Can you direct me to a Gallery where one can visit and imprint the Art within a camera? Of course not, Artist protection and so on… I have often asked, but the eyebrows raised by fear have always denied me that pleasure, or maybe was it my curiosity. Today was not so as Mother Nature has always willingly shared her Art, and again in parallel, my Friend Michael also sharing, pulled a big one out of his deck of hidden cards! I myself came back with more than 500 pictures and we had only spend a few hours when the sun was the harshest, no sunrise and no sunset on the premises… yet! As I sit here and write these words, I might be physically present, but the mind is not. Overwhelming would be an understatement. Today was scouting the Whitney Pocket, and there is no doubt that Spirit and I will return to camp for a few days in cooler weather, for as long as we can, basically till we ran out of water. There was so much to discover, look and feel. Moss, colorful rocks and shapes, narrow trails, small caves… spirits lingering throughout the heat of the day while we were searching for shadows.

We left fairly early trying to beat the Mojave Desert heat while passing through Arizona to finally Mesquite which its frontage road which would take us to Golden Butte Road. With my excitement of a new destination I had been up already a few hours and coffee was wearing off too quickly. Michael was hungry and… since I was only having coffee, a Mc Donald all dressed up in red with a vagrant resting on its sidewalk selling Sunday souvenirs, seemingly color coordinated, appeared at the end of town.

It did not take too long after the pit stop to make that left on Golden Butte Road. Paved but in very bad shape entering BLM land which went on for 26 miles, 26 miles without seeing a single soul or vehicle to the turn off that would take us to Whitney Pocket, also called Whitney Hartman. We actually never saw anyone all day, never wrongly naming this part of the country "Wild Nevada". We could see lake Mead on the right and it had been a long time since I had seen Joshuas, a bit dry this time of the year, waiting for the rainy season.

The views had not been anything unexpected as the ones I was going to experience the rest of the day, and also unexpected was the condition of the 2 miles of road we had left to ride when we saw the first red rock formations. Now, against my better judgement, I had seen some pictures of what was waiting for us 2 miles ahead. I have always liked the element of surprise and that fact was against the grain, as for example I have only see a couple pictures of Toroweap where we will be going soon, and really do not want to know any of its history either in time or geologically speaking. We have been on the road now almost two years, my curiosity has always been fulfilled and discovering it all first hand to me is the "experience" itself. This time however it worked out to be an advantage as maybe I would have not gone down that road, learning my lesson a while back near Moab on Hurrah Pass, also learning a valuable word "U turn".

It was bumpy and rocky, not too bad really except for the few washes and ruts from recent rains. Michael at one point was ahead of me and I did stop a couple times to scout the road before getting into it over my head or Old Faithful’s ability. It is always tricky, I think many two wheel riders think we just lay back and go… Riding a sidecar is much more physically challenging than two wheels and then sometimes much easier, only on flat straight roads. It is truly a vehicle very unique with three brake pedals and without camping gear about 1100 lbs with the two of us going down the road. I was just listening to the silence at one point when he returned to check on us, I also needed to know what to expect a bit further, knowing well however from experience to not listen to anyone! Just get an idea as I have to be my own judge to move forward or not. He took the two shots below… with his broken camera.

There was a good reason for us to go down that road, I knew it was not too much further, whatever was awaiting… I know the road does not look that bad in the pictures!!! Funny…

"Photos by Michael"

We arrived. As an Oasis suddenly, all was forgotten, the bad road, the heat (for a while anyhow) and it felt right away as this was a wonder unlike I had seen. Truly. When such landscape presents itself I right away want to spend days taking it all in. This was not Utah anymore, but Nevada, who would have thought, and as interested suddenly with the area I looked through a magazine today finding out more destinations near by. As is Nevada’s Atlantis "St Thomas" near "Valley of Fire", the town of "Eureka, a Nevada boom town that time has forgotten to spoil, "Wheeler Pass", the sleepy and silent towns of Tonopah, Goldfield and Rhyolite, even a bit further south "Death Valley" and "Titus" pass which we have never explored. Arriving here was as turning the door knob to so many more routes unencumbered by the tourist flow.

So we will pick a better time, a cooler time to come back. Maybe April, before heading north for the next summer that hopefully will be awaiting us. In the meantime, I knew we were here for just a few hours and we started a circular hike through the colorful rocks and the vision of Petroglyphs luckily unmarked by graffiti. Part of the Art form here was the moss, in many colors, free form paintings unmatched by humans.

No need for words… right?

I was torn between listening to Michael’s comments, as he had been here a few times and of course eager to point out the treasures, and at the same time blocking it all trying myself, without a sound, savor what was in front of me. Combined with trying to to take some pictures I knew this was not going to be the time to fully absorb it all… It was a scouting mission! And we did accomplish it as there will be more in the next Blog.

Two years of Photography is finally in order on SmugMug… In "Your Favorites", organized also in "States", some even labeled "first year" and second year". Feel free to browse, you can even use the slide show mode and have fun. I still have 17 T shirts that need to be sold at cost, $20 including shipping… I do! Some day they will be "collector’s items". You don’t believe me? These are the sizes left.

With the "ADV" (Adventure Rider") logo:   2 XXL ~ 4 XL ~ 2 M 

Plain:  2 XXL ~ 3XL ~ 3L ~ 1 S

Your participation toward the site is always welcomes and accepted through the "contribution" button above… 323 colorful Chapters with many destinations for $1 a month?… now more than ever. Help the site stay alive.

Be well, always. Ara & Spirit

Always nice to receive an e mail from a reader near by and spend some time chatting as it happened last night, specially within the beautiful surroundings of Snow Canyon, north of St George. It is how we met Paul and Mariko, hoping that I am not destroying her Japanese descent name. They are from Logan and touring the same areas we have been in their very cool and efficient 4×4 truck. I wanted to take that opportunity to photograph the Canyon at the same time, however realizing when we arrived that the good photos would only be at sunrise. Wrong side of the road for sunsets!

And of course Spirit, now more than ever a "people dog" has to be in the picture. With no one around and still a couple hours of daylight ahead of us we made ourselves comfortable and… talked. Always nice to find out how today’s "youth" lives when having to attend college, work and yet, have the ability to take some time off to wander, hike and drive those trails that even us are not able to maneuver on, as deep sand and slick rock shelves are beyond "Old Faithful’s" ability. I really liked that truck! Unassuming and yet a true 4×4, snorkel for some serious water crossings, folding tent secured on the rear bed. With enough provisions, anywhere and any place it is a little home away from home.

The pictures are of yesterday’s ride around the neighborhood to Pine Valley and its Park, a bit crowded as it was Friday with many large groups in the picnic areas. It was then on backtracking and riding another loop down North Gunlock Rd and up the dirt road which is BLM land with its lower and upper reservoir where we had camped for a while last year. Michael and I ride well together as we actually ride alone both headed for the same destination. I stop often, he goes on ahead and waits at times and eventually arrives back to his house ahead of me. There is no pressure about myself rushing, trying to keep up and maybe missing out on some photos as it would be normally the case with other riders. As I looked at yesterday’s photos I realized why they are suddenly looking all so different… there are no red rocks! We are now into greens and it just felt so odd almost unnatural as for months all we have been seeing are the sandstones in their multitudes of colors.

Being here is as everything has come to a stand still suddenly. Hard to explain. Loosing days with no awareness of time what so ever, having to discipline myself to run my errands, which I did once leaving Spirit behind, a rare and strange occasion. I was glad I did, it is the big city near by, at a lower altitude the heat is cranked up and while walking through Walmart (!!!), truly better than any full length movie, I was so much more relaxed going up and down the aisles not experiencing shell shock but "price shock".

It has been a long time amongst such display and variety of everything one can use, a bit overwhelming, and finally in a state of confusion I decided that this was only a tentative expedition, I would almost call it an urban adventure. The nearest such display will soon be 300 miles away, and yet, with that fact in mind I kept telling myself if I really needed the items on my mental list. Most of it? I guess not! I generally ask myself the question "can I live without it?". And of course we can, we have done it for the past two years, I just cannot fall into that path of consumerism, a costly one, just to physically have objects thought about through a mental image.

There is always better, bigger, faster and shinier, sometimes in opposite correlation of one’s needs and even myself in the past have fallen into that trap of "I must have"! I have been looking and researching for a new external drive for example… Ah! we are now up to one Terra Bite and more, that is 1000 Giga Bytes! My present one is of 90 Giga Bytes and as my hand reaches for one, its price makes me put it back! Do I really need such high number or is it that we have been programmed to acquire the latest? How about a 350 Giga Bytes for a quarter of its price and feel more comfortable when it comes time to buy some extra food for Spirit?

Maybe I have been away a bit too long from the mainstream. Values have changed. Not much truly matters including appearances. Being constantly amongst the outdoors not much even in matters of clothing sways the mind as they are subjected to being on the ground rubbed against rocks and trees. Dirt and more dirt! I call it clean dirt… The values have become so internal, a fact that is deepening in my thoughts more and more on a daily basis in parallel with a heightened awareness. I feel so much when around such displays and crowds as looking out of a window into a surreal world passing by me, peaking really more than looking. I look and see only when amongst Mother Nature’s displays as they truly please me so much more.

It is being who we are and not what we have as what we have can only be stripped to nothing in a blink of an eye. Who we are remains with us and its contents to the better heightened daily as we should, not letting time pass by idling to no end only to realize that our values have only been stagnant to no end. I think being amongst "all this", the big City as I call it, is making me realize much. The displays are to me overwhelming, stuff and more stuff which of course one can use, but is it really needed if one can do without?

All I can say is that it has been nice being here if it is only for Dammeron’s location at a nice altitude with days not too hot and brisk nights, quiet, some land surrounding us, a good Friend and above all many interesting conversations touching all facets of Life we are fortunate enough to be experiencing. Two people can have such a different path of Life and at the same time such similarities in their values and awareness, making the moments lived full ones, and as much as we can positive ones to maybe have them spilled onto others benefits as that is what our time here should be all about.

We are planning some nice rides and adventures early next week when Sandra returns from her week long Grand Canyon rafting trip. One will be an overnight, maybe two to Toroweap which I am looking so much forward to, another will be the Joshua trail and also one which I forgot the name beyond Mesquite, I call it "through the window". Soon you will also meet my Friend Brian from Placerville, California, the man that keeps the gears of this website well oiled as he will ride here to visit for a while, at least I hope he does.

Two years of Photography is finally in order on SmugMug… In "Your Favorites", organized also in "States", some even labeled "first year" and second year". Feel free to browse, you can even use the slide show mode and have fun.

I still have 20 T shirts that need to be sold at cost, $20 including shipping… I do! Some day they will be "collector’s items". You don’t believe me? These are the sizes left.

With the "ADV" (Adventure Rider") logo:   2 XXL ~ 4 XL ~ 2 M 

Plain:  2 XXL ~ 3XL ~ 5L ~ 1 M ~ 1 S

Your participation toward the site is always welcomes and accepted through the "contribution" button above… 324 colorful Chapters with many destinations for $1 a month?… now more than ever. Help the site stay alive.

Be well, always. Ara & Spirit