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.
Friday, March 14, 2025
Sold the Aluma Trailer
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
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.
Friday, March 07, 2025
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:
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.
Sunday, March 02, 2025
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.
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.
Saturday, March 01, 2025
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.
Thursday, February 27, 2025
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.
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
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:
Sunday, February 23, 2025
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:
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.
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.
Friday, February 21, 2025
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.
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.