The desert cooled beautifully overnight, so we slept with the windows open and enjoyed the fresh air. By morning, though, the heat was back on. Sheldon finally figured out the mystery behind our A/C problems — just a blown fuse! Luckily, Chuck had a spare in his supply kit.
As I was getting ready, I realized I’d forgotten my magnifying makeup mirror back at the Schmitts’ (I had a feeling when we left I forgot something) … looks like it’s time to improvise a new way to see what I’m doing!
We took Harley for a good desert walk before Dorothy and Alan prepared a delicious skillet breakfast featuring desert bighorn sheep sausage — it was tasty! Thank you!
The ride covered about 25 miles of rugged desert terrain — stretches of sand, rock, and unique formations, including the quirky “Flintstone House.” Our first beverage break was at the top of a hill where a “crazy sign shrine” marks a popular off-roading stop. A Trail Hero event was underway, so Jeeps and OHVs of every shape and size dotted the landscape, each testing their climbing skills.
Despite the wind shifting the sand, the desert’s life amazed me — tiny white, yellow, and purple blooms pushing through the dust, and bright green thistles adding pops of color. Down in a shaded gorge, we even found a cluster of vibrant poplar trees — a refreshing bit of green amid all the red rock.
The return trip turned adventurous when Dorothy got a bit nervous about a steep rock climb, so we retraced our route looping back instead of crossing over directly. Eventually, we rolled into camp around 4 p.m. having put on 6 miles to cold drinks, guacamole, and onion dip (thank you, Debby!) enjoyed in the shade.
Chuck’s streak of bad luck continued — a slow drip under their trailer turned into another mini project, complete with drilled holes to release the trapped water.
After walking Harley again, we joined Alan and Dorothy for chicken fajitas. The wind kicked up hard, sending sand swirling, so we moved into Chuck and Debby’s trailer for the evening visit.
Later, I snuck back to our trailer for a shower and to finish The Hunting Wives series, while Sheldon came in soon after to shower and hit the sheets. Another dusty, laughter-filled desert day wrapped up perfectly.
The landscape is so unusual and interesting. The marker sure stood out in the barren horizon. Is the Flintstone house man-made or carved out by the environment? The meals sound suptuous!
ReplyDeleteThose rock formations are all nature created just like Drumheller which will be what the area on day 19/20 remind me of
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