Embracing the Desert Heat

Having thoroughly enjoyed my experience in southwestern Utah, I decided to start traveling toward southern California. As usual, I was prepared to take my time, explore, and seek out new experiences along the way. My GPS wanted me to drive through Las Vegas, which… I love Las Vegas. I had been there before, and it’s a spectacle! However, on this journey I was a little more interested in places off the beaten path, so shortly after crossing into Nevada, I left the interstate in favor of a slower, southerly route toward Lake Mead.

Bitter Springs

I was traveling southbound along route 167, through Lake Mead National Recreation Area, when the road traversed a wide wash - which is a channel through which water intermittently flows, usually after a heavy rain. As I drove past, a two-track caught my eye that ran parallel with the wash, westward into the desert. I glanced at my GPS, and saw that it was an approved route. Curiosity got the better of me, so I promptly turned the Jeep around and set off to explore Bitter Springs Road. The name itself had me wondering if it’d lead to some lush green desert oasis! The road was soft where it traveled along the wash - soft like sand. Although it was not sand, it was composed of small rocks and sediment. In low-range, the Jeep churned along for miles, following the winding walls of the wash. When I reached the inlet of the wash, there was some green grass that hinted to moisture, though there was no oasis. The two-track climbed out of the wash and continued westward for a short distance before arriving at a four-way intersection; each direction leading to adventure. I opted to turn south where I would eventually reunite with route 167 and continue toward Lake Mead.

Hoover Dam

Though I’ve been to Las Vegas, I had never seen Hoover Dam, except on television, and I was in the area, so I couldn’t pass it up! After passing through a security checkpoint, I followed a long and winding road to the massive structure. I then drove past the visitor’s center, and across the dam from the Nevada side, to the Arizona side, where I would find a place to park. I knew it would be impressive, but pictures don’t do it justice. I think what surprised me the most was its opulent, Art Deco design. Most dams that I’ve seen were purely functional. However, the Hoover Dam is as much a monument, representing an era of human history, as it is a functioning hydroelectric plant. For an hour or two, I wandered around the dam’s exterior on foot, admiring the scope of the structure, its adornments, and its colorful history. It’s a breathtaking human achievement, well worth visiting if you have the chance!

Kingman Wash

Finding a place to camp in the area was a bit more challenging than it should have been. There are vast expanses of desert surrounding Las Vegas, and Boulder City, but my goal was to stay close to town in order to catch up on some work. Research yielded few recommended boondocking sites close to Boulder City, except for Kingman Wash, located on the shore of Lake Mead on the Arizona side. It was surrounded by mountains, which would protect me from the elements, and it was on the water so I could cool off. It was perfect! It was accessed via a long gravel road, which was eroded at some spots, but not technical enough to stop a passenger car with a determined driver. When I arrived, there were a couple of vehicles there, with people sunbathing and children playing in the water. I found a quiet corner of the parking area, popped my camper, and immediately deploying my awning for some shade. During my stay, many people came and went. It appeared to be a local hangout and a popular party spot. It was an undeveloped location where one could enjoy the lake which is otherwise lined with resorts and marinas. The heat was intense. Every hour, I would walk into the lake to cool off - fully clothed - and then I’d walk right back out, soaking wet. An hour later, my clothes would be dry again! At sunset, I would put my kayak in the water and head out for a relaxing float to watch the stars come out. It was magical.

Old Ranger Station Road

After spending the day in Boulder City, the home of Hoover Dam, I needed to spend one more night in the area before continuing southwest toward California. Kingman Wash was still ideal, but I wanted to experience someplace new. So I decided to venture a little bit further into Arizona, to see if I could find a remote place to camp on the shore of the Colorado River. In the spirit of doing minimal research, I drove southeast along route 93 looking for primitive turn-offs to the west. Eventually, I found Old Ranger Station Road, which appeared to continue to the Colorado River, according to my GPS. Old Ranger Station Road wasn’t technical, but it was very lightly traveled, and required four-wheel drive as it wandered in and out of washes. It eventually terminated in a wash at the foot of a monstrous boulder that blocked vehicular travel, less than a mile from the river. A sign read, “Foot Traffic Only” If it hadn’t been so late in the day, I would’ve loved to have continued on foot. Instead, I opted to pop the camper underneath the boulder and settle in for the night.

Rocks Store Heat

I learned a hard lesson that night. Desert rocks store heat. There was no airflow where I parked in the wash under the boulder. I spent the majority of the evening tossing and turning in my camper, sweating profusely. It was far too hot, and I was baking like a brick-oven pizza! Finally, at 2:00 AM, in nothing but my underwear and a pair of flip-flops, I packed up the camper and drove the Jeep back toward the highway, where I found a much cooler place to sleep in an open space at a higher elevation. It made all the difference in the world! [gallery ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-3.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-4.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-5.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-6.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-7.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-8.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-9.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-10.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-11.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-12.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-13.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-14.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-15.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-16.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-17.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-18.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/027-embracing_desert_heat-19.jpg|"]