Week 36: the one with all the mittens!
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona to Monument Valley, Utah
Hello there from a Walmart parking lot, where we stopped to see about geting a flat tire repaired. Turns out it was beyond repair and we had to put on the spare. No fun! All of our plans were deflated.
But I’m so glad we weren’t too far away when it happened.
We had a super busy week with lots to share — so I’ll get right to it!
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
We started the week off dispersed camping at Kofa National Wildlife Refuge near Yuma, Arizona in the most beautiful spot.
Just look at that view!
Hike to Palm Canyon
Thursday was only supposed to be in the low 70s and breezy, so we decided to hike to Palm Canyon — we went right from our campsite so we didn’t lose our spot.
When you’re dispersed camping there are no reservations; and while we have a cheap tent we can set up to try to save it, we’ve heard that sometimes people ignore it and take the spot anyhow.
This spot was too amazing to lose!
So Jason downloaded satellite maps, and we packed the Garmin inReach mini, plenty of water and snacks and set off across the desert, dodging cacti as we went.
We also kept having to dodge bighorn sheep pellets — foreshadowing alert! — and we were hoping we’d get to see one!
We saw so many cool cacti along the way, including the barrel cactus above and the saguaro below. I was in cactus heaven!
Eventually we met up with a trail that Jason found on the map — it was great to hike on an actual trail again and not have to make our own way!
Then we hiked up into the canyon and started seeing palms:
The first palm sighting!
It always boggles my mind seeing them growing wild in such a harsh desert environment. We ate a quick lunch and I did a sketch but forgot to take a photo — doh!
We started heading back down the canyon at 3:00 so that we’d have plenty of time to make it back before sunset at 6:00.
Not too far from the parking area for the palm canyon trailhead we heard some sounds like something BIG was moving…
Bighorn Sheep!
…and a herd of bighorn sheep bounded across the trail and up the side of the mountain! They were so fast! And agile!
They really blend in, right?
We stayed still and watched them for a while, and I guess they must have gotten comfortable with our presence because eventually they turned their backs on us. HA!
Eventually we headed on down the trail, soaking in the views.
This time we decided to follow the trail and see where it ended up — we were guessing from the satellite image that it would drop down into a canyon above camp — and if it didn’t we could always head out across the desert again.
The trail got pretty faint in places, but we kept an eye out for cairns, and we were indeed able to follow it back to the canyon above camp. Woo hoo!
We made it back to camp about a half hour before sunset, for 7 miles on the day. What a great hike!
Amazing Arizona Sunsets
Speaking of sunsets, every day around 5:30 I started watching the sky show unfold, and hoped it would be a good one. Here are some of my favorite photos:
So amazing.
This was the view out the back of the van one evening:
Wow. Just wow. Arizona sure knows how to do sunsets!
And a Sunrise
And here’s my favorite sunrise, taken from the window by my pillow:
I feel so lucky and grateful that we got to call this special place home for a while.
Saturday we left camp and headed to Prescott National Forest to disperse camp there. (Kathy, I was thinking of you!) It’s pretty unbelievable what a difference a few hours of driving makes! My MIL couldn’t believe we were still in Arizona.
Today (Sunday) we made our way to Monument Valley, Utah, arriving hours later than what we wanted due to that darn flat tire.
We didn’t want to stop, so I took photos out the window — I love how this one turned out.
I can’t wait to wake up and see this tomorrow morning!
Then we’re off to Colorado so I can start my residency at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument on Tuesday. A dream come true!
See you back here next week, and thanks for following along on our adVANtures! — Lisa & Jason
Sorry to see the tire got “busted”! Thankfully you are safe and sound. It’s a reminder that a safe and smooth journey can not be taken for granted ( that’s what I’d tell myself-haha!). Last but not least, your stunning photos are absolutely jaw-dropping. The scenery can not be painted even more beautiful….! Be safe and enjoy the journey.
Also meant to say that your flat tire experience made my heart stop. Friends had serious undercarriage damage from a flat. So glad you avoided injury to humans and Walter! Be safe!!