S/V INTREPID II - Cape Dory Intrepid 40

My photo
Intrepid II is a Cape Dory Intrepid 40 sailboat, hull #2, designed by Chuck Paine and discovered by the Captain in Blue Hill Maine in 2006. The crew are Kelly (Captain) and Carol (Admiral and Blogger). In 2009 INTREPID II embarked on her West Coast journey from Victoria to San Francisco, the Baja Sur Peninsula and into the Sea of Cortez. In 2010/2011, we sailed from Guaymas, south to Bahia Banderas and back. In 2011/2012 we left Guaymas, headed south to La Paz, spent three weeks at anchor on our northward journey and rested on the hard in San Carlos. Her 4th, 5th and 6th seasons were Boat Projects related. Season 7 - an incredible amount of boat work - but no cruising. Season 8 - Tropical Storm Sergio toppled Intrepid II in San Carlos dry storage. A disappointing season of serious and costly repairs. Season 9 - continuing those repairs and still hopeful for cruising.

June 14, 2018

Homeward: Prescott to Joshua Tree National Park


Roja Grande - Joshua Tree National Park
Saturday March 24th - Prescott to Ehrenburg CA:  A leisurely morning of packing, loading our overnight bags into Roja Grande and saying our farewells and once more we were underway.  Our route took us along Hwy 69 to connect with I-17 for a time, with the intent to follow the "Carefree Highway" AZ 74, which runs north of I-10.  Some mysterious 'special event' had backed up traffic so we had to quickly check for alternate routes and memorial parkways around Greater Phoenix - and ended up on I-10 in spite of best laid plans.  A flashing highway sign advised of a further detour which led us north to Vickburg Junction and back south west along Hwy 60, joining I-10 again east of Quartzsite.  Our inconvenience and wondering paled when we found out that there had been a serious accident with fatalities; a driver headed east on the westbound lanes struck and killed at least 3 people.  Somewhat subdued, we checked into our accommodation in the truck stop of Ehrenburg near the Arizona western border.  Not much to do or see and fast food for dinner, but it gave us a chance for an early start the next morning.

Sunday March 25th - Ehrenburg AZ to Joshua Tree National Park CA:  With an reasonable night's rest and an early-ish start, we headed west, crossing the Colorado River forming the Arizona-California border. Not long after we stopped at the Churiaco Summit travel stop and were impressed with the activity and amenities it offers, including including a museum to honour General Patton and his Desert Training Center from WWII.  Members of the Churiaco family continue to operate the gas station, 'general store', bakery and accommodations.  The Admiral appreciated the facilities.  Within minutes we turned north onto Cottonwood Springs Road and had entered Joshua Tree National Park from the south.

Kelly had been impressed and enthusiastic about his first visit to the park, so we were both looking forward to spending almost an entire day driving and walking the trails.  We drove and stopped and walked and took photos, had a picnic lunch and continued, avoiding the most crowded stops and having an easy yet invigorating day. The park website has excellent descriptions as reference:  https://www.nps.gov/jotr/learn/historyculture/parkhistory.htm
Our photos capture only a small part of the park's essence and atmosphere.
Cottonwood Springs and Fan Palms

Cottonwood Springs - Delicate wildflowers 


Ocatillo in Bloom
Cholla Cactus Garden






Cholla Cactus in bloom
Beavertail cactus - striking blooms



Rock formations near White Tank campground - one of the best spots for night time star gazing
And finally - Joshua Trees in profusion!



By late afternoon we were heading out of the western side of the park towards Yucca Valley where we had booked our stay.  Although we were tempted to head back in after dark for night sky viewing, by the time we had checked in, freshened up and found a diner for dinner and finally, a gas station, it was time for a good night's rest.  This park is one we would never tire of visiting.

June 13, 2018

Our Homeward Journey - San Carlos to Prescott AZ

Patagonia - Sonoita Scenic Drive State Hwy 82
We have been home for over two months now, and although photos were loaded onto the laptop and edited for uploading, the time to finalize the last blog post of this cruising season has been elusive.
However, it is a rainy morning in mid June - what better opportunity to post photos and comments of our homeward journey.

Tuesday, March 20th:  'adios' to San Carlos and north to Nogales and the USA border.  All went well, as we zigged and zagged along the construction detours, with clear skies. No request to stop and be inspected and a tedious but reasonable wait at the border.  We skirted the southern edge of Nogales on our way through Patagonia towards Benson, Arizona where we spent two nights and visited the intriguing Kartchner Caverns and hiked a nearby trail.   The wild West is alive and performing daily at nearby Tombstone.  No photos are permitted underground; however their website is very informative. [https://azstateparks.com/kartchner]

Patagonia - lunch stop at Wagon Wheel Saloon

Benson - Railway Engineer certificate for the Captain
Gardens at Kartchner Caverns 
Carol at Foothills trail head - bring water and watch for critters!

Kelly exploring trails before our underground excursion


Tombstone - gunfights and tours daily
Thursday, March 22:  Benson  to Prescott Arizona.  To avoid the joys of Tucson and Phoenix traffic jams, we headed east on I-10 from Benson, then north on US Hwy 70 towards Globe.  This route is still quite desert and scrub filled and passes through a portion of the San Carlos Apache reservation.  We had a quick lunch stop in Globe, refueled our truck and turned north onto State HWY 188 and into the Tonto National Forest.  This route was actually not as isolated as expected and near Roosevelt Lake there was a considerable gathering of campers and other vehicles.
Nearing Lake Theodore Roosevelt in Tonto National Forest, Arizona
With thanks to Wikipedia:  "The Tonto National Forest, encompassing 2,873,200 acres, is the largest of the six national forests in Arizona and is the fifth largest US national forest. It includes elevations ranging from 1,400 feet (427 m) in the Sonoran Desert portion, to 7,400 feet in the ponderosa pine forests of the Mogollon RimThe Tonto Forest Reserve was established on October 3, 1905.   A land swap proposed as a part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act would permit a subsidiary of the Rio Tinto mining conglomerate, Resolution Copper Co., to acquire 2,400 acres of the Tonto National Forest, considered sacred for the San Carlos Apache Tribe, for copper mining." 
Not sure how or whether that major issue has been resolved.

This mountain route joins Hwy 88 and turns northward to Payson in Gila County; another rest and fuel stop in what appears a good size community in the near centre of the state.  And a 'gravol' top-up for the Admiral who read the map and was not looking forward to the twists and turns and switchbacks to come.  They did not disappoint! After passing the small community of Strawberry, for a short but amazing time we were on the western portion of National Forest road 300 - the Rim Road.  TheTown of Payson website describes the effects of the Mogollon Rim area in these terms:


"At Fulton Point, at the western intersection of the Rim Road and State 260, stand at its promontory and gaze down at a mob of ponderosas, a deep green ocean that ripples softly over the miles, interrupted by a brown dot of a ranch clearing here or there, back to the blue mountains, each ranch defined by a ragged line that grows fainter as it goes, the mist thickening, until finally, the last one is shrouded in silver, the way heaven must look. The beauty will capture you.  It does anyone who breathes oxygen.  Don’t be surprised to find visitors, any time from dawn through the blackest part of night, sitting in a dreamlike state at one promontory or another.  Western writer Zane Grey, who wrote several of his books nearby at a cabin on Tonto Creek, once told an interviewer that he liked to sit on the Rim and ponder."

Our schedule hadn't anticipate savouring these viewpoints except from the road. We joined HWY 260, an east-west corridor, for the final switchback climb into pondersa forest plateau, then descended into the Verde River valley near Campe Verde. Whew! Roads less traveled appeal to the Captain and this served the purpose.  It was time to join I-17 south for all of 20 minutes before turning right onto Hwy 169 westward towards Prescott for a reunion with friends Diane and John. It is one of the joys of cruising, that when sailing folks extend an invitation to stop by for a visit, they mean it - even if it takes awhile to arrive at their doorstep!  The Olsens made us welcome, provided generous hospitality and ensured we saw the highlights of this special part of Arizona during our visit.
Seeing Prescott with the Olsens - and Ziggy

Thumb Butte - from a distance
Lake view - must return to hike the trails

Hmm...the rain has stopped, the sun is out.  A good time "to be continued".