Fall 1999 Trip
Summary: This was an informal
Ham Radio RV caravan trip from Sacramento, California to Organ Pipe Cactus
National Monument, AZ, Saturday, November 6 through Sunday, November 14,
1999. Sight-seeing stops were also made at Joshua Tree National Park, CA,
Yuma, AZ, and Midland, CA. At Midland, we camped with the Sam's Radio Hams
Chapter of the Good Sam RV Owners Club.
Yucca Valley: Fred, W7KOZ, Bonnie, KC6PSZ, and I met on Saturday morning on the highway south of Elk Grove. Ed, KE6AFB, and Sunny, KE6AFA, decided at the last minute that they would be able to go, but had to start a day behind us. We all towed trailers (two tent trailers and one folding hard-side). Frank, W6GZI, and Jan, KD6HYE, of the Sam's Radio Hams, had invited us to camp in their yard in Yucca Valley the first night. Our 40 meter mobile skeds kept by my friend, Larry, K6AAW, in Red Bluff, and Frank in Yucca Valley, with me, let everyone know that we were on our way and our ETA. Fred hadn't had time to put in his HF mobile rig. Our caravan QSO was on 2 meter simplex. Frank talked us in after dark on 2 meters. Jan had a fine Korean meal ready for us. After eating, we set up our trailers (first things first).
Joshua Tree: We had made
reservations for the next morning to tour the Desert Queen Ranch in near-by
Joshua Tree National Park. I talked to Ed on the cell phone while on our way
to the Park, and he and Sunny were on the road in Manteca. After seeing a bit
more of Joshua Tree, we returned to Frank and Jan's after Noon, hooked up the
trailers, said goodbye, and drove away. Ed told us that they planned to reach
the Ehrenberg, AZ KOA that night. Fred, Bonnie, and I had planned a different
route and an earlier stop, but we decided that sounded good. We drove to
Ehrenberg, across the Colorado River from Blythe, and again arrived and set
up after dark, 5 PM MST. Ed and Sunny pulled in about 7:30 PM.
Yuma: The next day we all traveled
together to Yuma. On the way, I checked in to the 20 meter Elks Net, the
first of three times on this trip. I'm not a member, but I have friends on
this open net. At Yuma we picnicked, toured the Territorial Prison State Park,
and stopped at Fry's supermarket for groceries. We got to the Organ Pipe
Cactus National Monument that night, after dark again! Note: It was never our
plan to arrive after dark, but the short November daylight and our
sight-seeing never cooperated.
Organ Pipe: This turned out to be
an excellent time of year to go to Organ Pipe because out of 208 campsites,
only 38 were taken. We found out that the camp host was a ham. Our first clue
was the 40 meter Hustler on the back of his RV. We spent a day and a half
touring the park loops and stayed two nights. We had planned to stay longer,
but the 4WD road to Ajo that we wanted to take was closed. In places, we
could look across the international border to traffic on Mexico Hwy 2. On our
side, Border Patrol cars outnumbered the tourists.
Ehrenberg II: Fred and Bonnie decided to stay longer at Organ Pipe since they were to visit friends in Phoenix on Saturday. Ed, Sunny, and I drove back to Ajo on Wednesday, viewed the mine pit overlook, and picnicked. We returned to the Ehrenberg KOA to wash the desert off in their showers. I checked in to the Sam's Radio Hams 75 meter net that night and talked to Frank, who was across the river at Midland.
Midland: Thursday morning we drove
out to Midland, 20 miles NW of Blythe, where the Sam's Radio Hams were
arriving for one of their monthly campouts. Frank and Jan had invited us.
Midland consists of open concrete slabs out in the desert where there had
been a gypsum plant that closed in 1967. There were 22 rigs, including our
two remaining tent trailers, parked on one of the bigger slabs. Any of their
RVs dwarfed our two. One ham flew in for the day Saturday and landed at the
adjacent abandoned runway.
Rice: Ed and Sunny left Friday
morning to visir relatives in Riverside, but I stayed on. Frank led one of
their traditional 4WD day trips. Many of their group tow small SUVs behind
their RVs and Frank likes to find places to go. This trip was to Rice, where
we found the old Army airfield, left over from Patton, and looked for the
Army camp streets. Saturday morning, the Sams held their business meeting,
and a chicken and pot-luck dinner was enjoyed on Saturday night.
Home: I checked in to the Sam's Sunday morning 40 meter net right after leaving camp. I stopped at Goffs, and enjoyed a few more skeds with Larry, K6AAW, on 40 meters on my way home. I finally got home at 9:20 PM. Ed and Sunny got home earlier on Sunday, and Fred and Bonnie were home on Monday. Next time, Fred will have his HF mobile rig so that we can take advantage of any separation to keep in touch.
Although this was not a club activity, we invited members and guests of the Mt Vaca or North Hills Radio Clubs to come along. This invitation was only with the usual understanding that we take these trips as friends and equals and no responsibility or liability is assumed by anyone.