I tried the Ogilby site first but found the 3 miles of very sandy "road" a bit loose in terms of traction and didn't want to take a chance with rain possible later this week.
I then returned to the junction of CA 159 and the I-8 Super Slab and the Dune Vista site for the Imperial Sand Dunes area proved right. There is a $35/week charge to camp/use the area even though it's BLM land. Welcome to California! I think next time I come to Yuma, I'll stay east of the city in Arizona BLM land.
I got there around 1 PM or so, after having checked out the first site out thoroughly. Both are good signal sites, more isolation at the Ogilby Site overall but more RVs there today.
I tried Yagi on the "established" trails and found her a bit squirrely as usual when on loose sand. I was a bit disheartened but realized that one doesn't have to stick to trails here! Once I started going cross-country so to speak, it got better.
After resting for a bit, I geared up again and went to explore the nearby dunes. I tried to follow tracks when possible but basically steered around the bigger dunes, using the small valleys between them to stay on hard packed sand and climbing up dunes only when they weren't too steep!
I could feel Yagi's rear tire slipping a bit on the way the side of dunes but it wasn't too bad. I did find myself using my feet as outriggers a lot as Yagi would slide sideways sometimes on the looser sand.
As I get more comfortable with these loose sand riding conditions, I hope to go further into the dunes to get more pictures over the next few days.
I also am planning on crossing over the Mexican border on foot to see what there is to see in the town of Algodones. More on this later.
Tonight's sunset wasn't too bad:
4 comments:
I envy your freedom to roam. We have been ordered by our government to keep calm and stay at home.
So far, no talk about restricting travel here at that level SonjaM....that would certainly impeded the economy even more I would think.
Those dunes look like LOTS of fun. I'd need some time there until I had enough confidence to know that a sudden soft spot wouldn't jump up and grab me.
Plenty of those soft spots lurking in the dune..... :)
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