Contrast

Since we are in the Southwest, we hit another old favorite – the Scenic Roads RV Park in Quartzsite Arizona. When we took in the big RV show last year we stayed in this park and really liked all the people, and joined in most of the activities.

While we liked being back here, we are learning a bit about hanging around with the RV crowd. Most are a bit older than even we are, and so stuff happens. Sadly Randy, the husband in the really nice couple who own the park, suffered a massive heart attack in October and passed away. His wife is still running it, but we didn’t see her around at all in the short time we were there. Also, Ed, the amputee Vet that we so much enjoyed chatting with and always had a treat for Niko, couldn’t handle the pancreatitis he came down with and also had passed away. It was so recent that his trailer he lived in was still in the same spot in the park – too little time since Ed had passed to be able to react.

On a positive note, the Woman was able to spend some really nice quality time with her kindred friend, Annie Rockholdt, and Annie’s hubby Rocky. We originally met them many years ago at a Fleetwood owner’s rally in Gillette Wyoming, and Robin and Annie were instant sole mates. We had some meals together, chatted in each other’s coaches, and just generally hung out. We did manage to con Rocky into coming along when we took Annie to Reader’s Oasis used book store to see if Paul Winer was still around. Paul is the owner of the book store, and is a practicing nudist. Well things haven’t changed. He still wears the lone sock that he agreed with the city council to wear – oh, and the hat – but that is it. Rocky later thanked us for the entertainment value.

The Woman had learned a while back that Rocky had been diagnosed with a very challenging cancer. Well, Rocky had surgery and he looked great when we saw him. It seems like he feels like he may have it licked, and we sure hope that he is right. He and Annie are so good together and she really needs his company and help.

After summer like weather in Quartzsite we headed up into the Cleveland National Forest in the Laguna mountains. The US Forest Service operates several campgrounds, picnic areas and other amenities. We had contacted the Forest Service to see if we could fit Colectiva into any of the campgrounds. The Woman talked on the phone to what we thought at the time was a nice, helpful ranger who told her there were lots of sites that could fit a 40 foot motorhome, and that the place would be wide open when we get here – just come in an pick a site – and when Robin asked her about reserving a site, the ranger said it wasn’t necessary. We found out when we got here that the ranger, perhaps, was neither nice nor helpful!

When we got to the Laguna Mountain campground – the main one open year round – we knew we might be in big trouble. There were 4 or 5 groups hanging around the sign up kiosk for campsites. We parked Colectiva, unhooked the Saturn, and began driving the various camping loops. Immediately we could see that the campground was maybe 98% full, and that scant few sites were big enough to put Colectiva in. Because National Forest campgrounds are first come, first serve, we often find that what few large sites there are often are occupied by tiny little tent trailers or vans, leaving only the small sites empty and available – and today was no exception. We scoured the loops, found only a few that could even fit Colectiva, and of course they were all occupied – but lo and behold, we finally found a site that with a couple of shoehorns we could squeeze her into – only one site in the entire campground – and even then we couldn’t open the slides out completely – got the big slide out enough the we could use it, but the few inch gap where the slide should be sealed against the frame means that the heater runs a bit extra duty at nights.

Unlike Quartzsite with highs in the mid-80’s, by 5 in the afternoon, it is too cold to be out around a campfire. Although the nightly dip into the 30’s is a bit rough when you don’t have electrical hookups, it makes the daytime temperatures ideal for hiking. We have been knocking off good sized chunks of the Pacific Crest Trail. Much like the Appalachian Trail which the Woman needed to hike pieces of, the PCT runs atop the ridge lines 2,650 miles - all the way from Mexico to Canada. We have been chewing up 5 mile plus stretches with some spectacular crest views, as well as high meadow sections.

While I complain about the cold, it is actually quite temperate for mid-February. The Woman was wondering whether we might see some through hikers since the snow pack in the Sierra Madres is pretty much gone – each hike we have been keeping our eyes peeled for Reese Witherspoon, but haven’t bumped into her yet. However, the moderate temperatures make for an occasional delicate wildflower, a bonus you wouldn’t normally get in mid-February.

We did get a visit from Murphy. As will happen in an RV, you don’t know that something you only need to use occasionally isn’t working until you actually need it. Our first coach battery bank lasted only a couple of years before they needed to be replaced. Shortly after we replaced them, we installed some solar panels on the roof which trickle charges the batteries a bit and clearly extends their lives. Five years later they seemed like they were still going strong.

We had a clue when we picked up Colectiva to start this trip – the coach batteries were registering dead on the electrical system monitor. But, she had been stored for 4 months and we hadn’t visited her to charge them as we try to, so I wasn’t surprised. Well, now that we are in a US Forest Service campground with no services, we are learning that they are severely compromised. Normal routine is you can usually charge them in the evening, and they will take care of power needs through the night, and even give you enough power for coffee in the morning. Not now – when we get up early, the batteries have been fully depleted by the little power needed to run the refrigerator and the propane heaters – both take some power just to operate. Luckily the quiet hours – the no generator hours – in the campground are generous – after 6 AM you are allowed to use generators – we wait till 6:30 just because – but we learned that the batteries don’t even have enough power to start the generator! Now what!

Well, they think of most things in the design of these units. We have 4 deep cycle coach batteries that run the house. We have two 12 V starting batteries to start the engine just like in a car. If either set is depleted, there is a switch on the dash to bridge the two sets of batteries for a boost – and the last two days it has been just enough to get the generator started – joy! When we are ready to leave, hopefully there will still be enough starting power in the starter battery bank to get us back on the road again!

Talk to you soon!