Desert Hike and Boondocking Overview Ajo, Arizona - Snowbird 2017/18 Update
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ก.พ. 2018
- In this video, I give you a look at our latest boondocking location in southern Arizona near the little town of Ajo.
I take you along on a morning hike into the lush cactus filled Sonoran desert environment around our campsite. I point out a few of the cactus varieties and climb a small hill for a 360 overview of the area.
I also provide and request some information about the dangerous wildlife that inhabits the southwest desert. One of the most asked questions I receive is in regards to the dangers posed rattlesnakes and scorpions.
Be sure to check the video comments for hopefully some local knowledge and advice from the viewers.
The video finishes off with a photo slideshow and an unexpected visitor to our hummingbird feeder in the form of a Gila Woodpecker.
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The snakes in the Sonoran desert can be out at any time with the heavy rainfall and 80+ degree days typically they will not come out of hibernation until their nighttime temperatures reach 75+ degrees Fahrenheit with daytime temperatures into the 90s of which warms up the ground and rock where they hibernate, we are currently in a serious drought situation with no real food source for the mice and ground squirrels to create a population explosion. little green plants create an explosion of little furry creators of which the snakes like to eat. Right now the only abundance wildlife appears to be snowbirds in RVs 😱😂 The area you are currently in has Mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, that would be considered dangerous however unless they are rabid they want nothing to do with human contact however they would like to catch a dog or cat. Several reports A year of hikers with dogs report being stocked by them while hiking. Enjoy our desert happy camping and we are headed your way this summer so make some room for us. 👍👊
Awesome info, thank you!
Are you coming to Vancouver Island? Cheers, Ray
Thanks Ray for the waking
The woodpecker at the end was a treat to see! Your videos and photography are so welcome, and as easterners, we've learned a lot (including taking a comb to remove Teddy Bear Cholla barbs--it's all in the details sometimes :o) ). We are blessed with a 14 year old Doxie-mix, a little guy, so thank you and your commenters for the heads-ups about predators. Thank you. And Godspeed.
You're welcome. :) The Gila Woodpeckers are really cool birds, they often perch on top of the Saguaros and called to each other. They peck the cactus truck too and make nests inside. The males have a big red dot on their heads, here is a snapshot of one on our feeder - goo.gl/ih8Uor
Thank you for that photo! So cool.....
Hi Ray, I grew up in Arizona. I’m by no means an expert. But the general rule of thumb is if it’s warm keep your eyes out for snakes. In the winter they won’t move fast enough for you to necessarily notice them so you could have a tenancy to startle them. They can strike from any position but typically have a shorter range the less coiled they are. The younger rattlesnakes tend to be more deadly because they haven’t learned control of their venom and tend to inject everything into you. As the summer approaches the peak of the heat is too much and they will burro into the ground to keep cooler. But in the evening they seek warm surfaces like rock or asphalt roads. Always keep your eyes open when hiking in the evening as that’s when they are out keeping warm.
Awesome, thanks for the info!
Very nice, the sharing of your plant knowledge is an added bonus. The camping in a secluded area like that is the best part. Having a few other campers around is cool, so much nicer than camping in a congested campground rig after rig packed in. The solicitude and quietness with likeminded people who respect neighbors is the best part.
Yes, gotta love it. :)
Thanks, what beautiful scenery of southern Ariz.
I spent my first 30 years wandering around in the deserts around Tucson - mostly on foot - before moving to north Texas. I generally had to look for snakes if I wanted to see them. One warning though, the things that eat dogs of any size are plentiful and occaisionally even out in the daytime. Coyotes are the most common, but I have seen puma, peccary, and wolf. Two years ago while visiting my cousin north of the Catalinas a wolf came up in broad daylight while we were watching through a window in his house. It was so big it put its front paws on my Silverado's door handles and his head was well up into mid window level. He easily looked in the truck's windows before checking out the rest of the area.
Thanks, Dale. Back on Vancouver Island, cougar come right into the Victoria, a fairly large city to poach small dogs and cats right out of folks yards. We get bears too, but they are mostly looking to score garbage and food left out.
Nice video. Hello from BC! I was camping near Ajo last February at Gunsight. I loved it. I hope to return this Feb. I will check out this spot if I do. The hiking looks amazing.
There are lots of rattlesnakes where I live in the Okanagan.
All the bits and pieces of cactus around the base of the Organ cactus most likely got there by a bunch of woodrats/packrats building their den. The Western woodrat does the same thing but they use prickly pear cactus which make a good safe home from coyotes or fox or bobcats. If there were trails leading into the pile would really show if it was their den.
I had read that about packrats but never assumed they would make such large piles! Wow! Busy little dudes. :)
Nice Ray.
Love the desert 🌵 there’s always been something spiritual about it to me. We’re currently camping at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area...
And it’s a little chilly at night. But none the less it’s the desert and that’s where I like to be this time of year.
Gorgeous area, we drove through Red Rock last spring but the campground was right filled up so never got to stay over, maybe this spring. Cheers! Ray
Ray, you're in my back yard. I live in Phoenix. I've camp in that exact same spot you were at.
👍Nice video & info. Loved the music and scenery at the end too. 💞
Thanks. :)
Nice gila woodpecker at the hummingbird feeder! If you make noise as you walk most desert wildlife including snakes will move off as you approach. They'll be pretty scarce this time of year anyway.
Thanks, Dale.
Nice video of the desert. A thorny place it seems. As for rattlesnakes and scorpions they can be found where I live too (southern Alberta), but in the 40 years I've lived here I have only come across one rattler, no scorpions. They're out there but you don't find them easily.
Very nice! I drove through arizona on my tp Nevada. Its really nice. My family decided to just up and move all the way from Pennsylvania. Instead of flying out to nevada and getting a house we actually bought an rv and across country
Its giving a wonderful view on the rv life.
I myself have decided to partake and i plan to become a full time rv'er..
While im not going to do much travelling until i get older, i still find joy in living in such a space
And the fact that you can just get up and leave with your home at anytime!
Thing is im also 19.
But im already excited to get my own "place"
Haha
Thanks for your videos! Its been a real help in deciding things
Awesome hike. I loved the different flora. I really appreciate how you present your travels and I'm trying to get caught up on videos. Thanks!
So love your "Humming Bird":)
haha, yeah the little hummers were quite upset by the big intruders. Here is a snapshot I took through the window of a male - goo.gl/ih8Uor
Another enjoyable video! Thanks so much Ray. My wife and I are going to retire this year and hope to visit many of the areas you have highlighted on your channel.
Awesome! :)
That's definitely on our bucket list. Thank You for the information.
You bet :) Cheers, Ray
Thanks for the Google Earth portion of the video. Really, helps me follow your travels and also helps me in my planning. Be Safe and Be Well.
You're welcome. :)
Very nice docu about Ajo and surrounding area
I went hiking in Ajo last spring at Organ Pipe and I didn't even see a rattlesnake or hear one. As long as you are cautious and watch the ground to the side and directly in front of you when you walk, you'll be just fine. When it is hot outside they are usually hidden in shady spots in the brush or under rocks or logs. Don't leave ear buds in if you hike and watch where you put your hands and feet. They are usually encountered in the warm early evening and early morning hours when they come out for prey. Be observant.
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice, appreciated. Cheers! Ray
@@LoveYourRV Your welcome
I really like how you use Google Maps & climbing up to give us an overview - it is really nice!!!
Thank you, glad you liked it. Cheers! Ray
Thanks for taking us along Ray! Really looking forward to taking some of your advice and getting out there to boondock sometime. Have a great week! - Shane
Awesome video as always, thanks for posting and I'm looking forward to the next one
That was more than just a "little" hill!! Good climb, for sure. Thanks for the video. Safe travels.
Enjoyed your video.
We spent several winters in this area.
After 2 weeks on BLM, you can move north of Ajo to a Pima County Park and park free for another 2 weeks.
There is another BLM free camping area, south through Why towards Organ Pipe NM. I have forgotten the name. Something like fourmile.
Thanks, I think its the BLM called Gunsight Wash. Cheers! Ray
Thanks, Ray. It doesn't look like we will make it over that way, this year. Always enjoy seeing Ajo, Why, Pipe Organ area.
Too bad, it's always great for a visit, love it here this time of year. :)
Fantastic the way you showed on map where you hiked before the video. Keep up the great work.
Love the format, Ray. You've sent my family and I to a place or two already, and we appreciate it. The orientation through Google Earth ahead of the video really resonates with me.
Thanks, Jason. :)
Very nice video. I will have to get down that way next winter...thanks!
You bet. :)
That’s a nice road. Thanks for the video.
Great video, thanks
I think it is much too cool for snakes. 10 degrees warmer would change everything I would think. Great video.
Excellent video! Beautiful place! I love AZ and actually lived there for a while. I too, have hiked many trails and have never seen or heard a rattlesnake. Everyone tells me that is highly unusual, but obviously same for you. Well I guess that is good for us.
We had to have our newly constructed house in Phoenix sealed to keep the scorpions out. We would go out in the back yard and use a black light to see them - they glow! In early spring and late fall you will see rattlesnakes layout along the sidewalk in the desert. The cement holds lots of heat for them.
Nice look at the BLM land around Ajo Ray. We also love Organ Pipe and the boondocking down there.
Ahh, yes I heard the glow, pretty creepy. :) Thanks for the tips.
Love seeing the rig next to your, and meeting and talking to both of you, so cool and informative! Safe travels hope to see you down the road!!
Yes, awesome to meet up with you. :)
I've only been to the Superstitions in late fall or around new years. One warm year there was a Rattlesnake on one of our hikes in Lost Dutchman. It was mid afternoon on the south side of a rocky escarpment. We were being loud and it let us know it was there long before we got close enough to get hurt. Other than that, it was always pretty barren.
My nephew got a small scorpion bite when one was in his shoe. His parents have a lawn and the scorpions love the grass in the summer.
Thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Ray
As always great video i love the Google maps thing with the video, we seen lot of things of the area when we visit the usa also Ajo
Stephen King's Desperation was filmed there I believe. Great video as usual!!
Another great video! You do an awesome job from start to finish. Looking forward to more! I look forward to comments on snakes and bugs, I respect them but wouldn't let them stop me from going.
That's a good attitude when you think about it a bite from a little tick found all over the country giving a person lime disease is likely a greater concern than the low chance of a snake bite in the southwest. ;)
@@LoveYourRV So true. We should be more concerned about rodents in our trucks and RV's! $$$ LOL! I had a dog that grabbed a tarantula off a stucco wall. OMG, so gross. He spit it out! Still gives me the willies thinking about it. Toads are worse than tarantulas. The first time a dog grabs a toad will be the last time.
Lou was just telling me she loves the idea of your tall flag outside of your rig but I'll have to check it out in another video as it wasn't on your rig this time. Great way to find your way back home. -Angie
Yes, it was stowed away as we were prepping to leave soon. Here are a post and video detailing the flag and mount - www.loveyourrv.com/fun-rv-tip-get-flag/ Cheers, Ray
Love Your RV Great blog, thank you for sharing! I can't believe the vendors were charging $200+ for the pole... Thieves! Lol We will definitely be making an invest for something like this too.
Great video
If you come across a snake consider yourself lucky. The Mojave rattlers are incredible animals-leave them be unless you want to die. Ajo is splendid!
Mohave Greens. They were quite active in northern New Mexico. The most dreaded noise in the universe: ssss ssss ssss.
Awesome vlog Ray!
Thanks!
Hi Ray,awesome video my friend,I’m Randy and yes I’m a snowbird from Indiana,But was told a while back to get to where it’s warm and nice all the time,On Disability because of a very rare Arthritis in both my feet,But besides that was thinking about Mabey coming out west next winter,,I’ve got a 2007 -27 foot Pull behind camping trailer that’s in very good shape ,But Anyways enjoy your videos been watching you now for a few months and love your views of the desert,Thanks again Ray,,Be safe out there ...
Thanks, Randy, hope you make it out here. The dry heat is great for aches and pains and the sunshine does a person good.
Cheers! Ray
No flag!! :) Thanks for sharing. Beautiful country
What a terrific video Ray! It looks like such a beautiful place to spend the winter! I was wondering what map app you are using at the start of your video to show the towns and roads you use? Is that Google Earth or some other app? It looks like it would be very handy in planning a route.
Thanks! It's the Google Earth version that runs in a web browser. earth.google.com/
Neat piece of software, amazing what we have these days right at our fingertips.
Ray - Just wanted to say thanks for your travel logs and technical insights. I mark your finds on Google Maps for future reference. I was out in Arizona (still am - near Sedona) to get solar installed on my class C rig, thanks in part to your making it seem not so overwhelming. I was thinking we might cross paths - as far as I can tell we did at Lost Dutchman for a couple of nights but I didn't walk the entire park as I usually do. My excuse was to meet the famous beagle. Safe travels!
Your welcome, glad share and hopefully be of help to other RVers. I'm sure you will enjoy the new solar!
On sunny day in the winter snakes will be on the sunny side of a bush. They will climb up into bushes. In the summer they will stay on the shadie side of the bushes.t night they like the rocks that hold the heat. Railroad tracks, roads.
Makes sense, thanks for the tips!
Stella, our Beagle, just turned 8 on February 10, so I know too well the sadness of a close friend that can't go on the longest of walks anymore. Besides being overweight, she can't take the heat like she used to and central FL summers are the worst. Our hope is to go back to camp hosting in the CO National Forest where summers at 10,000' are comfortable even for a boondocking host site. I remember Stella playing "Whack a Mole" with the chipmunks on the rip rap of the new pit toilets while we were doing our cleaning shifts. We think Angie needs a baby sister to help her rediscover the joy of playing rough and Angie can teach her about the art of eating pig ears!
Angie's main issue is a rare genetic disease called Lafora making it almost impossible for her to travel in bright light conditions without seizures. - www.canineepilepsy.co.uk/lafora-disease-research.html Quite the weird thing, makes your heart break. Luckily she is fine so far at night or on cloudy days.
Stella gets into a pattern of freezing and staring like she is in a trance for several minutes, but always comes out of it when you call her name. Her two predesessors had their own quirks. Our Beagles on the farm growing up played very hard and often times passed away even harder. I was the first to spoil them by letting ours into our home and RV as I don't have a nice warm barn full of hay for them to sleep in anymore!
Happy belated birthday Stella! Our Lexi celebrated her 9th on the 9th. Gotta love our Aquarius furbabies!
Extremely jealous Ray. I leave for Florida Saturday...want to be back in Ajo...about 70 meters east of the sign that says, "Travel Caution, Smuggling and Illegal Immigration may be Encountered in this Area." You are sure correct, some of those secondary roads off the loop are in nasty condition.
Thanks, Coming over from Australia to RV for a while we play with the snakes.
Cool!
Another great video Ray. You mentioned the cactus lying on the ground can go through a runners sole, how do people protect their dogs paws from them?
I guide or pick up Angie as she is always on a leash. I've noticed many off-leash dogs either learn quick! or they are wearing special desert booties, they use them for hot ground too.
That RV way out... it's probably Carolyn from Carolyn's RV Life lol
Maybe, never know who is lurking out on the boonies. :)
If you get a reply on the critters, maybe you can do share an update in a future video.
Good idea.
sorry I never got to catch up with you down there in Arizona I had to come home sooner than I had wanted to do to a pinched sciatic nerve. I really didn't get to do anything down there other than lay in bed and visit chiropractors. The wife and I are headed back down there on the 15th.. I left my RV behind when I came home. Which turns out to be okay, now her and I will be there for two more weeks. If you're going to be anywhere close to Yuma let me know still want to buy you a cup of coffee. PS since I'm home I've been watching all of your videos on my 4K 70 inch TV. Awesome too bad the blue moon had the cloud hanging over it.
Sorry to hear, get well soon. If either of us suffers a tooth problem you may see us as we head back to Los Algodones otherwise the plan so to head north to Sedona area next. :) Cheers! Ray
Springtime in the desert is wonderful. Ray, have you enjoyed the full moon at night? Thanks for sharing your camp overs
Yes, we have had some warm nights, stars and moon are great down here!
How was the sunset where you were at. It was gorgeous here in Tucson. 02/12/ 2018
We were socked in with thick clouds but did have a dandy a few nights ago - rvhappyhour.com/members/raytronx/activity/47572/
Very nice hike! Those open walking spaces are just what my soul craves. Unfortunately, it's over 2k miles away. If you desired, couldn't you just change camping lot to satisfy 14 day limit? Or do you have to leave that particular campground? Cheers!
BLM has a 14 day limit for most of the areas. I guess it keeps folks from squatting, in some places its an honor system, I like to follow the rules so they don't take the privilege away - www.blm.gov/download/file/fid/20778 Cheers! Ray
Dispersed Camping in Undeveloped Areas
• Whether in a developed campground or at a dispersed site, you may usually camp in an
area for up to 14 days before having to move at least 25 miles from your original spot.
You may not return to that area for 28 consecutive days.
• Choose sites that are already established.
• Camp at least 200 feet away from water sources.
• Use existing fire rings or camp stoves.
• Check current fire conditions.
• Dispose of human waste properly (away from water and in a 6” or deeper hole).
We ask you to follow a policy of Treading Lightly! By picking up litter, avoiding travel that
could damage the land, observing signs and posted areas, leaving all gates as you found them,
and asking permission to enter private lands, you will enhance the public's opportunity to enjoy
these lands in the future. We hope you enjoy your camping experience on BLM lands.
Thanks! Understood, BLM, 25 miles. FYI, I stay in National Forest campgrounds, no power, vault toilets, "Stay Limit 14 day stay during any consecutive 30 day period". Of course, the rules are less strict for disperse camping which can be done in National and State forests. Cheers!
Great video again Ray. We are going to go there. pulling a 22' trailer with decent clearance. Do you suggest we come in from the south, via Darby Well Road and Scenic Loop? Thanks and keep em coming. :)
You could probably make it in from the north but the road gets pretty narrow in spots so I recommend from Darby Wells end to the south, it's not much further and the road is wider, with less sharp corners.
Awesome! Thanks Ray. :)
we should have come out to say Hi... we only live 15 minutes or so away. next time stay at Usery Park too if you haven't already. Maybe we'll see you next year.
Should have. :) We looked at Usery but looked quite crowded and booked up. Cheers! Ray
Yes, I believe that.. winter is a hard time for locals to even find a spot, I have to start early. oh, and it was a little hard for decent size rigs to maneuver in Usery too I guess. Its nice though. We head to Karchner in 10 days.
We are in Twin Peaks Campground in Organ Pipe, gorgeous and never seems to be full. I guess cause it is away from cities and doesn't take reservations. Only 16 dollars or $8 for seniors with the park pass.
Great place unless the fighter jets from the nearby air force test range are hot rodding overhead. It was so loud we left. We camp for the quiet.
Hi Ray, thanks for the video, my question is how long is your fifth wheel?
Its model is 276RLS which suggests 27.5 feet but they measure fifth wheels weird. Our true measure tip to tail is around 30 feet and hooked to the truck we are around 44 feet. Cheers! Ray
How do you keep from the truck or trailer getting stuck in soft sand or is the desert mostly harder packed sand and rock there, more like a road.?
Most of the desert is hard, but it can get a bit soft and squishy in the low washes where water sometimes runs during the odd big rain event. So care needs to be taken not to hang out in there especially with a 2 wheel drive and my dually with its 4 back tires when unloaded is really the pits. If I was to sit in one and try and gun it I'd likey spin add sink down. The trick to cross them is have some momentum and keep even acceleration. But best to avoid altogether. ;)
Today one of our regular walks by the Fraser seemed to be a bit much for Max as well. Could.be a one off could be a new normal. Yes it is sad to see our best pals start to fail. Rips at the old heartstrings. Even a trip like last September when we met you might be tough for him now. But we will press on! Hemp oil and MSM will prevail!
Yep, it will be a sad day when we have to say goodbye but I know they have had a great life.
Thanks, I just returned from one month in Florida, I live just north of Toronto Ontario, I lived in a truck camper for the month and found it a little tight with my dog Trapper. We want explore Arizona next year for 2-3 months and am trying to figure out what I want to travel in. Nothing is perfect and they all have there positives and negatives. I don't want anything too large especially trying to maneuver through traffic and towns. Are you guys happy with you choice or if you could would you change your living conditions? Thanks for responding Ray. I watch all your videos.
Yes, since my wife and I are full-timers this rig is a good trade-off between big and small. I wouldn't want any bigger and to go smaller I'd lose too much storage space. We really like the size and layout and big water and waste tanks. There are enough good spots to visit in the southwest with access to keep us happy. Cheers! Ray
I second the google earth map.
How do they know how long you've been camping? Does someone actually check every trailer daily?
Maybe, I'm not sure at that location. Some places have volunteer camp hosts that keep track. I didn't notice one here, though.
Most folks go by the honor system, especially if its a busy location with limited campsites.
Do you have problems with the terrain and your puppy.....cactus and such?
Not too much, except for the odd cactus thorn/needle. In heavy growth areas, I have to keep an eye out. She stays on the leash, for the most part, being a beagle if I let her off leash shed be gone for hours if not days. ;)
No, never saw a ranger, just a few border guard trucks, and Pima Country trucks.
This video is only playing in 360P for some reason
Maybe your connection or it hadn't finished processing the HD versions, it shows HD in settings and listed as HD in my video manager.
I did click on the video just seconds after it was published. It's now showing in 1080P. I guess I was too quick on the trigger. I thought I was watching an old video from 2014 there for a minute ! :). All is good.
When I tell people I would rather camp in the desert before any RV park, they ask if I carry any kind of gun for protection. Not from animal problems but human problems. In all your years of traveling around the southwest during the winter months, have you ever run into a problem with humans. In all our years of car traveling, the USA and Canada, I have yet to meet anyone that has caused a concern.
No, the seventh winter out camping in the southwest rural desert, haven't had any problems, folks I meet are overwhelmingly friendly or are out here to be left alone. Seems like when humans are spread out a bit with some space they are much better off.
Cities are where I feel nervous, and where I run into lots of jerks.