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TRAVELOGUE # 10 - Exploring AZ - Mittry and Martinez Lakes, Castle Dome Ghost Town, Palm Canyon

Tuesday January 10 - Tuesday January 17, 2017

Published March 15, 2017

After exploring and leaving Yuma, I drove north to a neat area around Mittry Lake where camping is free. I found a spot near a boat ramp and picnic area. There were a lot of RVs camping in the area, but spread out so it didn't feel crowded at all. I spent several nights there and hiked in and around the area during the day. The roads in and out of the area are unpaved, but not hard to drive on. Just slow. Then I drove north to Martinez Lake where a number of Escapees Solos have been camping on and off all winter. Camping there was only $3/night. This was all "dry" camping, or camping without hookups to electricity and water and sewer. By the time I got there, there were only about half a dozen Solos left. The camping was next to a resort/boating community and there were restaurants and a store and other amenities. I had just found them and pulled in, and we got into cars and drove back into Yuma for Happy Hour with some other RV folks at Marti and Dennis's house! We went out to dinner several other times. Sunna and I explored throughout the village and surrounding desert, and then Gail Foster and I went up to a wildlife refuge visitor center with views of the lake and surrounding area.

Most folks were going to Quartzsite for the big annual RV events next, but I wanted to do some exploring along the way (it was only about 80 miles to Quartzsite) so I left a few days before I planned to get there. First I stopped at Castle Dome City at the end of a 13 mile dirt road, a very well preserved "ghost" town and living museum showing the lives of miners in the 1800's. Lots of interesting artifacts and scenes in the various buildings. Next, I wanted to see Palm Canyon, the only grove of these native palm trees perched in a steep crevasse in the mountains which only gets sunlight for about an hour a day! So I drove down another long dirt road and found a spot about a half mile from the parking area on the side of the road to camp for the night, free. There were no lights at all and no moon, so the stars were just amazing! In the morning, I started up around 10am with Sunna. It was a pretty rugged trail, but we made it. When we got to where you could see the palm trees, they were still in deep shadow, so we settled in to wait. A few other folks appeared and waited with me. One guy had climbing gear and he crossed over the deep ravine and climbed up to where the palm trees were. Way too difficult for me to tackle. Gradually the sunlight moved over and finally lit up the palm trees. It was worth waiting for! There were some other species of palm nearby, but this one native tree is very rare and only a few individuals are found anywhere else in Arizona. There were so few people around, that I let Sunna run around so she enjoyed it too! Just hanging out in this beautiful place was a treat!

So after a few hours up in the hills, we headed back out to the main road and on to Quartzsite! That will be in the next installment!

 

This was the view from my chair next to my RV :) Below, American Coot - very common all winter in the SW.

Sun setting on the hills. I was near a launching ramp and dock, so there were a lot of folks fishing from time to time.

Ah, sunset!

Early morning birds, before anyone came to the dock. Above, an eared grebe (I think). Below: a Great Blue Heron and a Great Egret. Too bad about the railings!

Above: the view from a hilltop looking west. Most folks were camped near the water, but spread out. Below, I'm the RV on the right.

Above, I think this is a Ruddy Duck... Below, we walked around the end of the lake, this is the view looking back.

Moonrise

Full moonlight above, Great Egret below.

LAKE MARTINEZ:

Above, view from the village on the hill. Below, a few of the Solos and me. There were others in different spots.

Sunna looks happy, don't you think? Below, view of Castle Dome in the distance.

Male Costa's Hummingbird at the Wildlife Refuge. Common in the desert January - March. Below, wonderful color when the sun caught his throat. So glad the sign is in focus!

Above, Gail and me at one of the viewpoints.

Above, another view of Castle Dome Rock (on left). Below, the mountains to the east. See the big white weather balloon? They put them up in several places on a tether and you can see them for miles.

Northern Shoveler (above)

Views of the upper part of Martinez Lake

CASTLE DOME CITY:

This is part of the long dirt road that led to Castle Dome City.

Brief history: Castle Dome City was both a mining town and a steamboat landing on the Colorado River off and on from 1860 to as late as 1978. Mining mostly silver, but some lead during the 1940's. One of the best preserved ghost down and museums I've seen.

This shows the center of town: Stone building on right is the bank, ahead is the church and to its left the hotel, mercantile on the far left.

Above, inside the bank. Below, inside the church.

These two photos were the foundry and livery service.


This display of old glass was amazing. The photo doesn't really show the pink tint of all the glassware - due to imperfections in the glass, I understand.

Above: this ix the Ocotillo cactus - all greened out. See one not yet green one below.

Above, view from the doctor's office. Below, Doctor's office in the tallest building in town on a hilltop.

One of the mine openings.

Ocotillo again, this one just starting to green up. Otherwise, looks almost dead. They go completely dormant in the heat of summer and come back alive when it is cooler and there's some rain.

Cemetery and mine.

Final view of Castle Dome Rock.

PALM CANYON:


Very jagged peaks - and lots of steep canyons.


In the afternoon sun. The shadows on the hill behind the RV are where we're going tomorrow. You could camp anywhere near the road, but not farther in.

Above: sun setting on the hills Below, starting up to the canyon.

We're heading pretty much straight up to the "V"

Above and below: two views of the plain from the trail - second photo is about 20 minutes later... You can compare the cinder cone for perspective.

Only this small sign let you know where they were. You can see the trees in the middle of the photo in a vertical crack. Still in shade.

Above and below, still in full shade. Only about 40 individual trees. Only remaining survivors.

Above, some different palm trees. Below, people had left fronds from the native palms, kind of a fan palm.

Above, the head of the canyon. Below, the hiker crossing the ravine.

Above, palms, upper right, are still in the shade. Look at the lower right and you can see the orange of the hiker's pack. This photo gives you a sense of how steep it was.
Below, first tree to get some sun! Watch as the sun covers more and more of the trees.

This was a single individual in a different crevasse.

Below: you can see that one tree in the upper right corner of this whole wall of rock.

Sunna had fun. I'm not sure she appreciated the trees as much as I did :)

Next stop:

Next installment - Quartzsite AZ and RV events, Lake Havasu, and back into California

 

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