Charmed Life

Almost completely dark, with a big full moon. Clarkdale in the distance.

Here I am sitting on the side of Mingus Mountain just off Perkinsville road. It is completely dark, save for the full moon…one day removed from the blood moon eclipse event. I’m cooking up some spaghetti and meatballs on my Sterno stove. Streamed broadcasts on my phone are the only sound I hear except for some nocturnal birds to my rear. In the distance, a few miles away, the lights of Jerome twinkle…and even further, Clarkdale shines. Further still, a string of taillights heading for Sedona, AZ, light up the night.

Then it hits me: I am completely alone, and in a situation some folks would be terrified of. Poor suckers...

But not me…I revel in this. Out in the back-country, doing what I love, and still more coming to get back home.

After forcing myself to pack up post dinner, I roll on over to just above Jerome and a nice view of the Douglas Mansion and Gold King tourist attraction. Only dim lights in both...the night has sent people to the center of Jerome for some good food and drink, and maybe a ghost tour. I reluctantly turn and head for home…well, at least the direction of home…when someone else finally appears in the night. The tell-tale glow of LED’s to my rear, and I am soon overtaken by a XP1000 that had passed earlier. Someone else enjoying the high-desert night!

This “night” started many hours earlier in the day, when I headed straight from my driveway ( no trailer ) and into Chino Valley for fuel. Then on to Perkinsville road and Haystack…for a total of 112 miles. I have written about riding this area recently, and while there I had discovered a nice canyon on Granite Creek. Unfortunately, a party had already set up camp, so I was turned away. On this day it was vacant except for some hikers, so I got to explore a bit. Amazing that such a dry place can have such erosion from the force of water. I snap some pics of “measles rocks”, head back to Perkinsville road, and then take Narrow gauge road (318A) I talked of in my last post, to the east of where I was.

Measles Rocks

My goal was simply to follow it up and around towards Jerome, but alas…I got distracted by some roads heading south towards the Coyote Springs area, but stopping short of the actual development. After hitting a side trail and peaking on a tall ridge with an astounding view of the area...

...I noticed a cross positioned near the edge. The inscription simply read “Limon”, and gave some dates. Post ride research revealed that this was a Young man who grew up in nearby Prescott, and was found murdered in a BNSF facility in California where he had moved with his family. Later, his wife and her alleged lover were arrested for the crime, though the last report I saw said the charges against her were dropped, and the hearings are still pending. It seems markers in beautiful locations don’t necessarily have beautiful stories behind them. Godspeed, my friend.

After this, I spent the rest of the day making my way around Mingus and the old railroad bed…my original goal.

One side canyon, marked “CCC canyon” on topo maps, had been run by me previously in the dark, and I thought the views in daylight would be stellar…and they were. It was a rocky, climb with some ledges testing the tallish gearing of my Pioneer, but it did make it fairly easy. A great place to relax and have a Cosmic Brownie and a Grape Crush for a few minutes…until time took me back down to the old railroad bed. After exploring some of the many “tanks” perched on the hill side, I was again moving to the north on 318A. This former rail “road” is a little bumpy, but anything with clearance can do it in the dry with relative ease, while taking in some of the best views of Chino Valley and the surrounding area.

Cosmic Brownie and Grape Crush time!!!

Eventually, Perkinsville road joins with the old roadbed, and we begin what is the most spectacular leg of this old steam route up and across the summit. Again, this road is smooth gravel, but there are no guardrails, and going off the side means certain death in most places…as several crosses attest. It is here, while going through the large cut at the top, I first ran into the XP1000 that would be my only company for hours.

 A few miles later, I made it to the point where this story began…sitting on the side of a lonely mountain in the dark. But feeling very alive.

The last leg of my ride was back down the side of this mountain, via Perkinsville road. I had decided to make a loop of this, and sailing on through the night, I decided it would be cool visit to the Verde River Bridge. Approaching the river, I could already make out the faint glow of camp fires, and the delicious aroma of grilled burgers and wood smoke drifting across the cool desert air. People enjoying the night, just like me.

As usual, I had to make for home all too soon, but did so with a grin as I rolled up and across ridges, back to Chino Valley, with only deer and cattle as my companions.

I had to grin…knowing what I charmed life I lead. Some people spend their free time in front of the TV or computer, never knowing what the world holds outside of four walls. Not me.

If I ran out of brownies...