POST #21-29 

The Many Faces Of The Superstitions..

 ...A collection of photos... 

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We were at the "Supes" (The Superstition Mountains) while camping at Lost Dutchman State Park for 15 days.  We took a lot of photos of the mountains from our camp...Not much dialog in this post...just lots of photos and a video...tap on any photo to enlarge.

Cold and snow up there when we arrived...

Got a nice site...

Cleared up and warmed up nicely!

Dusk and night time shots...

Stars coming out and night time hikes flashlights...

Look closely and you can see the base jumping skydivers that jumped from the top of the cliffs...

Sent the drone up into the Supes!  This video is sped up 3X.  The drone was set in "Sport Mode" which is very fast. It took a long time to get up there and it couldn't stay long cuz the battery went fast in that mode! Tap the arrow on the video to play.

Click HERE for a full resolution video...

 Great sunsets there!  Almost every evening!

Live Long and Prosper!

Until Next Time!

 POST #21-28 

We Were Featured In Another RV Publication!  

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When we decided to remodel the interior of our motorhome we did it because we found the factory interior very cold and un-appealing.  And we both loved the Log Cabin/Lodge look.  So over the years we wallpapered, recovered, re-window treatment. refloored...it kind of snowballed...It's a work in progress!

As we traveled around the country people always see our door open and stop to comment on it...

When we were at White Tank Regional Park, AZ a few weeks ago a Lady who is a representative of an online publication, RVTravel.com, was walking by and saw the open door.  She was curious so we gave her a tour.  She then told us she was associated with the online publication and the result of her work can be seen HERE.

A similar encounter happened a few years ago with a representative of "MOTORHOME" magazine and Motorhome.com, (now known as RV.com).  The result of that encounter can be seen HERE.  

We love living in our rolling "Log Cabin" for half a year and are flattered that others like it enough to want to share it with the internet world!

If you see us out there---stop in!

Until Next Time!

POST #21-27 

The RAT PATROL!  

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No, not the 1960s TV show The Rat Patrol the action and adventure television series that aired between 1966 and 1968.

The show follows four Allied soldiers who are part of a long-range desert patrol group in the North African campaign during World War II. Their mission: "to attack, harass and wreak havoc on Field Marshal Rommel's vaunted Afrika Korps".

No, this Rat Patrol is the attempts to prevent the rodent rats of the desert from getting into the vehicles engine compartment or vehicle undercarriage and chewing the wires and building nests in any cavity they can find.

The biggest culprits are the Desert Pack Rats....also known as the Desert Woodrat....

Or possibly the Kangaroo Rat....

Or maybe the Chipmunk looking Antelope Squirrel...

But mostly the packrat! After the first night we were in White Tank Regional Park back in 2016 we got into "Pootzie" and tried to start it up, but it was only running on 2 cylinders.  We opened the hood and found that 2 spark plug wires were badly chewed, and a nest was already being built behind the left headlight.  Had to splice the wires to be able to drive into town to get new ones! The rats had gotten into the underbelly of our neighbors 5th wheel and decimated the wiring during the week that they were camped.  They had to bring in a RV repair company to fix it ...took two days...It seem that the insulation on most modern wiring is soy based...Rat food!

I picked up a two rat traps on the way back and set them under the coach and the car.  in the morning the traps were full...packrats!  I noticed other campers had rope lights on the ground under the vehicles, so I got some and tried laying them out...

Then I set up a trail cam to record video and watch for the rats...the first few nights they would come up to the rope lights then run away.  Later they would eventually cross the rope lights.

So then I tried "Star Shower Motion Laser Lights".  You can see it under the front of the motorhome...

The rats did not like these at all!  While watching trail cam video from several nights, they would come under the rig and the moving stars would hit them and move around them...the rats would jump and run every time.  Unfortunately the moving laser light would shine a long way...into neighboring campsites...not good!  Plus we had to run extension cords to them....not easy if we are at a site with no electricity!  

Moving lights are the key!  So we found these rechargeable emergency road flares!  The come in a set of 3 and are waterproof.

We run them all night and then recharge them during the day through their usb port.  

Tap the arrow below to see video...

We think our mission to harass and wreak havoc on the Rats has been a success!  No rats have been recorded on the trail cam and no wires have been chewed!  

Until Next Time!

POST #21-26 

The Magnificent Superstition Mountains  

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On January 26th we moved from Cave Creek Regional Park, over to Lost Dutchman State Park, near Apache Junction, AZ.  Lost Dutchman State Park is at the base of the Superstition Mountains, sometimes called "The Supes" 

The trip was "just across town" but it was still about 60 miles. 

It rained the night before we left and there was still snow on "The Supes" and other surrounding mountains.  Temps were only in the 50's.

The Superstition Mountains is rumored to be the home of the legendary Lost Dutchman Mine. Stories are told of people going into  the mountains looking for the gold...never to return!

We got a great campsite facing the Mountains...

Great spot to relax and study the mountains...facing the sun in the morning  and shaded in the afternoon! 

Here is some info from my Roadside Geology book... 

A geologic map from the same book....Click to enlarge

As the text states, these are volcanic features...it is estimated that about 2500 cubic miles of lava and volcanic ash were ejected during the series of eruptions.  For comparison, the 1980 eruption of Mt St Helens in Washington State ejected 1/4 cubic mile of material!  The deposits of the Superstions can be found for miles around...This mountain, 14 miles away in Usery Park, is composed of material from the eruptions.  First a huge lava flow, then a thick layer of welded volcanic ash (the lighter colored layer), then another lava flow on top.  The volcanic ash was so hot that when it landed it welded itself back into solid rock....  

Here's another deposit of the welded volcanic ash.....They call it TUFF....Near Canyon Lake, about 15 miles NE...

And another deposit at Saguaro Lake...about 20 miles North....

Here is a piece welded volcanic ash we picked up...

It must have been a hellish place around here during those times...hard to imagine!

The first week we got here it was only in the low 60s and breezy most days and in the 40s at night.  The second week started out much different with highs in the low 80s and lows in the 60s with light winds.  That's more like it! 

And the beautiful sunsets continue!!

More pix of the "Supes" and info to follow...We are here another week!

Until Next Time! 

 POST #21-25 

Cave Creek, Medicinal Clay and Snow?!!...  

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On January 19th we moved from White Tank Mountain Regional Park to Cave Creek Regional Park, near Cave Creek/Carefree, AZ.

It rained the night before we left, but it was dry during the short drive of about 47 miles.

The weather in this area had been perfect up until this week, when it turned cloudy, cooler and rainy.  the second night we were here it rained a half inch overnight...Not much sun during the days.

On one of the nicer days hiked up the trail to the old "Clay Mine" here in the park.  The Clay Mine is located on the Overton Trail here in the Park.  This mine made Lelaia Pearl Irish (pronounced La-lee-a) a wealthy woman. Lelaia’s initial search for gold in the early 1930s proved fruitless, but the ancient clay found in the mine proved to be white-gold on her 160-acre claim. The clay was ingeniously sold in a powder-form for $5 a pound. 

The “Perfect Mineral Drink” was endorsed by several physicians. It was called “Nature’s Own” and the name was copyrighted in 1937. Per Lelaia, the powder (made from kaolin clay) did “treat with startling results” the following: anemia, stomach troubles, ulcers, gastric conditions, kidney and blood disorders, rheumatism, arthritis, high blood pressure, dysentery, diabetes, and was very good for teeth. The prescription states, ”take a teaspoon of powder in a glass of water 4 times daily.” By the early 1960s Lelaia’s health failed, she abandoned her mine, and unfortunately, died soon after.

Who would have ever thought clay was good medicine?  We also went back over to Keirland Commons in Scottsdale.  Its a high end shopping district there.  

Barbi went shopping for clothes...I went to the Tesla dealership across the street...

As In said earlier the weather has been unsettled....while writing this it began raining...HARD, for about an hour.  Then...

SNOW???  REALLY???  Yup, snow!  I thought we came here to escape that! But then, about a half hour later, it begins to clear up and the sun comes out!

Go figure!  At least it's going in the right direction!!  We will be leaving this spot and moving over to Lost Dutchman State Park...

A spectacular place!  We will be camped at the end of the park, closest to the mountain!

Until Next Time!