Sold the Aluma Trailer

My Aluma 638 Aluminum Utility Trailer has been a steadfast aid since October of 2016.  Her purpose was to carry the Ural Sidecar Rig on camping trips primarily, though she'd end up fulfilling other roles as well over the years.

The beginning: Extending our Range

However, all that subsequent boondocking and dispersed camping caused much wear and tear on the poor trailer.  Aluminum just isn't the material to use for trailering heavy motorcycles such as the Ural Patrol over rough terrain.  All that bouncing and rough trails took its tool and there's been several patching/reinforcement repairs done.

Here's a listing of all trailer related posts, usually involving repairs:  Trailer 

This last camping trip, I'd started thinking about replacing it with a steel trailer for future trailering of the Ural Patrol.  Nearly lost the wheel fenders a couple of times, and ended up screwing on support brackets/panels when I got home.

So, at the start of this week, I put the trailer up for sale on Facebook Marketplace.  A flurry of pings ensued from several people, most of whom expressed interest but then I didn't hear back from.  

This morning, as I contemplated taking the trailer back to the storage yard; I got a ping from a buyer.  Celestino was very communicative and we met up at a nearby park for him to look at it shortly after he first reached out to me.

After a brief inspection, he and I agreed on a price and the deal was done.  I signed away the title to him and he Zell'ed the funds to Martha's account.  Easy Peasy.

I hope he gets years of use out of that trailer, he's going to use it to haul stuff for his auto body repair /restoration company.

Motorcycle Maintenance while Home

There's been several items on the to-do list for my motorcycles.  I've delayed them so I could do the work in the comfort of my garage at home rather than in some wind-swept and dusty campsite.  (That and parts had to be ordered)

Wednesday, March 10

I replaced the battery on Brigitta, my BMW R80 Airhead.  The old battery died on Monday when I tried to go for a ride.  I'd noticed via the voltmeter that the battery wasn't charging as I rode out of the neighborhood and so had turned around and started troubleshooting.

My battery tester said it was bad, but it's also not quite suitable for motorcycle batteries with their low Amp Hour ratings.  Must get a more suitable one in the future.  I also verified via an Autozone tech that the battery was bad.

I replaced it with the same battery, a maintenance-free unit from Amazon (it came full charged)

Installation was straight forward, no issues.  Brigitta started right up and now charges when the RPMs go above 2000.  The battery lasted about 4 years.

Since I was on a roll, I went ahead and swapped the stator on Yagi, my Yamaha TW200 Dual Sport.

Nothing wrong with the one that was installed.  I had recently received back from a neighborhood friend, a refurbished one.  The first swap I had done oh so many months ago had failed (something broken in the stator itself).  

So I had my neighbor who is good at soldering, transfer the good wiring harness from the failed stator and connect it to the known good stator that came with the motorcycle but who's wiring I'd damaged by not routing it correctly.  This had started the whole stator debacle.  Chronological order:

Home Early due to Lack of Spark

Yagi has spark once more ! Kinda... (now waiting for parts)

Boondocking near Westcreek, CO

A Paradigm Shift?

Maybe not so big a Paradigm Shift after all.....Yagi has Spark Again

So, I swapped in the refurbed stator and she fired right up when tested.  I'll keep the known and trusted Partzilla Stator as "known good spare" and ride Yagi with the refurbed one for a while to gain trust.

Great Maps for Finding Dispersed Camping Areas

This past camping trip, I got a notification in FB reels of an offering by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

It's a series of maps which show land ownership.  For instance, it shows what Federal/State agency manages an area or if it's private.  No more wondering if you're on public or private land!

Sure, the BLM and other Federal agencies have published maps both online versions and for sale as paper maps for years and years at their field offices.  Sure, there's pay apps that show land ownership.  

But, these new and free maps, not only give you info on who "owns" or manages the land you're looking to camp in, but also shows your position based on GPS!  There's no doubt as to where you are in relation to the land you're exploring.

The maps also are downloaded to your phone and via the listed app, are available offline.  Heck, you can have it running on your phone while driving letting you know who manages the land you're driving by.  

You can zoom in for road/trail details of course once you've decided to explore an area with this app.

It's what I used, with the New Mexico map, to locate a great camping spot about 30 minutes from Truth or Consequences, NM.  The location isn't on iOverlander which is the primary app I use to find reported "wild camping" spots.

The trouble with using a popular app such as iOverlander is that others can use it to find reported spots, sometimes leading to crowding or small sites being occupied and not available to you.

Here's a link to the maps and the app: Field Maps which allow you to explore in a more certain manner for dispersed camping spots.

Free National Mobile Map Package (MMPK) Program

Finally, something really worthwhile for our tax dollars that's easy to access and use.

As stated in the link above, the 18 BLM states, basically the western half of the US are covered.  Plans are to cover all 50 states eventually.

Here's an animated gif on the process of using the app to get the maps:

source: BLM MMPK Program

Given the initial success I enjoyed using it for the first time last month, I'm very confident this will lead me to other sites away from the "maddening" crowds at "known" sites.

I know, I know, more evidence of my anti-social behavior.   Still, being certain I'm on BLM land is very reassuring when setting up camp somewhere I've never been.

Back home after one more camping day at the Maxwell NWR

Saturday, March 1

I left Elephant Butte at 7AM this morning after saying goodbye to my host, Mike W.  Laura got her goodbye last night as she had to be at work early today.

Driving conditions were sunny, cold but not too cold, windy but not too gusty.  Pretty much perfect driving conditions and traffic.

Seven hours later, I was pulling into the camping area of the Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge less than an hour south of Raton, NM.  I was beat and rested the afternoon away, doing a little bit of exploring with Yagi, my TW200.

I've stayed here before, usually when enroute south going to warmer climes.  

Can you spot Uma?

Closest to the campsite, there were just a few Canadian Geese that were quite swift to take wing.  

I rode towards a farm and along the way I spotted these geese and what I think are Herons!

I managed to stop the motorcycle in time, avoiding spooking them into flight as I slowly walked closer to the fence which bordered the area above.

The rest of the afternoon was spent enjoying the sunshine, using the VRRV to block the increasing windiness. 

Sunday, March 2

I left the Maxwell NWR soon after 7AM.  Less than one hour later, I crossed the border into Colorado using Raton Pass.  A total of 4.5 hours later, I was nearing Buckley Space Force Base to drop off the trailer and Scarlett.  

Once I get the VRRV cleaned up, I'll put it into storage and return home using Scarlett.  This way, I avoid tying up garage space with the trailer while getting things cleaned up.

Overall, a very good camping trip.

Exploring an Unlisted BLM dispersed campsite site and a visit with Mike and Laura W.

February 28, Friday 

Leaving the Gila NF site I decided to drive towards Silver City, NM and from there get on AZ Highway 152 to cross the Black Range Mountains of New Mexico.

Boy, they weren't kidding when they posted a sign saying truckers should find alternate routes!  As it transits the mountains, it has a lot of twisty tight turns!  The VRRV did fine but one had to pay more close attention than usual.  I think it would be a blast on a motorcycle but again, you have to be careful.

There's several NF campgrounds along the way, probably nice to stay at in the heat of summer for it was very cool/chilly at those altitudes.

I finally made it to the highest point of the Black Range: Emory Pass.  I stopped the VRRV at a pull off next to a turn for the vista overlook.  (They really mean it when they post: No Trailers).  I found out the hard way but managed to get Uma turned around after some effort.

Slowly but surely, I made my twisty way down from the mountains and back to valley level as I approached the I-25 Super Slab.  Before I got there though, I'd been monitoring my progress with the BLM map for New Mexico using the FieldMaps app.  (I'll be writing a separate post on this very useful set of maps/system.

I decided to enter a BLM area where I spotted a cattle gate.  As with most BLM areas, the gate isn't locked.  I drove in and found a nice spot away from the road and mostly out of view as well.

There were many of the signs posted around the area:

I saw and rode over to a guy in a white pickup truck, thinking it was the BLM ranger.  Instead, he was a retired senior gentleman, member of the GPAA or Gold Prospectors Association of America.

The 160 acres of which this camping area is a small part, is part of a single mining claim.  The owner allows the GPA and its members to mine for gold, it's apparently available as very small flakes.  (he showed me a pic of previous searches).

Kind of cool but that's a lot of work for such a small amount of gold.  

Here's another view of the area, you can see Uma in the distance.

Wandering around, I spotted an unusual object:

Some kind of water dispenser apparently.  The wheels inside the rectangular slots rotate, and I think, picking up water as cattle lick the wheel to make it move?

Nearby, there was a small water hole or perhaps holding spot:

The above explorations were cut short by going further on towards Elephant Butte, NM.  I was lot docking at Mike and Laura W's driveway.  Mike and Laura are the couple whom I got to know during my Suzuki Samurai Sojourn. 

After dinner, we drove over to a couple nearby friends so I could meet them.  Another great couple: Ed and Lawana.  Ed is a retired deputy police chief from the Seattle area and his wife is quite the crafty one in terms of stitchery, quilting, jewelry, and nutritions!  

It was a great evening with good conversation.  

After saying goodnight to Ed and Lawana, we returned to the W's home and soon were off to our beds.  I slept in the VRRV as I planned an early departure in the morning.

Boondocking in the Gila National Forest, near Lordsburg, NM

Wednesday, February 26

A short driving day today, I wanted to check out the Gila National Forest area north of Lordsburg along US90.  Not great shakes for scenery but its a nice area.

iOverlander showed a spot for camping and that's where I ended up, finally picking a spot big enough for the VRRV and trailer.  Most of the spots are smaller, more suitable for van campers and such.  Still, very secluded and quiet for the most part.

There's only one other "camper" out here in the area with me, about .5 miles away.  He's a car camper from Minnesota.  Not too sketchy looking, but I did wonder what the heck he was doing here over the next couple of days.

This particular camping area reminded me one should pull in one's mirrors when passing through narrow portions of the trail when there's thick bushes alongside the trail.  One of the small auxiliary mirrors got ripped off, but I repaired it easily enough.

I did have one bar of cell signal, enough for texting but really not for surfing.  I powered up Starlink a couple of times.

Thursday, February 27

After a very quiet night and no further campers showing up, I spent the morning doing minor chores and repairs while windy conditions prevailed.

Around 2 PM or so, I rode Yagi, my TW200 to check out the Tyrone Mine further north along US90.

Along the way:

I think if I was McComas, I'd call it more than an incident.

I'd hoped to be able to find an overlook to see into the mine but no luck, so just views of the huge amounts of tailings dug up in search of ore.

eye catching pattern 

US 90 crossed the Continental Divide and there were two spots with trailheads to the CDT or Continental Divide Trail near my campsite:

As I rode south on US90, I checked out likely locations for campsite for future use.  Found several along Gold Gulch Road and Kings Canyon Road.  I marked the spots in my personal google maps for possible future use.  If I had been planning on staying longer in the area, I'd have displaced to a couple of the sites!

Tomorrow I displace to Elephant Butte/Truth or Consequences.  I think I'll be using the route through the mountains instead of retracing my way back to the I-10 Interstate.  We'll see.

Seeking Historic Fort Grant

Monday, February 24

Scarlett and I rode along AZ Hwy 266 towards what Google Maps called Fort Grant AZ State Prison and the village of Bonita.

The road is paved and as one approaches and cuts through a low range of rocky hills.  Nice rock piles to be seen which remind one of minor versions of the large rock piles at the Indian Bread BLM Recreation Area.

I'd hopes there'd be a section at the state prison set aside to showcase the historic beginnings of Fort Grant.  I found nothing of the sort, though I didn't venture too far past the visitor parking lot either.

At the isolated remnants of the village of Bonita, the only "historic" thing I found and it probably not that old, was the old general store:

Do you see Scarlett's reflection?

Retracing my route, I paused to take pictures towards the prison itself.  A large, square and white object atop the mountain had drawn my eye:

Ft Grant AZ State Prison

Riding along Highway 266, there's several spots that are apparently AZ Trust State Lands, some accessible for camping rigs.

I explored one such area, drawn by the remnants of a wind operated water well:

I got back to camp with no issues under sunny skies and warm temperatures.  You do feel a slight chill while riding at speed but it was not bad at all.

Sunset was not bad:

An Almost Relaxing Weekend

Saturday, February 22

No riding, just more relaxing at camp in the gazebo, listening to an audio book and enjoying the solitude.  The expected uptick in traffic presented itself in the form of about 3 ATVs, about 4 pickup trucks and one tow behind pop up camper cruising by on Tanque Road.

There were a couple of yahoos wandering about in a big circle almost 1/4 mile around my camp.  They were hunters apparently as I heard a shotgun go off a couple of time.  They left by noon and good riddance, hunting near camping rigs, morons.

Otherwise, it was a nice warm day, gentle breezes.  

Sunday, February 23

The morning started off in an annoying manner.  I woke, raised the blinds facing the road and here's what I saw:

Over the next few hours, watched them take their dog out and let it poop around the campsite.  Saw one of them take a roll of TP but no shovel into the bushes across the road, you can imagine what was left behind.  

Shitbirds must have snuck in after I went to bed at 9PM last night.  I didn't hear them come in.  They didn't leave till almost 11AM but at least they did finally left, leaving me alone once again.

The site, which is next to the road, is now occupied:

The rest of the morning and all the afternoon was spent regaining my Chi or Qi.  

Had an unexpected visitor stop by for a bit:

I did not expect to see a dragonfly in the middle of a desert area!  

By 4PM, my Qi had recovered enough that I thought I'd ride towards the eastern end of the San Simon River Valley to get a shot of Javelina Peak.

It's roughly ten miles of sandy road with lots of wash boarded sections, but Scarlett did just fine.

Found a good spot to pose her with Javelina Peak in the background.  From this spot, it was still 8 more miles to the Hot Well Dunes Recreation Area where I've camped several times before.

Google Maps had shown there was a rail line crossing the valley north to south, I'd not remembered seeing on in previous visits.  Yep, there is still a rail line, no idea if its active or not:

Riding back was a bit hazardous, not only do you have to contend with the sand and wash board conditions, but the sun is in your eyes!  Oh well.

Made it back to camp with no issues.  Had a nice phone chat from a college buddy who I've not talked to in a long time.  It was good catching up with him.

In a day or three, it'll be time to move closer to Colorado by way of New Mexico.

Uraling the Swift Trail Scenic Byway

Wednesday, February 19

I rode out on Scarlett, my 2014 Ural Patrol, to check out the views from the heights of the nearby Swift Trail Scenic Byway aka AZ Hwy 366, a bit SW from the city of Safford, AZ.  More info on this byway:  LINK

It's a paved and sometimes very twisty road steadily climbing up the sides of Mount Graham, though the road is closed at this time near the top, before one reaches the antenna complex on Heliograph Peak.  The closure is seasonal, and I was too early.

I went from 3000+ feet at the campsite to over 9000 feet in altitude.  It was rather cool up there, and I can see why folks had built some "summer houses" up there when it gets hot down in the valley during summer.  I even saw remnants of snow in the shady areas of the road.

Lots of hairpin turns on this road

Close to the top of Mt Graham and

my turnaround point

Views as I descended back down the byway:

It was roughly a 60 mile round trip for Scarlett, and I returned to the campsite for a restful afternoon.

Thursday, February 20

Woke to a carpet of clouds to the south which produced a dappled cloud look on the mountains to the west.

Spent the day doing not much of anything.  Listening to a book in the gazebo, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Sunset was not bad, I was too lazy to actually go outside to take pictures, these are the ones I took from the VRRV's window: