Mountain Climbing

We met up with the hiking group again this morning for a five mile hike that was advertised as being moderate except for a short stretch at the end where we would have to scramble over rocks to get to the top of a summit.

If these seniors that are ten to fifteen years older than us can do it, so can we. NOT!! I wasn’t even sure if Kevin was going to go as he’s been battling a cold since last Wednesday. But, he said okay so off we went.

The first few miles were through washes scrambling over rocks and walking in deep gravel. There were really no trails anywhere on this hike. Just picking our way through the rocks. Then we got to the end where we were going to climb up a steep cliff to Power Line Pass. There was no trail, just carefully trying to find your way up the rocks.

We made it a little more than half way up. A few people didn’t try at all, and I don’t blame them. It was quite steep. The higher we got, the more concerned I was about how was I going to get back down. I finally decided it just was not worth the danger involved.

Just as we stopped and were resting before we turned around, a man slipped on a loose rock a short ways above us and fell about ten feet before grabbing a big boulder. He was quite banged up on his arms and legs, but luckily nothing worse. That clinched it; we were going back.

Here’s where we came from. Some people were already heading back. It went around to the left and was quite a bit further down.

Here’s where we were trying to go. It just kept getting steeper.

As I look at the pictures, it doesn’t look that bad. Trust me, it was no fun! We made it back down and waited for the those who kept going. We had 25 people on this hike and 12 of them went to the top. I think some of them were part mountain goat :)  I would not call this hiking as much as mountain or rock climbing.

Here we are happy that we made it back down enjoying our trail mix.

From this point we still had a few miles climbing over rocks in the wash to get back to the truck.

We saw this cool natural arch up at the top of one of the cliffs. It’s so nice to have a camera that can zoom in as it was quite a ways up.

It ended up that the hike was longer than five miles. Our leaders hand held GPS said it was just over six miles, but two other people with cell phones said their apps said it was closer to eight miles. So, we hiked between six and eight miles, and it took six hours. I felt bad for Kevin. He was not feeling 100%, and he was dragging.

Luckily, tomorrow we will be sitting in the truck for about fourteen hours as we begin our trek north for family events. Our sore muscles will have a chance to rest.

On Wednesday evening we will arrive in Lincoln, Nebraska. We’re staying with Korey and Cathryn for three nights so we can attend Cathryn’s graduation events. She is graduating from Creighton University in Omaha with a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy. We’re so proud of her.

On Saturday we will leave Nebraska and drive on to Wisconsin for Christmas with the family. Korey and Cathryn will join us on the 23rd for a few days. Lots of wonderful family time coming up!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Happy Birthday Kevin

Today is Kevin’s 59th birthday. One more year, and he will reach a milestone. I told him we would do whatever he wants on his birthday, so I’m not sure what we’ll be doing today. Maybe nothing. I’ve been keeping him pretty busy with hiking, pickleball, shuffleboard, bike riding, swimming and walking. We are going to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. It’s one of his favorite places, and he loves the Onion Blossom. Whatever we do, I’m glad to spend another birthday with the best husband in the world!

The weather has been a bit odd the last week. Lots of clouds which is unusual for Yuma, but highs still in the mid to upper 70s. The clouds do make for some beautiful sunrises.

…and sunsets.

We actually had .25 inches of rain last week. The next morning started out with some fog in the mountains.

On Monday we joined the hiking group for another hike into the surrounding desert and mountains. It was a three mile hike with lots of climbing up and down on rocky ground.

Our first stop was a cross that someone erected on top of a peak.

There is also a bench up there. A beautiful spot for some reflection. Although it was cloudy, we could see for miles. Somewhere down there is our RV park. This is the foothills area of Yuma. The trails you see are used by hikers and ATV riders.

 

 

 

We climbed back down and crossed a wash a few times. Then we headed up another peak. At the top was an abandoned gold mine. I was expecting some type of structure like you see in the movies, but it is just a hole in the ground. Pretty dangerous, actually.

Four years ago when we were in Yuma with our friends Al and Joan, we tried three times to find this mine. I don’t think we ever came close. Good thing we had our hiking leader because I’m sure I would never find it again.

This picture shows where we came from although you can’t see if unless you zoom in. In the front is the mine hole. The peak behind the couple in the red and light blue shirt is where the cross is. We scrambled up and down like a group of mountain goats. Well, some of us scrambled better than others. Although the hike was only three miles, it felt much longer with all the climbing.

There are lots of hummingbirds flying around the RV resort. I have a small feeder attached to the side of the fifth wheel outside the window where my chair is. Every morning I have visitors.

I think these are Anna’s hummingbirds. If the light hits them right, their heads are a beautiful fuchsia color. Other times they just look green. My feeder is mostly in the shade. When the sun hits them, they are even brighter and more beautiful. I never knew hummingbirds made noise, but you can hear them all over the park. I never tire of watching them.

Please remember that if you click on the go button in the Amazon box at the top right of this blog, you will pay the same prices you normally would, and we will get a small credit from Amazon. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Rain in Yuma

We’re getting the first rain we’ve had since we arrived in Yuma on October 16th. Its actually just a little drizzle and has been very sporadic, but the news people are quite excited about it. It has been cloudy since Monday, which is very unusual. Normally, the sun shines every day.

The clouds and drizzle are due to a front that has been dumping significant rain in California. They certainly need it, and I’m glad they are getting some drought relief. Unfortunately, it sounds like they are getting too much of a good thing and experiencing some floods and mudslides. I’m looking forward to the sun shining again.

On Monday we joined the resort’s hiking club for their first hike of the season. It was advertised as being easy. We ended up hiking a total of six miles into the foothills, including some scrambling up rocky inclines and walking along a wash. I would have rated it as a more moderate hike.

We had a good time and enjoyed the workout. I have to take my hat off to some of the older people. The leader of the group, Everett, and his wife Nancy are in their 70s. I think they could hike circles around us.

We’re going to join the group again next Monday when we’ll be doing a eight mile hike back into the foothills. There is an abandoned mine out there that we will be our destination. Last time we were in Yuma, we tried three times to find that mine with our friends Al and Joan, and never had any luck.

We ordered some pickleball paddles and yesterday was the first day we were able to play with them. They are a little lighter than the ones you can borrow from the resort. I don’t think they improved my game any, but I still had fun.

I’ve been doing some sewing here in Yuma. I finished a set of placemats for us. I’m happy with how they turned out. I used some different fabrics on parts of them, so they would not be exactly the same. Kind of like in those Highlights magazines when I was a kid. Can you find the three differences :)

Thanks to those of you that have ordered from Amazon using the link above. Just click on the go button at the top right in the Amazon box and you will be taken to their site. The prices you pay are the same, and we get a small credit. Your support is greatly appreciated!!!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Happy Thanksgiving

Kevin and I want to wish all of our family and friends a very Happy Thanksgiving.

We have had another great year and have so much to be thankful for including our family, friends, good health and being able to enjoy our full time RVing life. We are nearing the fifth anniversary since we began this adventure, and can’t believe how lucky we are.

We don’t have much planned for today. Since the RV park put on a Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday, we aren’t going to cook a big turkey dinner. Most of the people here are Canadian. They celebrate Thanksgiving in October, so for them it is not a holiday.

We will talk to our family, Kevin will watch some football, and we’re playing pickleball this morning with our friends. Since it is supposed to be 84 degrees today, I’m sure we’ll be heading to the pool later in the afternoon.

Also, for those of you who will be shopping at Amazon for Black Friday or Cyber Monday, please remember that if you click on the go button in the Amazon box at the top right of this blog, you will pay the same prices you normally would, and we will get a small credit from Amazon. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Thanksgiving RV Resort Style

Yesterday was the Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by the RV Resort. People had been encouraged all month to sign up at the activity office in groups of 20 per table.

Our table included Bernie and Cathy, a couple from Saskatchewan whom we have been spending time with playing pickleball and swimming in the pool. There were also a few other couples that we had met before and some people we didn’t know at all. This is a nice way to get to make some new friends.

The resort supplied the turkey and gravy. Everyone at the table signed up for a dish to pass. Each group could also decorate their table with a chance to win a pizza party for the best decorations. Our group gathered together items we had in our RVs and had a very nice table, but we didn’t win. Some of these groups really went all out.

The food was all delicious. Many of the people here are Canadians so we had some food items that are not traditional for an American Thanksgiving like meatballs and pirogues. It’s nice to experience other traditions. I brought a sweet potato casserole, a favorite in our family.

The weather here in Yuma has been beautiful the last few weeks. Highs in the mid to high 70s and sunny every day. The sunrises and sunsets in the desert are often breathtaking. Here are a few examples from the last week.

We have been keeping busy with activities at the resort. On Mondays we go to shuffleboard. Tuesday and Thursday mornings we’ve been playing pickleball with Bernie and Cathy and other couples who want to pick up a game. Some days we go to the pool in the afternoon for some swimming exercise and a nice soak in the hot tub.

We also walk or bike an hour most mornings for our daily exercise. With all of this exercise, you’d think the pounds would just fall of, but that’s not happening.

We also went to the Yuma flea market and found LED bulbs at a good price. I think this coming week we may go to Los Algodones, Mexico and see what we can find there. I’ve been hearing about people who have gotten great deals on new glasses, so I may just get a new pair of prescription sunglasses for driving.

The fall is flying by. In three weeks we’ll be heading to Nebraska for Cathryn’s graduation from grad school and then on to Wisconsin for Christmas. We are very much looking forward to seeing our family, but not looking forward to the cold and snow!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

A Beautiful Moon

Last week we had a couple of evenings with beautiful full moons. Here is the moon rising over the foothills just to the east of us.

A little later it was still gorgeous. Other than gazing at the moon, we’ve been busy attending activities here in the park. We’ve played shuffleboard a few times and went to a pickle ball lesson. We met a nice couple from Canada and this morning we got together to play pickle ball with them. We played three games in an hour and got a very good workout. We have plans to play with them again on Thursday morning. We also went to a Welcome Back dinner on Saturday evening. The resort supplied a spaghetti dinner with beer, wine, soft drinks or water and cake for dessert.

Yesterday they had a WOW (Welcome to our World) party for first timers at the resort. They had cheese and crackers, veggies and dip, fresh fruit and beer and wine. They sure do a nice job entertaining their customers. We were also given a free round of golf.

Last Sunday we went to Quartermaster Depot State Park in Yuma for a farmer’s market. There were just a few vendors, and none of them were selling anything we were interested in. We did look around the visitor center. The site was a military supply depot back in the day. They had a display about water usage and dams in Arizona. It was quite interesting to learn about how important water is and how it is supplied.

This car is sitting on part of a remaining plank road which was built in the early 1900s to travel across the sand dunes west of Yuma. Can you imagine driving for many miles on these bumpy boards.

As the dunes shifted, the road would have to be cleaned off or even moved. If you drove off the edge, you were bogged down in sand. I’m glad roads have been improved! An older gentleman was standing next to me as I was reading the plaque. He told me that he remembered seeing the remains of the plank road as a small child when his family drove from California to Arizona.

The weather the last few days has been in the high 80s. We’ve been making use of the pool almost every afternoon. The next week is forecast to cool down a bit with highs in the low 80s to high 70s. Perfect. I hope all of you being affected by this cold front covering much of the country stay warm!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Sur-prise, Sur-prise, Sur-prise!!

Those of you old enough to remember Gomer Pyle will recognize the above title as one of his expressions. That’s how I felt last Friday evening.

We met a couple from Alberta that had a 2015 Jayco Pinnacle. Of course, we had to compare each other’s units. Ian stopped over here first and Kevin brought him inside to see ours. Then he invited us over to see their one year newer unit.

It is beautiful with some nice changes, but there are also a few things in ours that I like better. One of the main changes is that it has a residential refrigerator. It really didn’t seem that much bigger than ours, and they’ve been having trouble with it not having enough battery power to last overnight if they want to stay at a truck stop.

However, as we were sitting and chatting Ian asked us if we knew about the drawer and cabinets surrounding the fireplace. No, we thought those were just wood trim pieces.

Well, sur-prise, sur-prise, sur-prise. There is a large drawer above the fireplace and two cabinets on the sides. How exciting. More storage!!!

Last Saturday we played 9 holes of golf at the course here at the park. It is a regular par 36, but not very difficult. No water or sand traps. Lots of narrow fairways. It was actually cheaper to play on the weekend. The price was not bad, but the course was just okay. Maybe we’re just not used to desert golf.

The weather has cooled down. We’re getting a breeze from the North, so our highs have been in the upper 70s and lows in the 50s. Don’t worry about us though. By the weekend it is going to be back in the 80s.

There was happy hour at the pool this afternoon. Many people were wearing jackets. We went swimming. The pool water is very warm, and the hot tub is even warmer. We heard some comments about those crazy northerners.

This week starts a list of many activities in the park. We’re going to try pickle ball, shuffleboard, and I’m going to check out the quilting group. This morning was the first of monthly craft fairs in the park. We walked around, but nothing grabbed me. There were a few people with small quilted items. It just amazed me how inexpensive they sell their work for.

I got my sewing machine back from the repair place last week. Apparently, it needed the timing fixed and a tune-up. I’m back to working on some projects, and my machine is humming along just like new. That makes me happy, happy!!

So, we’re finding plenty to keep us as busy as we want to be. Hope our northern friends are keeping warm. We saw there was that nasty four letter word (snow) for some of you :(

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!