After several weeks of van repairs, visiting with friends, moving around from site to site, it took me a little bit of time to settle into the forest. Although I’d technically been in the Coconino National Forest on and off for several weeks, the part of the forest outside of Flagstaff is the first time I’ve been in the midst of tall conifers, and over 7,000 feet high. The air is thin and that created another adjustment for me. I get out of breath quite easily at such a high altitude. And even though the average high temperature each day is only around 70 degrees, the sun feels quite hot on my skin, even when the morning air is cold. Most of the day there is complete silence except for an occasional car passing on the nearby dirt road, or the sound of a dog barking in the distance.
I’ve spent time with my neighbors James and Chelsea who live in a class A motorhome just a short walk from where Cosmo and I are parked. They are gracious hosts and easy-going folks. We’ve spent time outside sitting in the sun and chatting and on a day with thunderstorms passing through, we sat inside their spacious (to me, anyway) rig, getting to know each other. They took me and Cosmo on a ride down the hill when they went to dump tanks and re-fill fresh water and propane. It was interesting to ride in such a huge rig, and extremely helpful to find that I could get fresh water and propane close by just a couple miles down the road toward Lake Mary.
While on a walk Monday morning, I came upon a man, leaving his tent and walking in my direction. We both waved and I shouted “It’s a shame you have to stay in such an ugly campsite.” He laughed (he was surrounded by tall pines with a view of Marshall Lake and the snow-covered mountain behind it.)
He laughed and said “We all have our crosses to bear.” He was peeling an orange which Cosmo perceived to be a tennis ball, and he (Cosmo) sat attentively and begged, hoping our new friend would throw it. When he ate it instead, Cosmo seemed a bit disappointed. He introduced himself as Jehan and he spoke calmly, often with his eyes closed as if he were describing a picture in his head. He talked a lot about his connection to the earth, to the forest, to camping out in nature. He spoke of his journey in a way so similar to how I tell my story that I was fascinated at our similarities. He said his journey started with an Ayahuasca retreat in (wait for it) Missouri of all places. He had found his connection to nature and the great outdoors and he often camps out on the land whenever possible. I got the impression that he stays with his “female companion” in between camping trips. We talked for about half an hour, and he went on his way toward the lake and Cosmo and I headed the opposite direction toward my van.
We’ve had thunderstorms most afternoons. They last for just a few minutes, releasing only enough rain to keep the dust down and bring out the scents of the forest. Most of the time the sun is intense, and my solar batteries got charged to capacity before noon most days. The sun rises early, but I didn’t see it rising as I did in the desert because it’s obstructed by the tall trees until it is fully risen. The days are getting noticeably longer, and I find I tend to stay up later at night due to the sun setting so late, but I also am getting up when it becomes light around 5:30 in the morning. Afternoon naps are more frequent these days, and the forest makes it quite easy to be lazy.
Tuesday, I went down the hill to a little country store. I topped off my propane and freshwater tanks and bought a couple snacks. (I had intended to get more, but groceries were about triple normal price…the only game in town, so pay it or drive 20 miles to Walmart.) When I went back to the campground, I decided to drive farther down the road and see if I could find a spot closer to the lake. JACKPOT!!!
(View from my back window)
I met my nearest neighbor who introduced himself as “Goat” (maybe G.O.A.T.?). Since I pulled into a spot with two campfire rings and he was already occupying one side, I went over to make sure I wasn’t crowding him. He said “No, NO! There’s plenty of room. He greeted me with a friendly smile, a firm handshake and welcomed me to the forest.
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I made quite a few new friends out in the forest. James and Chelsea have stayed in touch each day by text message, and we’ve visited often. I had coffee with them on Wednesday morning and Wednesday night they came to my campsite and we had a fire. My nearest neighbors, Goat and Cat (You can’t make this stuff up, right? Goat admitted that “Goat” is his preferred name, while “Cat” is actually her given name (I’m guessing Catherine, or Kathline?) came over and hung out by the fire as well. Everyone shared where they’ve been, where they’re going, what their favorite spots are. It could have gone on a long time, but the sky opened up and we all ran for cover.
On Thursday morning Cosmo and I took a long walk down the main road in the direction we hadn’t explored yet. We walked about a mile up the road and on the way back, spotted a young man sitting outside with a cowboy hat on. He waved and smiled, and I complimented him on his front yard.
He smiled and said something to the effect of how lucky he was. I told him I was just a couple hundred yards down the road, and it was also MY front yard. We talked for the better part of an hour. His name is Fae (I think many if not most nomads choose a new name for the road. I guess I’m behind schedule) and he’s been on the road for 12 years (He can’t be much older than 30 based on his looks.) He told me his favorite place was Mount Shasta. I was there last year and loved it. My visit was cut short by a blown inverter in my solar system. He recommended going higher up than I was last year. He said he spends most summers there. I hadn’t intended to go that far north or west this year, but if the weather gets as hot as predicted, up in Shasta it could be 20 degrees cooler, so I’ll keep an open mind.
We’ve had thunderstorms every afternoons and often an encore presentation at bedtime. Thursday was very cloudy, with lots of rain and thunder, so I was glad I got in a long walk and my “people time” early in the morning. The clouds cleared just in time for the sunset.
Friday morning, Cosmo and I walked south again, but this time took a side road that followed the lake. I have an appointment on Saturday to get his rattlesnake booster in Flagstaff at Tractor Supply. Leaving my beautiful spot on the lake, especially on a weekend morning, will most likely mean that someone else will jump at the chance to occupy it. I may have to find another spot when we return, so I scouted the possibilities on the south side of the lake. When I came in on Monday, the road was rough, but easily passable at 5 mph. The road out may not be nearly as easy after 5 days of thunderstorms and a lot of heavy (literally heavy—many of the rigs coming and going weigh several tons) traffic. The side road looked like skiing moguls. It was quite high in the middle, with deep holes. The edges were smoother, but extremely sloped down. I wondered if a top-heavy van would tip. I got my answer rather quickly as I saw two vans heading out. I waited and watched. The first was just a regular cargo van. It bounced and leaned but didn’t have any problems. The second van was a high-top like mine. I watched as it leaned so far over it made me cringe. The leaning was terrifying, but when one wheel hit a pothole, the van started to sway and rock. I was certain it was going to end up on its side. It didn’t, but I’m fairly certain I’m not that brave. Unless they grade the road in my absence, that side road won’t be a good option for me.
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Saturday morning, I got up early to get ready to head into town for Cosmo’s rattlesnake booster. When we went out to pee, the mud was thick and sticky. It was like black clay. My shoes made a sucking sound every time I lifted one foot out of the muck.
The neighbor’s dogs were loose again, and although they seem friendly, they were clearly a pack of two and I worried that should there be any friction between them and Cosmo, Cosmo would come out on the losing end. I took off my shoes and got back in the van. Cosmo did not take off his shoes. The deep cleaning I did in Prescott and the new rugs I bought were just a memory. The rugs were dirty, the floor, muddy. I pretty much decided it was time to move on. I loved the forest and especially my near perfect spot on the lake, but I was done with the mud.
After Cosmo’s shots (and $397 worth of Heartworm prevention), I went to Walmart, stocked up and headed east. I had read about a ghost town outside of Winslow, AZ called Two Guns. It fascinated me and The Great Google Mapping Machine told me it was just 33 minutes away. I headed there and was not disappointed.
It was strange, quirky, and a tiny bit eerie, but there was nothing about it that felt unsafe, so I found myself a parking spot down by two other vans and a skoolie that I recognized from SkooliePalooza in Ehrenberg this winter. I leveled up and made lunch. The clouds were beautiful, and I could see black streaks of rain pouring out of the clouds in the distance. By the time I settled in, the skies opened up.
If you are interested in learning more about Two Guns, there’s a lot on-line.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Guns,_Arizona
I’ll send more info and photos next week.
Lessons From The Road: In spite of my new, near perfect location, I woke up Wednesday morning with minor anxiety. I laid in bed, holding Cosmo close and tried to put my finger on it. It didn’t take long for me to remember the park ranger outside of Sedona, photographing my van and license plate and warning me that staying over 14 days within the forest could possibly get me a ticket, a fine and maybe a mandatory court hearing. That conversation, and the missing details –14 consecutive days? Within the entire forest? What if I leave for a couple days…does the countdown stop?—was what was bothering me. Before getting out of bed to start coffee, I realized a couple of things: I’ve been doing this for two years and the only time I’ve ever been asked to leave anywhere was in the condo parking lot of a friend. I’ve stayed in many places (mostly BLM and Land Trust) for more than 14 days out of a month. No one has ever bothered me. I believe the ranger was being over aggressive, trying to intimidate me, perhaps acting on a complaint from the local ranchers who were using public campground land to water their cattle. I wonder if there really IS some database that I was entered into from this guy’s cell phone. It seems unlikely. The second thing I realized is that all this idle conjecture was the real issue. My sister and I often say, “We come from a long line of worriers.” It’s true. If there is nothing notable to worry about, we will find something. I have never heard of anyone being asked to move from public land, much less being cited and fined. I suspect the worst thing that could happen is that a ranger would come and say that I’ve exceeded my stay and ask me to leave. I doubt that will ever happen.
So I got my head right, informed myself that I was in one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever stayed, and I was about to miss out on the experience because I was worrying. I got up and took a walk with Cosmo and came back and made French Toast and a cheese omelet. I sat outside and took in the beautiful lake, the tall pines, and the snow-capped mountain in the distance. Perfection!