2017 DE Rondy 2-day Inbound Trip
2017 DE Rondy 2-day Inbound Trip
by Bob and Sue Jaussaud
The trip actually started in Needles on Wednesday when most of the crew, including Mignon Slentz, Glenn Shaw, Mike Vollmert, Jim Watson, Mal Roode, and Neal & Marian Johns got together and camped at our place on the Colorado River. That evening, the dinner potluck grew into a tasty turkey dinner. Cheryl Mangin from the Needles Museum joined us for the festivities.
Thursday morning we all started for Blythe before sunrise to meet Bob Jacoby, Nelson Miller, Bill Powell, Randy and Margaret Peterson and Vicki Hill at Blythe, the official start of the trip. On the journey south toward Blythe, we made a brief stop at Wyatt Earp’s house in Vidal, crossed the Colorado River on Agnes Wilson Road and visited the WWII Poston Relocation Camp. Even so, we made it to Blythe by 8:30 a.m. as planned, but just barely.
After gassing up, we all headed south to Cibola Wildlife Refuge, where we visited the historic cottonwood log cabin built by Carl Bishop in 1910. It’s design included a “dog trot” or breezeway separating the kitchen from the living area. This helped keep the living area cool and relatively safe from fire. It also made the dog happy.
Only a short ways below the Bishop cabin, we discovered our planned route to the Red Cloud Mine had been closed by the powers that be for reasons only they know. So, we took the scenic Ehrenberg Cibola Road through the Yuma Proving Ground, past an Iraqi village mock up and over Felipe Pass to AZ 95 in order to continue south.
The Castle Dome Mine Museum was not far from our route, so we detoured there to check it out. It is an incredible collection of historic buildings and artifacts, well worth a visit.
Heading west from the museum, we again entered the Yuma Proving Ground stopping for a bit at a large display of World War II tanks. Then, continuing west, we skirted Imperial Dam and started looking for gas. Mal led us through the chaos of Yuma to a gas station and we were able to resume our trip. We headed toward Picacho and after a side trip to the Graffiti Fields (acres and acres of rock graffiti) we found a pleasant desert wash with many palo verde and ironwood trees and camped there for the night.
Early next morning, after deciding to head west instead of south, we drove a beautiful flower adorned two track toward Sidewinder Pass. Our road continued west, but deteriorated rapidly on the west side of the pass. We ended up in a rock strewn wash but, luckily, found a steep “go up” that put us on the road to the Guadalupe Mine in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains. Kudos to all who drove that wash and “go up” without hesitation or complaint. We were so thankful the road ran, as it would have been a very long ways around.
Continuing west from the Guadalupe Mine, the road took us past Obregon, the American Girl Mine and out to the Ogilby Cemetery, where Mike left us. He was returning home so he could attend a service for Ron Lipari’s Father who had passed away just before our trip.
Several folks had not seen Tumco, so we detoured there next and found the Hedge Cemetery. Tumco is now closed to vehicles, but an instructional kiosk had some valuable information about the old townsite and mine.
Our next goal was to find the Peter Kane Water Hole. Mal and Bill used their navigational apps to help locate it. The desert all around was covered with wild flowers of many varieties. Reluctantly leaving, we continued up the Vinagree Wash Road to Arrowweed Springs, where we found a beautiful old wooden windmill still turning. From the spring, we followed a ridge road over the mountains to an old mine in the Black Mountains complete with rusting autos. That ridge road had to be a highlight, as the flowers and views were awesome. People joked that it was so green that we must be in Ireland. Our trip ended when we arrived back at CA 78 south of Palo Verde. Many thanks to everyone for a great trip.
~ Bob and Sue
Photos: Mal Roode and Mike Vollmert