The Journey Home - January 2020

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Part seven of our winter adventure. Click here for Part Six.

Arizona, Nevada, California

We headed north from the Tucson area. The weather was good and we wanted to return home via a different route. Arizona's Copper Basin - Winkelman, Globe - passed by our windows. The eastern side of the Superstition  Mountains were next, and then the climb began up onto the Mogollon Rim.

We passed through mountain towns that reminded us of home. We began the descent to the Verde River. We investigated one USFS campground, it did not have the right feel for us to spend the night. Enough daylight remained for exploration up a dirt USFS numbered road to find a lonely dispersed site. We found success along a shallow wash. We were alone. Coyotes yelped and sang through the night.

Morning came with a much too civilized decision for us. Sedona was close. We would go out to breakfast.

The food was very good. I'd go back for their version of Huevos Rancheros. The Lady enjoyed her selection. The prices were what we'd expect for an upscale breakfast place. The shock was four bucks each for our coffee - Farmer Brothers coffee no less. Some things in life are just not right.

We explored the town on foot. The soaring red rock is incredible, especially with a hint of remaining snow. The shops definitely catered to tourists. We did not take the bait to become walking billboards.

Our exit was up the famed Oak Creek Canyon. This we enjoyed, especially the sections with patches of packed snow and ice. We really felt at home now. I told the Lady, "Don't even think about a shovel!"

It was all downhill from Flagstaff. The roads were quiet. We hoped we'd make it into Nevada for the night.

A steep rough track led down into the broad wash. We crawled down in 4x4 low. We were in the backcountry of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.

We followed the road up canyon to a level spot that assured the longest remaining sunlight. We set up camp. Another lovely quiet place - except for the line of Grand Canyon tour helicopters returning to Vegas.

There was something we were looking for. We took advantage of remaining light and headed up canyon.

Layer upon layer of sedimentary rock raised our hopes for success.

Glorious evening light erupted as we turned back down canyon.

We were up before dawn and walked with our mugs of Peets Coffee.

We packed up camp, dropped the top, and I backed off the leveling rocks. I took the truck out of 4x4 low. We had the morning to continue our search and would save time by driving the mile the road continued up canyon. With a short rocky climb ahead, I turned the switch to 4x4 high. Nothing. No indicator light on the instrument panel. No click from the 4x4 module tucked behind the passenger side kick panel. 4x4 was inoperative. I climbed under the truck to examine the wires and connectors to the 4x4 switch motor on the transfer case. Everything was intact. Without four wheel drive, would we be able to climb back up that awful, steep section to exit the wash on our way out?

We still drove to the end of the road without 4x4 and began our search. We'd handle the truck issues later and see how it played out. We would not panic. Besides, it was a beautiful morning. The kind of morning that draws snowbirds to the warmer climes.

We found layers of uplifted and tilted siltstone that was laid down by flowing water in a floodplain. The fossil ripples remained to tell the story.

What were the chances, millions of years ago when this rock was formed, that ancient wild creatures walked across the wet mud and left tracks, evidence of their passing? This is what we were searching for - fossil tracks.

We found broken slabs fallen from the layers above.

There were tracks - birds, a small camel.

And tracks of a canid.

On close examination, another distorted canid track lay to the right of the camel.

A large track from a hoofed animal was on a broken chunk of rock.

We did not have the time to match up these layers with the ones above - still intact. We are anxious to return another time in the future. We continued to search further up the canyon.

The canyon narrowed into a tight shallow slot. The layers were now interspersed with layers of gravel, intriguing and beautiful.

The layers above returned to mostly siltstone.

Except for a dominant layer of light green tinted rock.

Looking back down canyon, the green layer continued.

The interesting rock almost diverted us from our main search, tracking ancient animals. In one tucked away small area we found tracks of another hoofed critter.

I have not yet looked at a geologic map and learned the age of these rocks. I am so curious. What species of animals would that time period link to?

We found just enough up this canyon to insure we will return.

We were elated with our discoveries when we returned to our truck. On the several mile drive out the wash, we considered our options dealing with non functioning 4x4 drive. The first was obvious. Give it a careful try in two wheel drive. The second was start road building. Fill the deep holes dug by spinning tires. The third was contact help.

We reached the exit from the wash. It did not look near as steep as it had grown in our fears. We drove right up without a problem.

We arrived at one of our favorite backcountry campsites up Hole in the Wall Road in Death Valley National Park late afternoon. The usual routine - get camp set up and get out exploring.

The bajada above the wash is a wonderful text book example of desert pavement.

It is an amazing place to walk across and pick up pieces of fossil rich limestone.

Desert Holly.

The Hole in the Wall is a gap in a massive layer of fanglomerate, uplifted and tilted almost vertical.

The higher terrain still held remnants of the christmas snow storm.

No one else was up Hole in the Wall Road. We walked well into the night, the soft crunch of gravel under our feet and the gentle wind were our companions.

Sun lit the camper as we returned from our dawn walk the next morning.

We had seen and done so much during our extraordinary adventure. We reconnected with family. We experienced and explored many new places. And it had all started that first night of the trip - christmas eve - and the lucky phone call to Benton, "Do you have a tub open?"

What would be the perfect end to this trip? The perfect place to spend our last night before returning home?

The healing restorative hot spring waters worked their magic, so did the beautiful evening light.

The End

Addendum: Concerning the 4x4 issue.  Julie pulled out the owner's manual for the truck when we stopped for gas in Henderson, Nevada. She found what fuse covers the 4x4 circuit. I pulled the fuse. It was not blown. I cleaned the prongs with my fingernail before reinserting. 4x4 now worked, but only intermittently. On testing, sometimes it worked, sometimes it did not. Back at home, we replaced every fuse and cleaned all the contacts in the fuse panel. We also found and cleaned every grounding point, including those hidden deep in the dash and behind kick panels. I also cleaned every connection point in the wiring. Thus far, everything is working fine. I have also reacquainted myself with the procedure necessary to manually engage and disengage four wheel drive.

Another addition. The limit switch inside the transfer case motor was also intermittent. We installed a new motor on the transfer case and all works well now.