Steel Bender

Al, George, Kenny, Larry and I rode the southern half of Steel Bender to Ken's Lake. Here are some examples of what makes it a 6 on a 1-10 scale...

Steel Bender & Wings

Al, George, Larry and I ran the northern loop of Steel Bender. I had heard Larry was pretty tight with a dollar so it was no surprise that the following photo caught him saving rubber on his tires by riding on three wheels...

Click on photos to enlarge

However, the real highlight of the day was wings at the Moab Brewery...

Piranha could take lessons from this group on how to strip flesh from bones

Cinder Hills

I am spending the night primitive camping at the Cinder Hills OHV Area north of Flagstaff. I must admit when you have a generator, heat, air conditioning, hot/cold running water, television, radio, refrigerator and microwave, it does not seem right calling it "primitive" camping. Let's just call it "boondocking".

In any event, I found a nice, flat site nestled amongst pine trees where the silence is "deafening"...

"Life is good"

Free Audiobooks

After numerous drives from Phoenix to Moab and back, I now find the most difficult part of the trip is the boredom. I have listened to every music CD I own multiple times as well as most of the radio stations along the way. I have even sunk to listening to "talk radio" (desperate times require desperate measures).

In an effort to breakup the monotony, I am going to try listening to some Audiobooks tomorrow. Most public libraries now offer them online at no charge. In the case of the Apache Junction Library, all I had to do was add an app called OverDrive to my smart phone. This app allows you download and play digital files on multiple devices. For the best sound possible, I am using the Ford Sync feature to play the file wirelessly through my truck's sound system (most late model vehicles allow you to connect to digital devices).

What's the first book on my list? It's Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich. Why this book you didn't ask? I am thinking of forming the Brown Foundation which will mirror the Clinton Fountain in its goals. Surely, those foreign governments that have given millions of dollars to the Clintons will want to donate to my foundation as we have the same objectives.

Of course (just like the Clintons), I will use a portion of those donations to cover my administration and travel expenses along with salaries for friends who support my lifestyle. One huge advantage I have over the Clintons is the fact that my legal expenses will be much less.

Update (4/2/16): The Audiobook turned out to be a wonderful way to pass the time. One caveat: do not read or listen to the Clinton Cash book without taking your blood pressure medicine. It's no wonder people distrust politicians and government.

Moab Bound

I am in the process of getting ready for my annual Spring trip to Moab. Tomorrow, I will tow my Jeep and RZR up and then on Saturday, the fifth wheel. It's a lot of work but I consider it worth it to have all my toys in an area where there is some of the best off-road riding in the country.

I may need a parade permit

Arizona Spring

It's been in the 80s for the past couple of weeks and the rattlesnakes are not the only things coming out...

Click on photos to enlarge

River Bottom Bar

Dick & Dona led a ride to Box Canyon culminating with lunch at the River Bottom Bar in Florence...

Given their checkered past, I can understand why Dick (left) and Dona (center) would want to conceal their faces...

Gila Monster

In five winters here in southern Arizona, I have seen big horn sheep, rattlesnakes, javelinas, scorpions and tarantulas but until today I had not seen a Gila monster...

Vegas

I was running a little low on cash so I drove up to Las Vegas to win enough money that I could return to Moab this Spring. After a couple of days in town, there were a few things that I found interesting.

First, there are a lot of young people here. Having spent the last four months in the retirement capital of the southwest, I have been used to seeing old people everywhere I go (not to mention looking in the mirror). I must admit I found myself gawking at some of the ladies.

Second, are there any young women over the age of 18 that do not have tattoos? If I had the money they spent on them, I could not only go to Moab but I could buy myself a new RZR 1000 to run with the big boys.

Third, the homeless population here is getting worse. Every block has panhandlers begging for money. There was even one guy whose sign read you could "punch him in the nuts". This world is getting way too weird for me.

Lastly, here's a neat photo of a gondola at the Venetian where the water is so clear, it looks like it is floating in air...

Click on photo to enlarge

PS - Vegas is a Munzee mecca. And not only did I score a lot of points but according to my Fitbit, I walked a little over 20,000 steps. I do not believe I can consume enough alcohol tonight to dull the pain.

Blythe Intaglios

The Blythe Intaglios are a group of gigantic figures found on the ground ~15 miles north of Blythe, CA. The figures are so immense that many of them were not observed by non-Indians until the 1930s. Many of them are believed to date from the prehistoric period but their age and the identity of their creators are still uncertain.

Satellite photo from Google Earth

Today's photos...

Munzee Referral Program

Back in March of last year, I wrote about a smartphone app called Munzee which I described as an electronic scavenger hunt using QR codes. It is still one of my favorite ways to get much needed exercise and see new places.

It turns out they have a referral program whereby if you scan the following image, you will get 50 points and I will get 10 points which is a great way to get started...

3 Wheeling

My neighbors and I took advantage of near perfect weather to ride the side-by-sides southeast of the Florence Junction. We soon discovered that Frank and Jan's machine had power to only one rear wheel so while the rest of us were "4 wheeling", they were "3 wheeling". Fortunately, they made it back to the park safe and sound with only one minor winching incident.

And we got to see some beautiful country in the process...

Another Great Ride

Now that the weather is returning to "normal", off-road riding is picking up here in the park. Today, we rode "2359" and "No Name" where you would be hard put to do more vertical feet in one day.

Along the way, we stopped at several interesting sites including what is believed to be a natural occurring geological fault...

We ended the ride at the Tiki Hut in Queen Valley for the very important task of properly re-hydrating and reliving the "Oh Wow" and "Oh S**t" moments of the day...

Walnut Canyon

I joined a group of semi-professional riders to ride to the Coke Ovens via Walnut Canyon...

Which is one of the more scenic rides in the area...

And at the end of the day, drinks and dinner at Los Hermanos in Superior...

Desert Artifacts

I had the pleasure of leading a group of relatively new riders into the desert back of the RV park...

One of our stops was an area where early American Indians ground seeds and nuts into meal using these mortar holes...

Clear Skies

After five days of rain, we are finally getting a weather forecast for sunny skies. Otherwise, I may have to trade the RV in for one of these...

El Nino

Here I am in the desert looking at a weather forecast calling for five consecutive days of rain and below average temperatures. Last month was the coolest December I have experienced in southern Arizona for the past five winters. The culprit: "El Nino", an area of abnormally warm water in the equatorial Pacific. Although it will benefit the drought stricken western states, I suspect it will also create some extreme cases of "cabin fever" here in the RV park.

Update (1/7/2016): Flooding is beginning to close local roads...

Crime Scene

It appears one of those wild parties at the Hood mansion may have taken a turn for the worse...

Click on photos to see the grisly details

Brrr

Traditionally, I head south to avoid the cold of winter. Perhaps, this year I should have headed east...

Off Off-Road

Here's John making sure Ron's tow strap works...

Sand Hollow State Park, UT

Here are a couple of videos for you hardcore, adrenaline junkies that like to ride off-road...

RC Jet Rally

The Arizona Model Aviators held their 27th Annual Arizona Jet Rally at the Superstition Airpark this weekend. High winds limited the number of flyers but it was still a fun event to attend.

We were told this plane cost $15,000-$20,000

I used my Nikon D7100 for the following video. Unfortunately, between having to look through the LCD and the strong winds, the end result was not quite what I was hoping for but it will give you some idea of what it is like to watch these models in action...

Desert Rats

I suspect most people here in the park thought of John as just another "pretty face". But to almost everyone's amazement, he has real skills. Using a computerized sewing machine (that cost as much as my RZR), he created a "Desert Rats" flag for the whip antennas that our intrepid group of riders use when riding in the desert...

Muchas gracias amigo

Bikini Photos

While surfin' the Net I came across an app called GooseChase that allows you to design digital scavenger hunts. As a test I created a "mission" here in the RV park where the highest number of points would be awarded for a photo of the ladies in the contest wearing a string bikini. Of course, I thought no one would submit such a photo but as usual I was wrong...

First Winter Ride

I joined Judy in her RZR 570 and we followed Charlie and Dave to Box Canyon...

The "Unusual Suspects"

Lunch at the south end of Box Canyon