Playing the Slots and the Mother Road

I had Deb snap a few pictures of the Craggy Wash camping area as we drove out.  I really should have taken pictures farther down the road.  Things got much more interesting the farther down the road you went.  The group of RVs nearest the highway were usually the more familiar motor homes and trailers, with the occasional exception of a very trashy trailer or someone sleeping in their car.  Farther down the road were more tents and campsites set up with all their paraphernalia piled up around the car or tent.  We saw some interesting converted school busses, several RVs that looked like they should have been retired decades ago and vehicles looking quite abandoned.  One thing that was a bit surprising, however, was how quiet it got last night.  As soon as it got dark, no one made a sound, and since no one had any campfires, the air was pristinely breathable.  We had the windows open all night and the low 60’s breeze made for wonderful sleeping.

We drove back to the SARA park, where we had ridden our bikes yesterday.  This was a bit of a conundrum for Deb, who struggled with the question: do we go back there or do we continue on the trip. Going back there meant we would spend more on diesel fuel since we would come back this way again on our way out.  Doubling back the 18 miles or so would consume an additional two gallons of fuel or more, and at over five bucks a gallon...

We went back.  We had breakfast in the parking lot and set out on the trail to Sara’s Crack, a slot canyon that we found out later was rated by one of our guides to be one of the best slot canyons on the lower Colorado River.  Below the slot, the canyon continued to the water’s edge of Lake Havasu.

The extra fuel was well spent.  And the early morning start gave us plenty of shade for most of the hike.  The slot wasn’t the narrowest slot canyon I have been in, that honor goes to Spooky Canyon in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Park.  However, it was a delightful hike, with some significant challenges as there were drops in the trail of as much as seven feet.  The seven-footer had a knotted rope which could be used to rappel down the steep drop off, all the other drops were just scrambles or jumps down the rocks.

After the slot opened up into a wash, it was another mile or so until the trail ended at the lake and we were treated to some great views of the water and the surrounding mountains.

We got to enjoy the trail and the slot all over again on the way out.  Nearing the top, I saw a movement just before I stepped on it and I stopped.  A snake was crossing the trail.  The signs warn about rattlesnakes in the desert so I shouldn't have been surprised, but there it was, big as life at about 24 inches long, seeming unconcerned as it slithered into some bushes on the side of the trail. 

The trail was a total of five miles, round trip, and took us about three hours.

Back in Lake Havasu City, we stopped at the BLM Regional Office, but they had surprisingly little information they could give us on this and surrounding BLM lands.  Since it was noon, we ate lunch in their parking lot.

Heading north again, we were aiming to take a section of Route 66 through Oatman, Arizona, a tiny town nestled in the mountains that is known for its staged shootouts, wooden sidewalks, and lots of wild burros roaming the streets.  One of the things on my bucket list is to drive Route 66, so this is a partial realization of that goal.

The road to Oatman is narrow and winding and sports a speed limit that continues to decrease from 45 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour when entering town.  We saw lots of people camping off in the sagebrush as there are many dispersed camping areas along the way.  The scenery is breathtaking the entire way, as the road winds through the Black Mountains.

The town of Oatman seemed perched precariously on the edges of steep hills, and the narrow road through town would only support one car at a time.  The only parking available was more suitable for passenger cars.  I felt huge.  I didn’t get any pictures because I was carefully navigating this impossibly large vehicle through the tiny street, avoiding  people, burros, and other cars in the process.  We probably should have stopped, but wanted to see more of the actual Route 66 before we ran out of daylight.

The speed limit after Oatman was 20 miles per hour.  There were a lot of 10 and 15 mph curves.  It was even steeper and narrower than the section of road before Oatman, climbing up a mountain towards Sitgreaves Pass.  Along the way were several old mineshafts, homesteads, and one large mining operation that was still active.  This road was one of the more challenging roads I have driven, due to the narrow, steep, and curvy path, and even was a bit scary at times, since the edge dropped off steeply, with no shoulder.  The other edge hugged the hill and threatened to hit my awning at times if I took the curve too sharp.  It was quite a fun drive.  I never knew this section existed.

20 miles of this took over an hour to drive. Just over the top of the pass, a lone burro stood in the road, not caring that this large vehicle was careening towards him at 10 miles per hour.  I stopped on the way by and snapped his picture out the window.  He never flinched.

At the end of the curvy section stood a tourist trap-style gas station and gift shop.  We stopped for a picture of one of their signs.

I survived, indeed.

We rolled in to Kingman, AZ and stopped at the information center to stretch our legs.  We decided to continue on Route 66 and avoid the Interstate as Interstates are just ... well ... boring freeways.  Much more interesting to take the smaller roads.  And, no trucks. This can maybe be added to our “Worlds Largest” list as this section of Route 66 is the longest continuous section remaining, at 159 miles from the California border to where it joins I-40 at exit 139.

The next 100 miles or so was a very enjoyable and beautiful section of road through mountains and valleys, very sparsely populated, and very few cars on the road.  I looked for the turn-off to Hualapai Hilltop, where we started the arduous trek to Havasu Falls decades ago, but I missed it somehow.

We made dinner in the post office parking lot in Seligman, right across the street from the Route 66 Motel.  I thought their neon sign was cool and managed to take a picture of it and the rising full moon.