After bidding farewell to Three Springs Community Farm in Bodega, CA, Isaac and I prepared for our wintertime journey by stocking up on the farm’s winter squash and spring water. We had 3 weeks to make it from Northern California to Arizona, and were itching to explore some new places after being settled at the farm for 3 months. We traveled towards the sweeping Sierra Nevadas, to Lake Tahoe for our first leg of the journey. Lady Loam roamed among the goofy alpacas at a ranch in Fallon, NV, just a short drive from Lake Tahoe, Carson City, and Reno. We parked in the center of the alpaca’s grazing area, and much to Artie’s interest, the alpacas provided friendly and charismatic entertainment right outside our windows all day long. We drove the truck to a few different spots along the lake, and after a steep hike I did the cold plunge I had been craving for so long (a big reason why I wanted to visit Tahoe at this time of year!). Artie enjoyed the snow covered beaches, and we got to soak in the beauty at the largest alpine lake in North America. We spent an evening in Carson City, which we found surprisingly quiet and unassuming considering it is the state’s capitol. We visited a brewery, drove around town and passed by the quaint governor's mansion, and even spotted a few black bear cubs just outside of town! We left Lake Tahoe 3 days before the first real winter storm, and were so glad we got out in time.
After a week in Fallon, NV, we drove south down the Eastern Sierra Nevadas to Mono Lake, CA in Inyo National Forest, with a lake-side view of the ancient alkaline basin. I cooked goat chops, mashed potatoes, and greens and we enjoyed our single night there. The following morning, Isaac, Artie, and I explored the tufa formations that Mono Lake is known for, and learned about how they are mineral build ups from the bottom of the lakebed, that are now exposed because the water level has decreased enough to reveal them. The views from this lake are incredible; other-worldly organic formations rise from the placid lake, while the snowy peaks of the Sierras and countless sagebrush reflect in the salty water. We had a diner breakfast at the only open place in Lee Vining (it was a Saturday, for reference) and hauled Lady Loam out to continue our journey south.
Passing the eastern entrance to Yosemite Valley, beyond Crowley Lake and Independence, we continued. Isaac took me on my first backpacking trip to Mt. Whitney in August of 2020, and it was nostalgic to pass through the town of Independence shadowed by the Sierras again. That backpacking trip was incredibly difficult, and when I wasn’t delirious from altitude sickness, the afternoon thunderstorms kept us from summiting. We made the decision to stay at the first lake on our route rather than continue trekking up, and had a wonderful time anyways. That trip is what got me thinking about how fun it would be to travel and camp in remote places, but still have the comforts of a home with me…
We found our way through Death Valley National Park and back into Nevada, where we towed our tiny home through a wash and up and down some crazy terrain to Rhyolite, NV in BLM Land next to to town of Beatty. Rhyolite is a ghost mining town that had a boom of miners in 1904 until its bust a decade after. By 1920 it was considered a ghost town, and the utilities and building materials were used to built the still-living town of Beatty not 10 miles away. We explored the ghost town with Artie, drove 1.5 hours each way to the nearest grocery store to make a birthday dinner for Isaac, and saturated in the stunning dawn and dusk colors the desert view spoiled us with. We made carne asada tacos for his birthday, and felt extra grateful to be spending it on the road.
As soon as we pulled in to the BLM camp spot, we worried how we were going to get out. Yes, Lady Loam got to the spot fine, but neither of us wanted to put her through that terrain again if possible. Sometimes, no amount of research and satellite map zooming can tell you how bad a road is until your tires are sliding down the path. So we scouted out the road beyond the spot, and after a few hours patching up the road and calculating the slope of the truck and trailer with height of the hitch, we felt a little better about towing out. When the day came, I took extra time to secure everything inside Lady Loam, and slowly we rumbled out of the spot, taking it gentle and thoughtful as to not slide off the sides of the haphazardly built mining road into the rocky and unforgiving desert landscape. After the final tricky part, which was a 16% down slope from a rocky ledge directly into a wide sandy wash, we put the truck in park and checked the hitch, interior, and brakes again. With a rewarding high-five and smiles all around, Isaac and I felt so relieved Lady Loam got out safely! Next, 20 miles of dirt road… but at least this road is better maintained.
After a week in Rhyolite, we returned to our favorite and most-frequented camping spot in Wikiup, AZ on BLM Land. This spot has it all; an easy wide dirt road close to the highway, an increasingly private driveway to the spot, a 360º view of the Sonoran Desert, no human evidence visible from the vista, proximity to town, sheltered from the wind, full solar visibility, donkey trails… It was our third time camping here, and when we are here, Isaac and I both feel our souls rest in this landscape. We spent a little less than a week here, just visiting town once to eat lunch at a historical peacock hacienda studded with mesquite trees and a lavish fountain. We took the truck out to explore the hundreds of miles of dirt roads beyond our campsite, through checker-boarded BLM and private land with road easements. About 45 minutes into driving through the mountainous desert, our tire pressure gauge sounded and the front passenger tire was dropping PSI fast. Isaac, stressed and determined, drove the car back to our campsite with the tire reading just 18 PSI. I learned how to change a tire that day, and we agreed it was time to get new off-roading tires anyways.
We towed Lady Loam back to Gilbert the following day, where we were able to park at Isaac’s aunt and uncle’s driveway (thank you!!!) which saved us hundreds of dollars. I sold art at a fancy market in Gilbert for the three days leading up to Christmas, and just broke even in the last 20 minutes before packing up. We had a cozy Christmas with Isaac’s family, and Artie enjoyed playing with the Harper’s dogs. For my birthday the following day, Isaac, Artie, and I drove north to Arcosanti, where we took a tour of the partially self-sustaining rural city built by artists and (unrealistic) visionaries. We hiked through Agua Fría National Monument and spotted petroglyphs among the rare granite boulders. We made latkes for Isaac’s parents to celebrate Hanukah, and lit our beautiful new brass menorah (a 13th Century replica issued by the Israel Museum, which is one of the best museums Isaac and I have experienced). We were glad to slow down at a conventional house after a few weeks of intense travel, and enjoyed our time with family to celebrate the closure of 2024.
Big Takeaways:
- an insulated blanket and wool socks are a must have
- everything gets 500% more dusty in the desert
- carne asada tacos on the cast iron griddle makes every birthday feel special
- cold plunges are misunderstood and necessary!
- scout out dirt roads with the truck before hauling the tiny house and committing to the road
- snowbirds have the right idea