the best place to get things sorted; at least we would be in the warm.

____ We arrange a rendezvous with Gail and Milo at Snyder Hill, just south of Tucson. Cheryl’s sister and brother in law have been boondocking for a couple of weeks in Arizona and are pleased we have finally started our trip. Milo is eager to help with the alternator problem and finds a place on the Internet in Tucson that rebuilds starters and alternators. Luna Industries says to bring it in and they will look at it straight away. Thanks to Milo and the Suzuki Vitara that he hauls behind his motorhome, this is not a problem. Luna Industries know their stuff! Two hours later and we have a repaired alternator. It was broken wire connecting the alternator to the regulator and fixed for $60. An expensive piece of 3 inch wire but a cheap repair when a new alternator costs $2700 and a rebuilt one costs $1850. Fair play to Luna Industries for saying it was just a broken wire because if they had said it was old and un-repairable I would have believed them.

____ Now with our batteries charging and the warmth of the Arizona Sun shining through the cab windows, we headed for Yuma. Making our way to Imperial Dam Long Term Visitor Area and our home for the rest of the year. Stocking up with supplies so that the Mack can rest-up for seven days after the seven arduous days of the south-bound journey.

Colton 250 amp Heavy Duty Alternator.

Working in the Arizona sunshine.

Snyder Hill BLM Campground, South of Tucson.

German Registered Unimog at Snyder Hill.

Back at Imperial Dam LTVA, next to the fire-pit that I built earlier this year.

Summer Of Twenty-Nineteen

This trip brings the mileage on the Mack to over 38,000. Nearly 2000 kilometres to go to work. But we did stay for 19 weeks.

____ Apologies for the absence. No cell-phone signal, no Internet connection and a lot of work are the excuses. Nineteen weeks in a remote part of British Columbia looking after the places of BC Parks on the Seymour Arm of the Shuswap Lake. The same gig as last year, working the full season this time. But it should not have been that way; I went back with the expectation that it would be 4 on/ 4 off. Four days work followed by four of rest and relaxation. The no-show of the other couple left Cheryl and I with a 7 day work-week, every week, and none of the subsequent efforts of the management could find anyone to join us.

____ Weather wise, it wasn't the best of summers also; periods of rain every two or three days spoiled every week. Our new kayaks rarely went on the water and the fishing tackle was used even less. There were four weeks when the main campsite at Silver Beach was full but at other times the occupancy was down on last year; not helped by a landslide which closed the main access road for nearly a week. Everything was not negative, overall the guests were well behaved and we made some good friends and had some good times. Here are a few photographs from the Summer.

Camping on Albas Beach in late April before the work started.

Permanent camp with the deck and awning in place. The Kawasaki Mule was our main transport.

Two Mile Creek flowing into the Shuswap.

Towing an old jetty away from Albas Beach after it had drifted down the lake from it's mooring.

Silver Beach sign that deflected from the ugliness of a driftwood tree stump. 

The deck had it's first outing, although I'm not convinced about it's suitability as a permanent addition to the truck.

Pancake time! Black huckleberries were in plentiful supply on the many bushes in the Silver Beach campground.

Some guests came by road, some by boat and some by float-plane.

Rainbows were a common feature of a rain interrupted Summer.

The common state of the living accommodation: a mess.

Silver Beach sign at the end of the season, after the water level in the lake had dropped, even with all the rain.

The smoothness of the Shuswap made it great for kayaking.

The 10 foot long Sit-on-Top Kayaks handled well and were comfortable.

Classic British Colombian scenery on the Seymour Arm of Lake Shuswap. 

Route 66: Topock, Az to Tucumcari, NM.

The Historic Route 66 from the California state-line to Tucumcari in New Mexico.

____ After nearly five months on the road, it was time to start heading North and slowly back to Canada and the deep freeze that had been going on since we departed on November 1st. From Quartzsite it was a small hop to Parker, then two nights at the Cattail Cove State Park on the shores of Lake Havasu. Desert landscape with the clear deep waters of the lake; colour from the cacti in bloom and hiking trails at a campsite 16 miles south of Lake Havasu City. Of course, we did the London Bridge and English Village tourist thing before heading up to connect with the historic Route 66; where it crosses the Colorado River from California into Arizona.

____ A quiet night on BLM land, just north of Golden Shores, was followed by an early morning stop at Oatman. The former ghost town is now a tourist-trap with the attraction of wild donkeys roaming the streets and gunfights every day at Noon. We saw the donkeys and quickly moved on; taking the narrow road over the Sitgreaves Pass; featuring a pet cemetery at the summit's scenic over-look. Weird. There were plenty of old Route 66 places to visit but we didn't do them all. A visit to the Grand Canyon Caverns was entertaining and worthwhile; a water carved series of caves that has dried-out over time as the Colorado River has cut deeper into the desert and lowered the water-table. Old style diner experience was taken at the Snow Cap in Seligman; ice-cream sundae eaten among 50's memorabilia while a sign on the wall said that they also sold dead chicken.

____ The Mack was now parking nightly among the big-rigs as we took Interstate 40 east to Winslow and the photo-opportunity of standing on the corner. Now a busy intersection with handily parked flat-bed Ford and souvenir shop. I could get angry about the fact that it was not even the title of the song but take it easy and move on. At Tucumcari, we turn north-east on Highway 54, cutting across Texas and Oklahoma before hitting Interstate 135 north of Wichita and retracing our tracks back to Canada.

Boat launch and beach at Cattail Cove State Park on Lake Havasu.

Most of the hiking trails at Cattail Cove State Park started from the overflow camping parking area.

London Bridge at Lake Havasu City; looking much as it did when I last saw it over 50 years ago in London. The water seemed a lot cleaner than that of the Thames.

Oatman's famous wild burros.

Sitgreaves Pass is not recommended for vehicles over 40 feet long. The Mack was the biggest thing up there but I've been over a lot worse in 18 wheel semis.

The Grand Canyon Caverns; 220 feet underground and three-quarters of a mile of tunnels and caves.

The Snow Cap at Seligman; one of hundreds of 50's style eateries that play the Route 66 card.

The Standing on the Corner corner, such a fine sight to see.

A map of the whole five month trip: November 2018 to March 2019.

The only other Mack RV that we encountered on the whole trip was in Tucumcari, NM. Bob from Minnesota was on his way home after a Winter in the Sun too.

World's Largest Truck at the Yuma Proving Grounds.

One of two big guns at the Junction of Highway 95 and Imperial Dam Road which leads to the Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center.

The Yuma Proving Ground Heritage Center. North of Yuma and Interstate 8 in Arizona.

____|Turn-off West at the Big Guns on Highway 95; down Imperial Dam Road for about half a mile and call in at Visitor Center that is protected by all the old armoured vehicles. This is necessary to get the identity checks done and collect the pass that will give you entry to the main base which is further down the road. It doesn't cost anything to get in. Main object of interest for me was the Overland Train but there is other stuff outside and a large building full of stuff relating to what has gone on at the Proving Grounds. High-light of my visit was to climb up on-board the Overland Train. Not normally available, but an ex-Army veteran was doing some light preservation work and he let me checkout the cab and interior living quarters. 

Possible base for 6x6 Overland Expedition Truck that could be funded by the sale of the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile.

Old tanks at the Visitor Centre of the Yuma Proving Grounds.

The Overland Train; built by Le Tourneau for the US Army in 1962 for off-road use in the desert and on the the Arctic Tundra.

The Overland Train could seat four in the cab and could pull 6 trailers; grossing 150 tons, making it the largest vehicle in the World in 1962.

A crew of six had all the comforts of home including toilet and wash-basin.

The power unit was a gas-turbine driving a electrical generator so it made sense to have an electric oven and hob.

Six bunks in two banks of 3 gave each crew member a place to sleep.

The Dash where power delivery to the electric motors in the hubs could be monitored. Steering is by the small joy-sticks at the corners of the main control panel.

The vehicle has been standing, un-used since the early 60's when the $2,000,000 project was abandoned. Groceries from that time are still in the kitchen cupboards.

A six-foot English bloke leaning on the rear-wheel gives an idea of the size of the Overland Train.