Adventure into Arizona's Forgotten Frontier
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ธ.ค. 2023
- Ever wondered what secrets lie hidden in the vast expanse of the Sonoran Desert in Southwest Arizona? Come along on an incredible journey off the beaten path as we explore abandoned gold mines, stumble upon forgotten cabins, and wander through the eerie silence of a sprawling ghost town. And if we're lucky, we'll encounter the most elusive and majestic creature that roams these lands. Join me for an unforgettable adventure into the wild unknown!
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The blimp is a Tethered Aerostat Radar System managed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. There are a handful at various locations along the U.S. southern border. CBP has more info in their website if you’re interested. Great video by the way!
Great intel, thank you!
That is what I was guessing it was, so thx for confirming!
Yuma proving grounds are nearby too with precision Navigation Reference stations
The blimp you see is station at Fort Huachuca, which is located next-door to Sierra Vista, Arizona.
We were stationed there in 9394 and there is a fairly good amount of off-road trails within the base. You can also drive fairly close to the anchor point of the blimp and see the hanger where it stored when it down on the ground.
Tombstone is only about 16 miles down the road from Port Huachuca. The Coronado mountains are nearby as well as an observatory point for gazing at the stars is up on one of the tall mountains nearby.
Sierra Vista grew from 40,000 back in 9394 to well over 100k today I believe.
My biggest concern for you would be the huge influx of illegal immigrants coming through the area. If you were to go off Roading in the Coronado mountains or anywhere else nearby fort Huachuca.
Another great video by the way
In Afghanistan we nicknamed it God… because God floated above and watched over us haha.
Unfortunately God could not be there on windy days… “God is not with us today” 😂
Brad,
I am a desert rat. I:
Go by myself, don't shave, eat very well, go where the trails take me, always have my Zoleo and medical bag, and love to stop and talk with others out exploring, and search out ghost towns and their mines. But I don't think I will ever come close to your video expertise. Keep up the great work.
Brad keeps running into closed access to our public lands. Our current government wants to keep us on asphalt within 2 hrs of a charging station. Moab is trying to close 300 miles of trails that have been used by the offroad community for years. Should be opening more public land to access NOT closing it.
I also noticed that the forest service here in Arizona has blocked a lot of trails also and cut them down to 50 inches wide or less.. but my Toyota will crawl over a lot of those boulders they used to block them😂
😂 Come to Texas where it's not the current government you're talking about but the state government which means almost no public land
@@auduffer it's definitely crossed my mind.. it's getting ridiculous. There's still a lot of places in AZ. They don't usually start closing things here unless people start trashing it and disrespecting it..
@@sqeekms6186 yeah it's tough because there's some great areas in Texas but access is horrible compared to further out west
In fairness, from the looks of it, I think those trails have probably been closed for sometime. But I do agree, closures are becoming to common.
The aerostats are also used by the military for surveillance. I was the lead on a Progressive Ground Surveillance System (PGSS )crew in Afghanistan and we trained at the Yuma Proving Grounds not far from where you were at. I can see where it would be a valuable asset for CBP as well. Great video.
Great intel, thank you! So I guess the camera on those things could probably spot me from that distance?
We had a few “Eye In The Sky’s” go down in Iraq and Afghanistan and they also came loose from the tie downs and flew away! 🥸
You’ll find the bighorn sheep near a water supply, I’ve seen them at Agua Calente Campground in Anza Borrego, and Gohler Wash 15 miles below Ballarat in the Panamint Valley of Death Valley! On of my favorite trails!
I was a Marine Tank Mechanic in Vietnam and we valued and respected our Corpsmen like gold, thank you for your service Brad! And I love your quality and informative videos! God Bless You and your family.
Thanks for your service, and welcome home! I spent some time in that tropical paradise attached mostly to brown water Navy task forces, but also provided some USMC and Korean ROK Marine support.
Will be on the hunter near water sources next time. Thanks of your service motivator! OORAH!
Like your son said in a recent video, the desert is really an underated landscape. So much interesting wildlife hidden out there. I used to travel to Nevada for work often and would see a ton of Bighorn Sheep and Roadrunners. Hope to get out west with my rig one day!
It really is a great place to explore. I've seen my share of Roadrunners, but still no sheep.
Hey Brad, Thanks for showing us this beautiful place. Went there, and it was great. Everything in bloom. Found something else. Found your entry at the mine. Very cool buildings! Thanks again.
Cooking out doors has never been better ❤❤❤
When he said "see a rare animal" I thought he was going to mean our local Arizona Jaguar as these rare cats live in the Huachuca/Chiracaua Mountains and allegedly have expanded to KOFA.
The Colorado Mine was a cool trip, Thanks for sharing
I had no idea there were Jaguars out there. Always have my eye peeled for Mountain Lions, but wasn't aware Jaguars roamed those areas. I need to read up on that. Thank you!
Hey Brad, I always enjoy your vids. They are so well done, informative and respectful. This one in particular is near and dear to my heart. I have spent my whole life exploring, hunting and camping on the Kofa’s. Both my uncle and I have spent many years working for The US Fish & Wildlife Service on Kofa and neighboring Imperial & Cibola National Wildlife refuges. I am part of a great group of guys that volunteer time and materials to keep a couple of the historical cabins standing and in good camping shape. If you would ever be interested in returning and diving deeper into the history and other various aspects I would love to accommodate. Keep up the good work Brad and thank you….
Thank you!
Holy Sean Connery Beard Batman. You rock it man!
Excellent as usual!!!
Sometimes traveling by yourself is great. Go as fast or slow as you wish. Sitting in the quiet of a sunrise or sunset can be priceless. My wife's ashes were scattered in the Smokies so I could see her in the growth of the area. I travel to the park many times a year, and on special dates, I get there early to watch the sunrise and have some coffee while just being quiet.
A perfect flip!
I loved the sheep sticker popping up, so cute hahah. Made me laugh a few times after a month. Thanks Brad for pulling me back from not so happy place 😢. Your videos help a lot, thanks for all the hard work!!
Thanks for the hard work Brad; that trip looked fun! Have a happy new year’s! 🎉
Thank you, and Happy New Year!
I enjoyed watching your video so much. Can't wait to watch your up comming videos especially these kind of exploring old mine sites and old homesteads videos. Take care.
Totally Awesome video and adventure. Thank you so much. You made my night
What an amazing adventure! I love Arizona!
Happy New Year.Thanks for sharing and taking us along
Happy new year!
Been in the southwest deserts for 65 years and have never seen a bighorn out there, but once driving thru Zion saw many just off the road⭐️😎🤩
Oh wow, that's a long time without seeing one. I've heard Zion is a good spot to see them.
For Bighorn, I also looked for years and never saw one. But I got a tip from a State Park Ranger and this is it: Head to Anza Borrego Palm Canyon in Spring (when the water is flowing) and on a hot day. In the afternoon, the sheep get thirsty and head down to the water. Because there are always people around, they are not afraid to venture. I did this had a bunch of them show up. A Ram crossed right in front of me on the trail, not more than 50' away. You're not wheeling to get there but you'll see them if you are patient. Good luck.
Yes, after several years of visiting AB & not seeing, got pleasure of seeing herd right off PC trail in May 23, last year. Also saw adult male not 40 feet beside me on Zzyzz Road in 2022!
Love the desert. Beautiful scenery. Great video. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Awesome video!! Thanks for sharing where you went. Other worldly! Love desert trails! Happy New Year to you and your family! 🥾🥾😎🥰
Happy new year!
Awesome video you guys!
Absolutely adventure well worth it . Enjoy your video great job
Happy New year!!!!! Sure love your travels!!!! I'm always ready for your next Adventure!!!!!
Thanks! Happy New Year!
Forgot to mention that I was a BT,3
Awesome video. I’m down under and won’t get to see places like this so Thankyou for sharing. That ghost town is amazing.
Thanks for coming along for the ride virtually!
Glad you finished it out. 🐏
No worries about the filming, we got to see a lot of interesting stuff and seeing that your gladi is still mostly stock, helps me go out on mine. Thank you so much for what you do and can't wait to see the truck turn into the Aid vehicle.
Thank you!
What a cool video thanks for making it. I really enjoyed it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video, I have seen two bighorns along the 93 in Arizona, near Lake
Mead, and they were butting heads right next to the highway. It was a majestic site indeed.
Oh that would be epic to see them butting heads!
Loved the trip. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Beautiful destination, Arizona very very gorgeous. I would like to go soon.
Thank you for sharing
I love your channel. Please continue to speak your truth
Thank you so much!
Another great video! Those burgers look amazing. I love Sir Kensington's Chipotle mayo as well. It's good on many things.
I just wanted to say I like you demonstrate emotion very freely. Super cool to be in good company as it relates to being able to freely emote as men. By the way, thank you for your service. My dad served two terms in the Korean Conflict from ‘48-‘52. US Navy. CA73, and as my dad would say, (after a long pause…) “Heavy Cruiser…”. I also am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist and by far, my largest (and most favorite) population are the Vets. I work six days a week in my private practice and I am grateful to be able to support Vets. My wife just said you remind her of my son and I. That’s a huge compliment. Happy New Year!!
Thank you so much and Happy New Year to you and your wife!
awesome adventure. great to see you out just exploring without too much of an agenda!
Thank you, it was really a great couple days out there.
I grew up around that desert, and to this day, there's so much that I haven't explored. It's awesome to see you finally explore a bit more of AZ.
So much to see out there!
Make sure to take the mine tour next time! It’s incredible how the rocks glow under black light and continue to glow when you shut it them off.
Great video... Happy New Year to you and your family!!
Happy new year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Happy new year
That was a nice museum! I’d love to see if for myself.
Great trail ride!
Great video. I’ve wheeled AZ a bunch but never seen some of this. Awesome. Also fantastic beard
You can't miss them in valley of fire. Or hemenway park in Boulder City.
I'll have to add that to the list of places to search.
We most frequently see the Big Horn Sheep bachelors near the dry campground in Valley of Fire.
Better luck next time. Looking for those mythical creatures just gives you a reason to return. Great vid and I'm adding it to my list of places to visit. Happy New Year to you and yours. May we all have a fantastic 2024.
Thank you! Just one of many reasons to return to this incredible place. Happy New Year!
That burger!!! Wow! I know what I'm grilling tonite.
Enjoy! I was pretty happy with how it turned out.
I did a slightly toned down version about half that size with a bunch of grilled onions but I still what to try the egg option. My dr would probably freak out!@@TrailRecon
Great video Brad! Nice museum info. Great video work. And, btw, I have seen that mythical animal in western Nebraska!
Yes, definitely thinking about those 2 burgers, ha, enjoy! And safe travels!
They were so good, but my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Thank you!
Happy New Year from New York Brad!
Happy new year!
You’re in my backyard! 😂 Enjoy Kofa and the Sonoran desert!. We saw a couple big horn sheep last March off the North side of Highway 95 up in the mountains by YPG. They do exist!
Enjoyed the trailer cam vantage starting at 27:37… felt like watching a video game!😂
Great video and beautiful cinematography. Looks like a fine place to spend some time. Hooyah! ⚓️🇺🇸
Thank you!
I just did Queen Canyon yesterday. I love it out here! Also, the Castle Dome Mine museum is amazing! The tour of the mine is amazing too.
Love this video! I’d love to see one of those elusive sheep in the KOFA region. Thanks for sharing this 🙏🏽
Great video, as always Brad! The desert does indeed have a special beauty of its own. I'd love to see some views of the stars at night over your campsites. While I know there's usually large cities in the distance, some of these remote spots must offer a much better view of the stars than we city folks get. Please consider sharing those views with us if your camera is sensitive enough. Thanks Doc Brad! BTW: I can't wait to see the finished Gladiator "V-MAS" (Volunteer Mobile Aid Station")!
I've been reading up on how to film the stars... learning is taking place. Thank you!
great video, and happy new year.
Thank you and Happy New Year!
Great video! Like your wheeling style of exploring and taking whatever road looks interesting. I’ve also had destinations in mind with timelines and you just commit and go for it. Usually those trips reward you.
Even thought I didn't get home until very late, I'm glad I didn't call it quits early on the trail.
I did the same thing last Summer was on Hwy 395 mid afternoon and really wanted to go up Kavanaugh Ridge… most rewarding trip. I also got home very late.
You have seen me comment before, these are the videos I really enjoy! Very calming.
This time, it was one in the area I am very familiar with! Have been to the castle dome area a few times and the museum once. Thanks for taking us along on the adventure in my new winter backyard!
Oh, is that a CMM mount you are using for the ZOLEO? Cheers.
Beautiful area, added to my bucket list. Great film of it all. Sorry about no big horn. Keep your eyes peeled, it always seems that what we search for shows up when we least expect it. My mythical creature hunt was a condor and when I finally and unexpectedly saw one it was worth the wait!!! So hunt on.
Thanks for taking us along! Can’t believe I did not visit Castle Dome ghost town when I was in KOFA a couple of years ago. Well, just an excuse to head back that way!
It's a great excuse to go back!
Brad, appreciate all you do for the community. Been following you for years and finally took the leap on my first Jeep, a Gladiator Rubi Ecodiesel. Can you please share where you got your GMRS antenna mount? I've been searching for one like yours. Thank you and happy Jeepin!
The Sonoran Desert is a beautiful place. With more and more land being sold off it’s getting harder to get around.
Just make your way to Banff National park!! Odds are much better!
And I had to chuckle, Brad in his Patriate Camper, and Coyote Works, same time, in his swag!!
Welcome to my back yard enjoy the views and your stay. This is also my backyard. I have been off roading this area since my first vehicle a 77 cj7. I would spend the nights out there.
I was bummed when you sold your first gladiator but we all make mistakes. 😂Looking forward to the build out on this one. Great video. Happy new year!
Happy New Year!
You did good Brad as usual, keep up the great work, USN 1967 to 1970
Thanks, will do!
Every time you turn your head a wooly friend wonders into your camp 🏕.
Come down to Morenci Az and see the amazing copper mine and a million big horn sheep!
Usually takes a spotting scope to find sheep. Guys that find sheep for a living will glass a hillside for hours and only find a piece of a sheep, only to glass another hour to find there were ten sheep hiding with that piece of a sheep they originally saw. Not sure if they are pressured on the refuge, so they might be less wary. Also, all those closed roads take you to the mountains that have the highest possibility of seeing sheep. The sheep cartoons are hilarious. I was also chuckling at your dyslexic mention of mule deer. Seems you needed another night.
Fantastic as always, what a great video! After years of no sheep, we encountered a group along the hiking trail to Goat Trestle a few years back, and spotted a huge loan ram high up on a steep and rocky slope by Pat Keyes Canyon last year. With your extensive travels into our backyard desert playground, statistics say you'll spot some sheep, which is really cool.
Thanks! Statistics seem to be against me... it's been many years without seeing on, LOL!
Great video! I love the little sheep graphics you snuck in at various points in the video. I literally was laughing out loud. I only wish I could have jumped on and wheeled with you for a few hours as I live so close (Phoenix) to where you were.
I love your Jeep Gladiator as well
Lots of Big Horn in my trip to South Dakota through the Badlands. Came right up to my camp, literally 10’ away.
Awesome adventures ❤
Thank you!
Amazing and Happy new year
Happy New year!
Another great video. Even with more TH-camrs out there your style stands out. Authentic and a quality production without being over produced. Great job. You gotta come back to Colorado to see the big horn. Often they are just hanging out I-70 watching all the silly drivers.
Truly, thank you so much! There are lots of great channels out there making content these days and I hope that I can still continue to share with you all some great stories. 2024 is going to be an exciting year. Happy New Year!
Also if you want to see some big horn sheep the back route between Hidden Shores and Martinez always produces! Would be happy to show you around at some point
Up in Palm Canyon, you will see Bighorn. You can see them in Anza Borrego, and if you're ever near the Whitewater preserve near palm springs, you see them there. Great video, and love the channel Stay safe and keep exploring
Glad you made it to KOFA. When we met a couple years ago, I told you that KOFA was the place for you! There's a lot more to see! Tasty burgers.
Next time you're in Borrego Springs head over to the De Anza golf course, especially the western side of it up against the mountain. Half the time I'm there, I see sheep. They're often getting a drink from the ponds on the golf course or munching the grass.
That beautiful sunset seemed to last forever!
It was so incredible and the camera really didn't do it justice.
Hey Brad, I love your videos. Next time you are in Arizona stop in Globe AZ and I can take you out to find some big horn sheep.
We were just at the Castle Dome Mine today after watching your video! Very cool place! Good recommendation! We have been camping in the American Girl Mine area for the last week. I wish we would have run into you!
Another great video! I lived in Tucson for 3yrs, all I saw was cactus! 🌵
Thank you! Cactus have their own beauty,.
That was a really nice Gladiator that you passed in the canyon.
Like the no shave wild man look. Appropriate. Thank you for sharing.
I appreciate that!
I’ve only seen one big horn sheep in my whole life and it was actually on top of Mount Whitney in your backyard, and I was amazed
Finally you get to a place I have been too! LOL, pretty difficult since I am from Florida. I got to the Castle Dome mine museum also! Very neat place.
Wow that's a long drive from FL!
Hey Brad, Great vid - sorry you got skunked on the bighorns. I've recently seen several herds of them just west of Eagar, AZ within sight of hiway 260. There are a lot of really great trails up that way, too. Stay safe and I'm anticipating your mods to the JT.
"long horn sheep" and "deer mule"....hehehe😂
Wow! Those burgers look amazing. Marco would be proud 😂
Another great video. It is funny to hear when you say you are short on time and this is your living. I know you have obligations but just makes me chuckle knowing you have obligations but still get to do this for a living. Keep up the amazing work, and enjoy you time out there!
At 29:00 you passed the White Dog Overland guys. They have a TH-cam channel and filmed their trip too.
hope those safety chains are alright, heard them dragging on the trails
We saw you on the pass the other day. We didn’t see any sheep that day either, but we have seen them up in the hills through the pass on other trips through McPherson Pass. Don’t give up I can guarantee they saw you. Enjoyed your video.
I'm sure they saw me. Thank you!
Being in the desert brings out our appetite. Your cooking skills are improving Brad. Are we sure that blimp isn't Chinese? Lol. Happy trails Brad.
❤ the pop-in cartoon sheep. 😊
Brad! I was just there like a week ago! It is amazing there and I am stationed in North Island NASNI. I’m glad to see you do a video on this area as it was unbeknownst to me that this even existed so close to San Diego. I definitely am going to be going back. Cheers! I also seen the blimp and had to explain what a blimp was to her and I think she still doesn’t understand, since she is from Thailand 😊 Oh and I never seen the military portion of the ghost town, I will have to go back and put my name on the register too. Aviation Machinist Mate First Class.
Thanks for your service shipmate and you should absolutely go sign the log next time you are there.
Happy new year and gretings from Dresden/Germany
Happy New Year!