Enchantment

We woke well before dawn so that we had time to ease our way through an expresso and slip into our day packs and headlamps, wanting to get onto the trail down to San Francisco Hot Springs at the first glimmer of light in order to ensure that we had the springs to ourselves for a while. 

We had arrived the afternoon before and walked a bit of the 1 1/2 mile route to get an idea of the terrain,  being reasonably certain that we could walk it safely as the sun rose. There were only 2 other rigs anywhere near the trailhead,  and both belonged to mountain bikers,  so we were already feeling comfortable in our surroundings. 

Coming to the final descent,  we were happily presented with the view of canyon cliffs, tall cottonwoods and sycamores,  and a clear flowing river with steam rising above sandy beaches. Heaven awaited down below. We found a low, swift ford to cross over to the pools, stripped down, and oozed into the clear, non-sulphurous pool, laughing at our.good fortune. 

We had the pool to ourselves for at least an hour before a young couple from Durango arrived and patiently awaited their turn. 

It worked so well this morning that we plan to repeat the same process tomorrow. Amazingly,  though,  we have this entire patch of desert to ourselves tonight, as we have had for most of the day, except for the myriad stars, the bluebirds, and the javelina tracks.  Social distancing is easy out here in this enchanted land. 

Words

   Often on our journeys, Sandy and I play a road game called Words, an alternating, letter-choosing game where having a broad vocabulary is a boon, but so is the readiness of having the words spring to mind. 

  The word that popped to the forefront for yesterday's adventure was 'hubris'.  

   Our plan was to travel 21 miles of bad road to get to both a hiking area (Fossil Creek) and a hot spring (Verde Hot Springs). Prudently,  we called the local ranger station to check on both road conditions and river levels since we would have to ford the Verde River to get to the springs.  Imprudently,  we ignored the ranger's advice not to travel the road in a low-clearance vehicle,  thinking that if we encountered something we deemed impassable,  we would simply turn around. And her ominous warning that we needed to know how to change a tire didn't apply to us since we would be traveling at banana slug speed. 

  Hubris - in Greek tragedy- excessive pride leading to defiance of the gods, usually (as happened yesterday) leading to the gods handing the heroes their heads on a platter with a side dish of fries and a shaker of salt to rub into any open wounds. 

   After 45 minutes of driving,  we had managed to put 12 miles of bad road behind us and were feeling a bit cocky until an odd sound, a flapping or thwapping, issued from the right front of the rig. Of course!  The ranger's curse!  A flat tire!

  We had the tires checked and inflated before leaving Medford,  but had failed to ask them to check the spare hanging beneath the rig. I had visually and tactilely inspected it when we bought Cora last month,  but hadn't taken it down and off until yesterday,  12 miles up a bad road. Hubris. 

   The spare looked like it wouldn't last a mile. No cell service. The proposition of leaving Cora behind while we masked up and tried to hitch a ride  both directions with a large tire was both daunting and undesirable. 

   So much for the gods. This is the time of the goddess. Sandy to the rescue. She suggested that

we take one of the good tires from the dually rear axle, put it on the front and run the spare on the rear in its place, thereby taking weight off of the spare. 

  And that's exactly what we did, and how we survived the challenge, although on the way back down, we discovered that none of the 6 or 8 tire shops in the valley had the correct tire in stock, and we would have to wait until today to have a couple of them shipped up from Phoenix. 

   The fries are tasty, though a bit salty for my taste. 

  

Safe Travels

Ok kids, today's talk is about traveling safely during these potentially perilous times. With any adventure there comes an element of risk, so risk mitigation is factored into this journey.  So far the biggest risk seemed to be in Oregon, specifically in Klamath Falls, when I entered a gas station store and encountered a sign at the counter stating, 'Due to health reasons,  employees are not required to wear masks.' 

  Because Sandy stocked us so well with groceries and baked goods and prepared dishes, we only stop for gas and propane. (A big shout-out at this point to Robbin and Angeline for a boxful of golden delicious apples hand-picked from their tree, perhaps the last such harvest due to bear damage. Enough apples to last the entire 4 week journey.)

  We are so self-contained that we have only boondock-camped, thus avoiding human contact. Each afternoon we find an isolated spot, preferably one with great views, a relatively easy endeavor in the desert. The weather has been mild enough to sit outside sometimes,  or windchilly enough to drive us into the warmth of Cora's cabin to sit either place and enjoy the expansive vistas and full-spectral sunsets. 

   Mornings find us drinking coffee prepared on the galley stove (usually while Sandy stays huddled in the warmth of the down covers.) The daily weather and map consult follows, along with a leisurely leave- taking. 

  Sound safe?  We think so. Flexible also. We planned before this Monday morning entry to go for a hike in Sycamore Canyon,  at the upper end of the Verde Valley here in Central Arizona. However,  clouds have moved in and covered the sun, so we may move an hour or two down the road to Verde Hot Springs. Such is the unhurried pace we have adopted on this road, in this time. 

With love, David and Sandy 

https://purarica.blogspot.com/2020/12/pandemic-springs.html 

Pandemic Springs

 3rd dawn of the trip, somewhere near Death Valley in Southern Nevada -

After a staccato beginning,  we spent the first night of the journey in Cora up outside of our friends' cabin at Lake of the Woods. We drove out to the highway through packed snow and have enjoyed dry, sunny roads ever since.   We found two springs that day, the first only a 3 1/2 hour drive from Ashland,  Eagleville Hot Springs. A solo Portlander shared the hotter of the two pools with us, but there was plenty of room for social distancing,  and the lower pool was sufficiently warm if we had chosen solitude.

 Another 2 1/2 hr drive found us at one of the more unusual springs I've ever been in: Trego Hot Springs,  on the edge of the Black Rock playa. It was a warm creek, 2-4' deep, several feet wide, with steep banks and a silty bottom that I sank as much as a foot down into. The temperatures alternated between scalding and slightly chilly,  so an arm egg-beater motion helped make it bearable...mostly. After sleeping out under a meteor-filled sky, we drove a few hours down to Spencer,  one of my favorites. 3 pools, each with handmade benches and hot enough to enjoy. Of course,  though,  several others wanted to as well, so after a 30 min soak, we headed south in front of a snowstorm and spent the night on a side road south of Goldfield, Nevada. 

Morning dawned cloudy and ominous,  so we continued skedaddling south through Lost Wages and into Arizona, where we now sit after a rousing game of margarita bocce and an outdoor shower in the desert sunshine. 

Cora has been cruising at 14+ mpg, and we are all beginning to understand each other in this warm, comfortable,  confined space. 

So much for logic and information. Poetry and insight to follow in the upcoming days of our journey. Be well and happy, my fellow travelers, both real and vicarious.