Settling In To A January Groove

It takes only a couple of (slightly boring) hours to drive from Katherine's Landing on Lake Mohave to Lake Havasu State Park...

But we enjoy this route south more for the Colorado River Corridor's warm sunny weather than eye candy. I suppose it's is scenic enough, if one's cup of tea is taken without cream and sugar. It's a pretty desolate landscape...as in "pretty" and "desolate." 

I'm more a Sonoran Desert Rat than Mohave, probably because I grew up in southern Arizona. It's lush with vegetation, populated by statuesque saguaros, lime green paloverdes, bean pod mesquites and the ever-present aromatic creosote bush. There is no describing the clean, pungent smell of creosote after a rain. 

A windy hike Cattail Cove State Park

Having hiked the lakeshore trail from Havasu State Park's overflow section (basically a parking lot) to well beyond London Bridge umpteen times, we opted for a 20 minute drive south to Cattail Cove State Park. Hopefully we can escape steady winds with gusts to 30 mph. It might be 58 degrees, but the "chill factor" is below freezing. 

The trail hugs the windy lakeshore going out. But we connected a series of protected washes for the return trip where, believe it or not, it feels too warm for our still-thick blood.

Bobbie even has to shed her jacket

After three days of wind we decided to head inland to a better forecast. The drive south from Havasu to Parker is a gorgeous canyon drive, interspersed with lake and river views. A little over three hours later we were looking for a Arizona State Trust Land boondock in the foothills of Vulture Mountain, where coyotes serenade you to sleep and green saguaros are swollen from recent rain. 
First order of business is a bike ride on a few old mining roads...

An old hermit lived on this  claim. It looked like a junkyard full of relics, and he had gated entry with about 40 signs telling potential trespassers to stay the hell out or suffer the consequences.

We pedal through pristine desert, often pushing our bikes up Vulture Mountain's steep, loose foothill roads...soaking up sun and sixty-some degree weather. It's impossible for me to be here without having flashbacks to my youth. I'm not feeling to "wordy," so I'll spare you the stories.

After the bike ride it occurred to me that it had been a couple/three years since summiting Vulture Mountain. 
It's good to have goals for tomorrow, don't you think? It keeps life interesting. 
Peace out,
Mark and Bobbie, on the road to nowhere in particular.