Tag: arizona

Travel through (and Celestial Events from) Four States

CALIFORNIA/ARIZONA/NEVADA/UTAH. DECEMBER-APRIL.

After my stay in Tucson, I headed back to the Yuma area and then up to Quartzsite to volunteer for a charity I support, Homes on Wheels Alliance. After that, another stay in Southern California to rest up from the busy volunteer days. Friends invited me to stay at their Nevada home for a while and then it was off to Apple Valley, Utah, to camp with a friend’s group.

My photos from these stays ended up being mostly of weather and celestial events–at least until I got to Utah. It was a pretty part of the state that I had not visited before. After that, I decided to head to Texas for an event I’d been wanting to attend for some years.

(more info in captions)

South California, Tucson, Fort Bowie NHS, Chiricahua NM

ARIZONA. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER.

I started heading even further south toward some friends’ house in Tucson with a camping stop in Southern California near Yuma. While getting vehicle repairs in Tucson, I visited a couple NPS sites, Fort Bowie National Historic Site and Chiricahua National Monument.

(much more info in photo captions)

Mysterious Accident & Arizona White Mountains Visit

ARIZONA. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER.

This is my third or fourth stay in the White Mountains. I always love coming because the light here is extraordinary.

A strange thing happened as I neared the area. I was driving along a remote two-lane when I came upon a vehicle upside down on the shoulder. A guy had stopped, and I slowed to ask if anyone was inside. He said he hadn’t found anyone. There wasn’t a signal at that location, so he said someone had driven one way to get a signal to call 911. I said I would drive in the opposite direction to try the same. After driving some distance, I was able to call emergency services. I went back to the accident site where by now more people had gathered; I let them know I had been able to get a call through. They still had found no victims. Since it was getting late, I decided to leave and, several miles down the road, met the responders on their way to the scene. I checked the local news for the next few days but never did see anything about the accident. Both a bizarre and sobering event.

I drove all the way to the area in which I planned to camp, arriving after dark – something I almost never do. I simply pulled off the dirt road for the night and the next day, scouted out a camping site for myself and friends I was meeting.

This is a beautiful area that I highly recommend.

(see photo captions for more info)

Stormy skies on the approach to the White Mountains
Beautiful skies above the Arizona Whites

Alamo Lake, Arizona

I can’t remember who first told me about Alamo Lake but I’m glad they did. I know sunsets are “old hat” to some nomads, but I never tire of them; the sunsets and overall light here at this location & time was, in my opinion, extraordinary. I saw some of the prettiest sunsets ever for me. I did my best to capture them but there is nothing like being there.
Dispersed camping is plentiful here but waterside spots are scarce. With a few exceptions, most places anywhere close to the water are far above water level and yet have nice views. As for amenities, there is a small, informal RV park nearby that has a restaurant, water (for only 10cents/gal), fuel (one pump; no diesel, I think), propane, laundromat, & showers. There is also a state park campground nearby for those who need hookups.
Despite the amenities available, I recommend coming fully supplied to Alamo Lake, as it is quite remote and the small park I mentioned is…uh…rustic.

White Mountains & Ashurst Lake of Arizona/Lovell Canyon of Nevada

After meeting my appointment, I drove up to the Arizona White Mountains where I had camped before. This is a beautiful area closest to the town of Springerville, AZ, that has many dispersed camping opportunities. Next, I went back to visit my friend at Ashurst Lake for a few days. Finally, I moved on to Nevada, because I had to attend an event hosted by the non-profit for which I was working at the time. I camped with several friends at Lovell Canyon between Vegas and Pahrump.