Saturday, January 1 to Thursday, January 13, 2022 (La Posa South LTVA, Quartzsite, AZ)

Wow! I can't believe we are heading into the middle of January already! Guess it's time to do an update on what we have been up to.

Saturday (Jan. 1) was very windy but at least it was sunny. ATV friends Jim and Cec from Cobble Hill, BC (just north of Victoria on Vancouver Island) arrived. I think they were very happy to get out of all of the cold and snow that has been plaguing southern BC.

We had video calls with both of our sons and their families...wishing them a Happy New Year! Other than that, it was a very quiet day....but we did have a beautiful sunset...
The wind yesterday brought in a cold snap with overnight temperatures going down to around freezing...a hard freeze warning has been issued for the next couple of nights. But we were still able to get out for walks...sometimes Steve and I, but more often Allison and I have been going out. She does longer walks which I like, so we average around 6.5 kms/4 miles but have been increasing that to 10 kms/6.21 miles. 

We managed to get the gang together a number of times for some outdoor fun...playing Core Crash. This is actually a Finnish throwing game invented in 1996 called Molkky. Here we are on Monday (Jan. 3)...notice the heavy coats? Beautiful blue sky but chilly! 
Left to right...Bob, Sue, Earl, Allison (behind Steve), Steve, Jim, Cec, and Marilyn...
We have checked out the vendors...and toured the fifth-wheels now on display. It's starting to get busier here now that it's getting closer to "Show Time".

Of course, we had to make another visit to Beer Belly's Adult Day Care for some "fun in the sun"! Earl, Allison, Cec, Jim and Steve... 
Steve stopped to take this picture...preparations are underway for the "Big Tent" to be put up...
Wednesday (Jan. 5)...and ride day!  There would be six 4-wheelers with 9 of us...Guy and Sue, along with their friends, James and Cindy arrived here the day before yesterday and would be joining us. Jim, Cec, Earl (Allison did not join us), Steve and I would make up the rest of the group. Bob and Sue started out with us but their 10 month old puppy wasn't liking the ride in the side-x-side with Sue, so they decided to turn back.

The group met just before 10:00 and we were off shortly afterwards. It was a beautiful sunny day! Our main destination today is the area near Bouse, known as "the dunes". 

Check out the Relive video... Sand Dunes Loop-Jan. 5/22

Exiting La Posa North BLM. In order to access the trail we had some street travelling to do...
Stopped for a break. This was when we discovered puppy problems Bob and Sue were no longer with us...
Quartzsite Rock Alignment. During WWII Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) transported new planes across the country. One of the places they trained to fly bombers and fighters was at an airfield near Quartzsite. To help them find the airport large letters made from painted white rocks spelled out Quartzsite followed by a directional arrow and the number 11 to indicate 11 miles to the runway.
Directional arrow showing north...
Arriving at "The Dunes"...that's Jim and Cec...
A good place for lunch!
James, Cindy, Sue and Guy...
Earl, Cec, Jim and Bosco...

Wildlife water guzzler...

Another Skull Rock...
Another break...
D-124...one of Patton's WWII training camps...
Tank tracks still visible after all these decades!
Checked out another training camp...
Another fabulous day out on the 4-wheelers!

Steve also acquired a new toy...he has admired Guy's Aero Scout ever since he got it a couple of years ago. It's another trainer and is smaller than his other plane. When Guy and Sue arrived, Guy asked Steve if he'd like it. So for "a very good price", Steve has also acquired a box full of accessories to go with it too! Guy had only flown it three times and it is in mint condition.
All assembled...time to test this baby out!
As you can see, Steve is just in a t-shirt...we're finally in for a stretch of warmer weather...YAY! He had two successful flights. What Steve likes about this plane is it's a pusher plane. The propeller is behind the wing so if you have a bad landing "nose low" you aren't damaging the propeller.

Daily/weekly chores continue as usual, with get togethers for outdoor Core Crash with the gang...as well as either Rummikub or Aggravation (Marbles) in the evenings with Earl and Allison. And more beautiful sunsets...
Sunday (Jan. 9)...and another ride day! Colan finally took a day off work from his Mobile RV Repair gig so he and Marilyn could join us...along with Cec, Jim, Allison and Earl (and of course, Steve and I). The 8 of us...all in their side -x-side's, except Steve and I on our quads (we are a definite minority with the number of side-x-sides now!)...hit the trails just after 10:00 and had a wonderful 4 hours exploring the area to Livingston Mine and what we call "Horse Face Mountain".

Check out the Relive video....Livingston Mine to Horse Face Mtn-Jan. 9/22 

Steve finally remembered to start the Relive app just as we were leaving La Posa South BLM...
Jim and Cec...
Colan and Marilyn...
Taking a break...
Steve stopped to get a photo of our group below at the Livingston Mine...
Bosco and Marilyn...Cec just inside the mine entrance...
Earl and Allison...
Another break...
End of this trail...
Love the views!
Into the wash...
Time for lunch...
Take two...LOL!
This trail is immediately above our lunch stop but leads nowhere...
I found a geocache...
Steve also had his GoPro camera along with him...if you'd like to check out his pictures, click on the album Livingston Mine to Horse Face Mtn.

We finished the day off with a happy hour...
After a "down day" Monday, it was time for another ride on Tuesday (Jan. 11). This time we were going back through Diablo Pass to do a little geocaching. There is a string of about 8 that we haven't gotten yet. Today's ride included the six of us...Earl/Allison, Jim/Cec and Steve and I.

Check out the Relive video...Diablo Pass - Geocaching

Steve's first find of the day...
Earl...
Me...with Cec looking on....
The view from my find location...
Steve's find...

Jim and Cec joining us at the peak of Diablo Pass...
What's in the box Earl?

Time to continue on...
Allison has found one...

Got it!
Our favourite lunch spot out of the wind...
Had to crawl thru the trees for this one stuffed in the dirt bank...
The last geocache in this run...
Time to head up that road in the distance...
Earl has spotted another geocache on his GPS so up we go...
You can see the 4 wheelers below. Only Steve and Earl climbed the hill in search of an elusive geocache without success...
I remained below (pictures don't do it justice...it was really quite steep) so got shots of everyone coming down. Steve...
Jim and Cec...
Earl and Allison...
On our way home we decided to stop at The Horney Toade Saloon and Grill for a beer. Only Steve and I had been here before and the others wanted to check it out. The draft  beer used to be $2.50 now $3.00. They were out of draft so it was bottles today.
Cec/Jim, Steve, Earl and Allison...
Wednesday (Jan. 12) afternoon, Steve and I rode our quads into town. We walked around to see what new vendors had arrived. Steve  also wanted to get some new bungie cords.
Metal sculptures are very popular...


Entrance to the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation, RV Show in the distance. It runs from Jan. 22nd - 30th...
Not as many vendors as we've seen in years past but lots of people checking them out...
Steve found the bungy cords he was after and on our way home, stopped to take this picture...the "Big Tent" is now up!
We were home in time to get ready for Core Crash. We had our largest group together for some great outdoor fun! It started out with Guy, Sue, James, Cindy, Earl, Steve, me, Jim and Cec. This is James taking his turn...
Sue's turn...
Guy...
Jim...
Eventually, Colin and Marilyn and Bob and Sue also joined in...
Probably some of the best games we've had, having so many people...the pegs really got spread out! Cec won the first two games!

That's it for now...stay tuned for some more "fun in the desert"!

10 comments:

  1. Envy your sunshine. lol We will be there next year. :)

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    1. Gotta admit... it's pretty nice! So glad to be here.

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  2. Man, how we miss those happy hours! Good to see you riding with Guy and Sue!

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    1. Well hopefully next season you guys will be here to partake in a few.

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  3. Lots more fun! Cool rocks for the war. Can’t wait to get there!

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    1. Lots of history in the desert. Safe travels and see you guys soon!

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  4. My sympathies to you all having to endure the heat and dust of the desert!! Yeah okay that's totally sarcastic....just finished plowing another 2 inches off the driveway from last night. It's -21C today :(

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    1. And who decided not to go south this winter? 🥶🥶 Meanwhile…☀️😎🌵🌴🍻

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  5. It looks like there was some fun riding and good times. Stay warm.

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    1. So nice to be back here seeing so many familiar faces after missing out last winter. Unfortunately your faces are missing though.

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