West Central AZ - Thurs Mar 31 - Sun Apr 03, 2011

Anywhere in the country is fine. Where do you want to camp?

West Central AZ - Thurs Mar 31 - Sun Apr 03, 2011

Postby Jeff B » Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:41 pm

We're co-sponsoring a trip in April with Little Guy Trailers to a remote, deserted but accessible area NE of Quartzsite - if you're interested in joining us please drop me a line for complete details. No cost - just grab your gear and join us!
Jeff - Paha Que' Wilderness, Inc.
858 748 3762
Last edited by Jeff B on Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Jeff B
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Trip Date Change and Complete Trip Details

Postby Jeff B » Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:09 pm

Greetings Fellow Campers!

Thank you for expressing interest in our upcoming 2011 Spring Desert Camping Trip, co-sponsored with Little Guy Trailers! The dates are Thurs March 31 - Sun April 03, 2011.

The weather looks great, so we should be in store for some great warm days and cool clear nights. . There is no charge for this trip - however we will provide have a complete camp kitchen - you are welcome to use our equipment or bring your own. Our camp will be dry/primitive. We will provide Tepee's for showers, and Tepee's with porta potties. You will want to bring plenty of water (2-3gal drinking, 5 gallon for cleaning dishes, etc), and we will have to haul in whatever firewood we need. There is poor to no cell coverage in the area, so plan for that as well. We will provide food stoves, eating ware, etc. I will have full sets of tools for any vehicle or tire repairs that are needed. You can register on our website, by clicking on: https://www.pahaque.com/Merchant2/merch ... creen=gtct We will need an accurate head-count in the event that we have to pull BLM or other permits.
Following is the agenda for this trip:

Day One - 03-31-11
Meet in Quartzsite, AZ at 12 noon, at the Hwy 95 - Main Street Intersection where there is a large lot that we can rendezvous. Fuel up, top off our ice, and we will begin the 20 mile, 45 minute drive into the Plomosa Range and our campsite area. The road between there and Quartzsite is pavement and graded dirt road, where we will need to keep our driving speed under 5-8 mph to prevent flat tires. Don't forget a few cans of Fix-A-Flat! It is a fairly easy drive, and we won't need 4WD for this part of our trip. We will bring jerry cans of extra gasoline, and tools for any need automotive or camping gear repairs.

Driving directions to Quartzsite:
From either LA or Phoenix areas, take I-10 to the Quartzsite exit (exit #17 off I-10 )
From San Diego area, take I-8 East to Yuma, than take HWY 95 north (exit #2 in Yuma off I-8 ) to the town of Quartzsite.

We will communicate on FRS/GMRS 2-way radios (Motorola type) on frequency 8.0 during our drive. If you do not have 2-way radios, we will have a few loaners for the drive. I also have a CB radio for slightly longer range communications - we will monitor channel 8 on that as well.

I expect we will be in camp by 3pm, and can do some foot exploring of the area before sundown. The area is large so we can spread out as much or as little as you prefer.

Day Two - 04-01-11 and Day Three - 04-02-11
During these two days we do not have a set schedule of activities. After we kick off Friday morning with a camp side breakfast, I will give a brief talk about the history of the area, and some of the more interesting sites we have found over the years. After this you will be free to explore the area and surrounding desert either on foot or by vehicle. If there is enough interest, I will guide a 4WD trip to the nearby ghost copper-mining town of Swansea. In Swansea we can visit the old mining pumping station on the Bill Williams River, the old Martinez ranch and pioneer gravesites, and the old Arizona and Swansea railroad grade. We will provide gear for other activities as well, such as a telescope for stargazing. There are also a number of old mines and related buildings and equipment in the immediate area where we'll be camped.

There is so much to see and explore here that I don't think we'll have a moment of boredom! And of course, if you choose to sit out any or all of the activities to just explore or relax on your own, that is great too! Other activities will be a dutch-oven cook-off, stargazing at night, and possibly a movie night on the desert. (We're thinking True Grit or another western - it just seems to fit the theme....)

Saturday Night Pot-Luck - Saturday night we will have a large group pot-luck meal. Email me ([email protected]) with any food items you would like to contribute, and Paha Que' will provide the rest!

Day Four - 04-03-11
This morning we will prepare a hearty breakfast before we break camp and prepare to head out. We will try to be out of camp by 11am, however I know some folks may want to leave a little earlier, and some may want to stay awhile longer. We will provide detailed driving instructions to those who wont be departing with the group.


NOTES:
The weather should great for the trip - you can click here for updated forecasts as we get closer to departure time: http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USAZ0180 Expect highs in the hi 70's or 80's during the day, and 50's at night. Also expect windy dry days, and calm cool nights.

If you would like to meet at another time than noon on Thursday, please call or email me so we can coordinate with your planned arrival time in Quartzsite.

There is poor to no cell coverage once we leave Quartzsite, so plan for that. We will provide everyone with a map of the area as well as to First Aid facilities in Quartzsite.

We have put together a Camping Item Checklist that you can print out by visiting the Registration Link at https://www.pahaque.com/Merchant2/merch ... creen=gtct

Aside from the items on our camp list, I highly encourage you to also bring the following:
1. Map - I like the Benchmark Maps, available at REI and other sporting goods stores. The Arizona Atlas and Gazetteer is also a good map.
2. GPS
3. FRS/GMRS 2-Way Radios (available at any sporting good store) REMEMBER we will be using frequency 8.0 on this trip
4. Fix-a-Flat or equivalent - 2 cans per vehicle
5. 1st Aid Kit with snake-bite kit
6. Firewood
7. Binoculars and camera
7. 5 gallons water per person

Well that's about it for now folks! We are very excited to meet you all and share a great weekend of desert camping!

If I have forgotten anything, or if you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to call or email me. Dont forget to register so we can include you in our head count!!

Jeff Basford
Paha Que' Wilderness, Inc
[email protected]
888.700.TENT (8368)
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Jeff B
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The list is growing!

Postby Jeff B » Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:40 pm

So far we have almost 30 folks, 9 tears and 5 tents - and theres plenty of room for more. Please consider joining us for the fun trip!

Dates are Thurs Mar 31 to Sun Apr 3, 2011. Theres no cost to join!
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Trip is only 5 days away!

Postby Jeff B » Fri Mar 25, 2011 5:11 pm

There is still time to join in our trip next week - no cost to come along. If you didnt get enough at Lake Perris, maybe this will fit the bill. If interested or want more info just drop me a message! Jeff
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