With all my mail and packages received, I’d gotten everything done that I needed to do in Quartzsite for the time being. It had already gotten too busy and crowded for me, despite the great people we’ve been fortunate enough to attract to our camp. Unlike previous years, I haven’t committed to doing anything at the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous, so I decided to flee the crowds and relocate to Imperial Dam. Some of our camp members expressed interest in joining me there. They were completely welcome to, but each, for their own reasons — getting sick, having brake problems, wanting to continue on a pre-planned schedule — none of them decided to come along. This was fine.
On previous visits I’d driven all the way to Yuma, gotten supplies, then backtracked north to Imperial Dam. This time I decided to head straight to the LTVA, find a camp, drop the trailer, and head to Yuma with just the van the following day. It’s easier to maneuver around town without the trailer.
Unlike the La Posa LTVAs in Quartzsite, there aren’t too many toilets at Imperial Dam. I’m still bound by the same rules that say I need to camp near one, so finding a campsite that wasn’t on top of other people was challenging. Finding one with a pleasant view was impossible. But I did find a spot that would work. It was big enough for my van and trailer, and though it was on a slope, I could drive up onto some rocks to make the van more level.
James, who runs the Desert Ratt Pack camp (the ham radio group), put out a call that he was lighting a campfire and invited everyone to come over. I hopped on the bike and showed up, rather than announcing my presence on the radio. Despite that, he still listed me on this year’s roster, with an arrival date of January 4 despite not getting on the radio that night.
It was good to see the crew again. I talked motorcycles with Kieth for a while. By a strange coincidence, we happen to have a mutual friend back in Massachusetts! It’s a small world, after all. Randy gave me this season’s Desert Ratt Pack sticker, which I put on my trailer next to last year’s.
The next morning I detached the trailer, then drove into Yuma. I took the back way through the farmland, and realized just how rough these back roads were. I’d never noticed on the motorcycle, which is how I usually go to Yuma, because I can avoid the worst of the bumps a whole lot easier on two wheels than four. I refilled my portable diesel jug (it’s still going to be cold overnight, and I don’t want to be caught without heating fuel), then picked up groceries and a few other supplies at Walmart. I stocked up on Coleman propane bottles, since they were half the price as in Quartzsite. Also, the butane cans I’ve been using haven’t been working very well to heat my coffee in the morning because of the cold. Propane doesn’t suffer from this effect, so now I’m cooking with gas instead. I took “the long way” back to Imperial Dam, up US 95 and through the Yuma Proving Ground. It took a few minutes longer, but it was an easy drive, and far, far smoother. This is how I’ll take the van to town in the future.
Soon after I got back, Yellow Wolf was on her way to camp with me! She, too, wanted a change of scenery. She’d never been to Imperial Dam, and since I was already there, she wouldn’t have to figure everything out herself. I led her to my campsite. Neither of us cared for how crowded it was there — not as crowded as Quartzsite, but still busy — so I hopped on the bike to scout a new spot.
I found nothing available near the main toilets, but I took a ride down into the Gravel Pit, which is exactly what the name says. There’s a pavilion down there, as well as a couple of pit toilets, which would satisfy the proximity requirement. In the middle of the Gravel Pit was a large open area with few campers. I rode back, led Yellow Wolf here, and she decided she liked it, so we picked out a spot to set up camp. I left the bike, walked back to my van (it was a nice day for a walk), hitched up the trailer, and brought the rest of the rig down.
The next door neighbors have kids who ride dirt bikes. The dad let me know that they were going to be buzzing around. I pointed to my V-Strom, told him I ride, too, and as long as they’re not blasting through my camp it wouldn’t bother me. Indeed, I’d already watched the youngest blast up a nearby hill toward our camp, then slow down immediately upon cresting it to not come too close. This is how you do it! A little respect all around goes a long way, and everybody has a good time.
Another one of the neighbors came over to pet Lister, and informed me that another camper nearby has *11* cats! I’d have to keep an eye on Lister and make sure everyone was going to get along. Not long after, I heard cat hissing, yowling, and a commotion. As I turned around, I saw a black cat, without a harness, running out of my van, soon followed by Lister chasing him out! I don’t like cat fights, but Lister was defending his home, and didn’t pursue once the other cat was out, so there was no punishment. I haven’t seen that other black cat since. There’s also a white and grey cat who keeps coming to visit. This one is much more friendly, but Lister is still defending his turf. I’ll keep watching the situation, and move if the other cats in the area cause problems.
This is a good place to be. It’s quiet, far from the main drag but close enough to a toilet to be legal. It’s supposed to get quite windy in a couple of days, but being down in the gravel pit seems to be keeping the worst of the wind away. We’re also still high enough that any water will run around us, not through our camp. If all goes well, we can stay here all the way until Amanda’s meetup back in Quartzsite later this month, which Yellow Wolf is going to as well.
Smokey Da Van 