Desert Wandering

I really enjoy this area around Quartzsite. The desert is more open with expansive views. In most cases, there's just enough slope to provide 20 mile views.

One morning I hiked most of the way up Dome Rock to check on the cache I have there. A friend had reported a Did Not Find which made me think it was gone, but it was right where I'd left it, and the log had been signed the day before, but had not yet been reported on line. If it had been logged on line the day before, I might have gotten lazy, but once again the views were worth it.

Sometimes the sides of the washes are just steep enough to cause problems for the truck. I've ended up with a couple 3 to 4 mile hikes as a result. Quite nice as long as it's early before the low 80's temps arrive.

There are claim corner markers everywhere around here. Some don't seem to be terribly well documented,

while others are very obvious and clearly stated.

Almost all of the dirt roads have series of caches near them, usually hanging in something with thorns, but once in a while just dropped in a Suspicious Pile of Rocks (SPOR.)

I've seen quite a few dead saguaro. Most of them look like they may have had some sort of disease. There's been very little rain (even less than usual) this year, so most of the plant life is pretty dormant.

Typically the caches are located in places that seem rather obvious to experienced cachers.

Lots of the caches are created from a spent 12 gauge shotgun shell sleeved over a 20 gauge shotgun shell with a strip of paper for the log inside. It's rather amazing how well they disappear into the foliage - yes, the cache is in the larger picture.

Besides caches and mines, occasionally I'd come across other reminders that someone else had been there, like the government

or a rancher. This was the only sign of ranching I spotted. The corral is old but has been well maintained leaving me to wonder is someone is still grazing in the area.