Blooming Claret Cup, Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument
Welcome to installment number six in this navel-gazing series which looks at camper nights 501-600.
Mostly, I’ll just say I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to experience remote and beautiful parts of the world with the base camp that camping vehicles provide. We’ve been doing this overlanding thing for almost 13 years, and are now in our second vehicle, a black Sprinter which Marco adapted for camping and which we call the Raven. The Raven has been with us for over 250 nights now.
So, in keeping with this tradition, I’ll run through some numbers and a few superlatives from these last 100 nights.
Since Marco’s retirement, I camp less often on my own, 27 nights in the last 100. Eighty camps were dispersed (AKA boondocking) and four in the driveways of kind friends, leaving just 16 in campgrounds. I’m pleased that we’ve successfully minimized that number, limiting it to times when there’s no other way to be in proximity to something photogenic or to fish. Speaking of fish, there were 27 camps chosen for their proximity to angling areas. One goal is to balance revisiting beloved places and exploring new ones. To that end, there were 37 entirely new spots.
On to the superlatives.
East Fork Black River, Utah
The most beautiful camp was on the East Fork of the Bear River, Utah. We’d day tripped there before, but never seen this grassy, isolated riverside nirvana before. I was a little late for fall color in the aspen trees, but the riverside willows made up for that.
Striped Tinaja, Southern Nevada
The gotta go back prize goes to the striped tinaja in middle of nowhere, Nevada. Now that I know the hike, I can do it in the dark to catch sunrise and sunset there. It’s too bad the drive is long and slow.
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| Twin Point Sunset, Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument |
We just returned from the most remote spot, Twin Point in Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument. 95 miles on pavement in 5 hours. This was our second expedition to Twin - there was also a trip there in December.
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| Hell's Backbone, Utah |
For favorite surprise image, we have Hell’s Backbone in Utah. This special road had been on my radar for a while, and we tried it out on a whim on the way back from a fall color circle in Southern Utah. I had no idea what to expect. At the apex of the hill, Death Hollow and The Box drain in opposite directions. I found aerial images conveyed this incredible place best.
Taking the trophy for most visited (four times) and for best solo retreat is my favorite secret sand dunes in the Mojave. This place satisfies my craving for peace.
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| Stormy day over Kelso Dunes, Mojave National Preserve |
I was going to propose “worst site” as a category, but instead I’ll call it most utilitarian. Sometimes we’re pooped and just need a safe, quiet place to be for the night. Kelso Dunes, in the Mojave National Preserve is the winner here. I’ve never gotten an image I love there – here’s the best I can do.
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| Sunrise from "Aspen Circle," Utah |
About the best story, I offer what we call “aspen circle,” in the Tushar Mountains of Utah. We discovered this place a few years ago when we saw the road on a satellite map and decided to give it a go. Then last July our way was blocked by a small fallen aspen trunk, maybe six inches in diameter, that lodged in other trees at about chest level. We were stopping off on the way to Park City. There was another, lesser spot nearby and we settled for that. We bought a saw in the interim and on the way back opened the road up and enjoyed the site.
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| Box Canyon, Mogollon Rim Country Arizona |
Finally, in the category of most unusual is a couple of nights camped at a boy scout camp (out of season – there were no scouts there) for reconnaissance for a Trout Unlimited conservation project. We were on the bank of Christopher creek. The best part of that for me was easy access to Box Canyon, which I hiked and shot from the drone with gratitude.
With gratitude to you, please wish us luck on the 7th 100.
Cheers.
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