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.