Days 27 and 28: Hoover Dam, Mojave Preserve, and Giant Sequoia National Park

Day 27: Vegas to Mojave Preserve via detour to the Hoover Dam

I wake up around 9.  The place I plan to camp is about 100 miles away so I am in no big rush to get there.  I shower and pack up my shit.  I check out with no major issues.  I lug all my stuff out to the parking garage and throw it in my truck.  I set my course for the Hoover Dam.

About half way there, I pass an exit with a McDonalds.  Since I was deprived of a cheeseburger last night and because some McDonalds have free Wi-Fi, I decide to stop. I get my cheeseburger.  It is delicious. I see a guy sitting in the corner with his computer.  Bingo!  I head back to my truck. I don’t want to go back in to the McDonalds that I just came out of so I sit in my truck and update my blog.  I feel super cool when a family walks right by me.  I spend about an hour editing and uploading the pictures I want and then head on my way.  I see a sign for the Hoover Dam: Tune to AM 510 for tourist info.  Ok, I will do that!  I tune to the station and there is nothing but static.  Static that my engine is causing interference with.  Totally weird, the static reflects the revving of my engine.  I am amused and leave it there for a while.  Finally, I hear the tour info through all the fuzz.  Enough of this, back to my iPod!  

I get to the security checkpoint for vehicles. Any weapons or dangerous things? The guy asks.  Nope. (Except for the 3 knives I have in my truck/on me…)  I get pulled to the side.  They want to check under my bed cover.  The guys ask if I am moving. Nope, just traveling.  Apparently they had been talking about Alaska right before I came up.  Funny. I make it to the actual dam around 1.  It is absolutely magnificent. 

Pictures don't do it justice!

I head to the tour center.  They run me through a scaled down version of airport security.  Take everything out of your pockets, etc.  At least I don’t have to take off my shoes.  I throw my sunglasses, wallet, phone, chap stick, knife, and cash in the bin.  Oh wait, I have no cash.  I lost all $13 I had at the casino…. I wonder if the knife is ok.  They don’t say anything and send me on my way.

I decide to do the top of the line tour.  It starts at 1:30 so I wander through their exhibit area.  The stats about the dam are staggering.  It was basically put together like legos.  The maximum aggregate size is 8 inches.  I am used to seeing a max of ¾ inches.  I head back to where the tour starts. There are about 30 of us and they shove us all into an elevator with a guy who cannot stop sneezing.  A couple of the tourists become rather disgruntled by this.  We descend hundreds of feet into the dam.  We make a stop in one of bypass tunnels used to redirect water during the construction and then stop at the generators.  Everything is just so big!!

That's some big aggregate for a big dam!

Looking down from the top of the dam

Sweet concrete arch bridge!

The group then splits up and I get to go see some of the air vents and the stair system that was built inside the dam.  It is absolutely amazing what has been accomplished there. In addition, the new bridge they have built is amazing.  It is a huge concrete arch.  Absolutely stunning.  I stop in the gift shop and buy some souvenirs and then get back on my way. As I am leaving, I notice a sign specifying what is not allowed in the dam area.  No knives.  I guess I got lucky.  Or they don't consider my 3 inch blade too dangerous. 

I am starting to get worried that I won’t make it to the campsite before dark.  Setting up camp in the dark is no fun.  It doesn’t help that I am mildly afraid of the dark, especially when I am out in the middle of nowhere.  I don’t like not being able to see what is coming to potentially kill me.

I drive back the way I came and finally get on my way to the Mojave Preserve. I drive through the desert.  However, it is a different desert than Death Valley.  This desert is full of desert plants.  I end up driving down the Joshua tree highway.  Joshua trees are everywhere!  I really like those trees.  I decide to stop and get some food before I enter the preserve.  Unfortunately, I have passed through one town all day and it was miles ago. I make the turn to the Mojave Preserve without hitting another town.  Luckily I have food with me.  Already, it is different from Death Valley.  Where is the visitor center?  No where that I have found yet.

Joshua Tree!

I drive and drive and finally find myself on a dirt road.  I see very few people and no civilization.  Only a few abandoned structures and some cows.  Google maps and the Preserve website said nothing about having to drive on a dirt road.  I drive for 12 miles down this dirt road.  My truck has decided that it wants to honk every time I hit a bump.  I am constantly hitting bumps.  Very annoying.  I think I may need to disconnect my horn for a bit….

Lovely dirt road...

I finally get to the camp and no one is there.  Shit. I don’t like this at all.  At least my mom knows where I am and is expecting a call from me tomorrow, even if she is thousands of miles away.  I pick a spot and start to pull my shit out. Tent, sleeping bag, firewood…  I try to decide what to set up first.  I decide on fire.  I pull out my spiffy fire starting matches.  The first one blows out in the wind, then the second, and the third.  Luckily, the 4^th time is the charm.  I throw some small wood on the fire and set up some bigger logs to catch over them.  I decide to let it be and set up my tent.  Wait a minute, what the hell am I thinking?  It is quite windy. And I am completely by myself in the middle of nowhere.  I am sleeping in the cab tonight. I put my tent away and pull out my sleeping bag and pillow and throw it in the backseat.  Perfect! I am just short enough to be comfortable!  Well as comfortable as one can be in the backseat of a truck.

The trusty T Rex at the campsite

I look back at my fire which has started to die.  No no! I need that going before it is dark!  I run over and throw some more small logs.  After 15 minutes of work it is finally going enough to warm food on.  I pull out a can of chili and stick it in the fire.  A bit later, I hear it starting to simmer.  I stir it up and end up eating most of it while it still sits in the fire (which is really rather pathetic).  I try to watch the sunset while all of this is going on.  It is really rather pretty but I miss most of it. 

Sunset!

At the conclusion of my gourmet dinner, it is getting pretty dark.  Time to get in my truck.  I hop in and put on my pajamas.  I pull out my laptop and start writing.  This is camping at its finest!  Sleep in the car with a computer for entertainment!  This wouldn’t be too bad except for the fact that I am completely alone.  It is really kind of scary.  Luckily, I think T Rex’s metal walls will keep me pretty safe.  As long as he starts up in the morning and I don’t somehow lock my keys in the truck, we will be golden!  The wind is really starting to pick up.  I am really glad I am not in my tent right now!  I don’t think I am emerging from my truck until daylight hits again. I think I might be over this whole camping by myself thing.  It is a little stressful. Anyway, time to do some reading, and maybe some stargazing.   

Day 28: Mojave to Giant Sequoia National Park

It is really windy all night.  My truck shakes pretty badly a few times.  I sleep ok.  I have a lot of random dream and wake up a lot. I have one dream where I go swimming at the pool and come out and decide to sleep in my truck.  I wake up (in my dream) and my truck is completely destroyed.  Somehow I didn’t notice even when I was sleeping in it.  In my dream, I start completely freaking out and yelling at a lot of people. I then wake up in real life, slightly panicked.  I notice that it is daylight.  Excellent, 7 am. Time to get the hell out of here. This is way too solitary for me.  I quickly pack up and cross my fingers that the T Rex will start up.  He does. I let him warm up for a bit.  The windows are a little frosty.  As I am sitting there, a truck drives by.  Thank God, people do still exist in the world.  I don’t know how people camp by themselves in the middle of nowhere.  I really don’t like it.  I also have decided I don’t much like camping in deserts.  It is just weird to me.  The woods are more natural to me and make me feel better. 

One nice thing about being in the desert is that all the dust in the air helps keep my hair from getting too greasy.  Just like a dust bath for my chinchillas!  The dirt at this campsite reminded me of kitty litter. Another nice thing is that I now smell like a campfire. I guess that is nice for most people. Unless you don’t like the smell of campfires.  I head back down the dirt road and back to civilization.  I see cars in the park.  Where the hell were they last night?  Not where I was camping.  I get to a paved road finally.  I drive down it for a ways.  At one point, the asphalt on it is reddish brown.  Weird. Even weirder, when looking at it in my front window it is reddish but when looking at it in any or my mirrors, it looks black.  Interesting. 

I hit the highway about an hour later.  It is a pretty unpopulated area of the highway but I manage to find a Subway and decide to stop for breakfast.  I am not making the same mistake I did with Death Valley of not eating.  I take the exit and see a fire station. I stop and ring the bell.  I stand there for a while. Maybe no one is home… finally two sweaty firemen showed up.  I guess I bothered them while they were working out.  They are really nice and chat for a bit and find a patch for me.  I head down the road to the Subway.  I see three tour buses outside.  The inside is full of 3 tour buses worth of Asian tourists, most of whom don’t speak English.  The subway employees are going crazy due to the language barrier.  It is rather comical.  I am sure one day I will be a dumb American tourist in some Asian country causing problems…. After about 20 minutes, I finally get to order.  Breakfast sandwich and coffee.  Yum!

I head on down the road.  I see a sign that warms of “rough roads” ahead.  What rough roads?!?! T Rex eats rough roads for breakfast and dinner!  Well he did last night and this morning at least!  The road is not that rough. I drive through very unpopulated areas for a while.  My gas gauge starts running low and I get a little concerned. While there are no stops, at least there are other people on the road with me.  I finally find a gas station and fill up. I drive some more and notice a field full of wind turbines.  There are hundreds, maybe thousands.  Kind of cool!

I make a turn to another highway and the scenery changes.  There are people and towns everywhere!  And trash.  Lots of trash by the side of the road.  People also are driving like assholes. And there are a lot of weird smells everywhere.  I drive by lots of cows and orange groves. Fun fun.  I keep going and as I near the park, things start to thin out again.  I stop at a market to get some hot dogs.  I am camping in style tonight! 

I head on into the park.  $20 just to get in and another $18 to camp.  I could be sleeping in a real bed tonight for less!  Oh well, it is about being close to nature, right?  I get to the campground and drive around it twice trying to pick a spot. I want to be close to people but not too close to make them feel smothered…. I don’t want to be on the outskirts either.  I finally decide on a place.  I meet the first criteria.  In hindsight, it is kind of on the outskirts.  Too late to change now.   It is only about 3 so I take my time setting up.  I wander around and check out the area.  I set up my tent and make sure to get the rain fly nice and secure.  I still have not decided if I am going to attempt the tent again or just sleep in the truck.  I feel a lot better in this forest setting than in the desert.  More what I am used to I guess. There are onlyyy black bears here and they are generally scared of people… But I am kind of scared to be honest.  Camping without family or friends is not so fun for me.  Well it is fun, until it gets dark and I can’t see anything anymore….

My site.  Notice how tight my tent is set up....

Really quite inviting, eh?

This place, and the west in general reminds me of my grandmother who died when I was 11.  I remember my family talking about taking a trip out west.  She died before that ever actually happened.  Anyway, I decide to write her a letter and distribute pieces of it at places I go that remind me of her. I write the letter and wander down to the stream near the campsite.  I rip off the very top part, crumple it up, and throw it in the stream.  Ok, that is totally littering and maybe illegal in a national park. At least it is biodegradable. I keep seeing signs that say the fine for littering is $1000.  Is that only if they catch you in the act?  I also see lots of signs that say $142 for no seat belt.  Who picked that number?!?  Anyway....

I head back to my site and get a fire going.  The fire starter match works on the first try tonight. It is not windy!  I am terrible at making fires.  However, after about 45 minutes of work, I finally have a nice fire going. It is almost embarrassing how long it takes.  I pull out my hotdogs and baked beans and start cooking.  I put the beans in the fire until they simmer and then use my hot dog stick to fish them out.  I skewer a few hot dogs and cook them.  I have a lot left over.  I wander the camp looking for someone who wants them.  My offer is kindly refused a few times before I finally offer them to a family who happily accepts them. 

Cooking!!

It is now pretty dark. I sit down at a picnic table, turn on my lantern, and pull out my post cards.  I have some from Vegas, the Hoover Dam, and Sequoia National forest to write.  As I finish writing them, I realize it is getting quite cold.  Time to get in the sleeping bag.  I pull the sleeping bag out of my tent and put it in my truck.  I pull out my computer and here I am, writing my blog.  I am seriously contemplating getting out of my truck and sleeping in my damn tent. Since I went to all the trouble to set it up and I feel very wimpy and un-Alaskan hiding in my truck. Not to mention there are a number of people all around.  I think I will try the tent.  I can always run and hide in the T Rex if I get too scared…….