Camping at Dome Rock Mountain Road, Part Two
Boondocking Close to Home in Quartzsite, Arizona
If you read part one of our Dome Rock Road camping adventure, you know that we have been doing a bit of local exploration. We are lucky to live where a less than five-mile drive brings us this kind of view, with free BLM camping for up to 14 days.
Granted, the weather is just barely under 100 degrees in the daytime, but that didn’t stop us. A few squalls and some heavy winds, plus one large dust devil that hung out on the edge of camp along this mountainous border and did not bring us a drop of rain. If you read part one of this post, you saw some of the spectacular sunsets and cloud formations that we enjoyed.
We were surprised to see moss growing in the arroyo, or dry stream bed. Liberty and Layla stay close to camp and are allowed off-leash time if the conditions are right, but only where we can see them. Van dogs soon learn that the desert critters spend much of their time under the bushes and in the shade, and Dan and Layla had seen one small danger noodle already. We keep the dogs close to avoid any run-ins with dangerous creatures.
Nonetheless, Layla-dog, ever ambitious in trying to rid camp of pesky flying things, munched herself a habanero sky raisin that munched back. It’s hard to see in the picture, but she earned herself a big ol’ 3-day Snoopy snout. She was immediately sad and sorry, but she is still snapping at the pests having not learned her lesson. Luckily, she has since recovered nicely.
We will all admit to being a bit soft, not having camped since January. Layla won the prize for being the most uncomfortable, though. The rest of us were back in the flow, cycling through our little shake-down cruise and scouting the lay of the land before the snowbirds arrive and snatch up the real estate.
Dirty camping hair, don’t care. Dirty neck? Check!
Three days in, we had a mechanical issue with the van, so our shake-down cruise paid off. We decided to head back in and replace the battery. As Dan said, our battery would take a charge but would not hold a charge (cue Seinfeld episode). He hooked up the auxiliary solar panel to keep the fridge/freezer/fans running, which bought us time to get camp packed up and get home. The battery was under warranty, so replacement was free, and we got the chance to go home, do laundry, sleep in the air conditioning, and cook up another batch of food for the next adventure. Are we out and about again? You will have to stay tuned to find out!
Best dusty desert wishes,
Brenda Cordray
“The Desert Rose”
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