Valley Of Names: The Crazy Week Of Adventure Continues

   Although the first part of last week was really crazy and hectic, the weekend was just amazing and full of adventure. Saturday was mellow and we just hung out and rested, spent a little time futzing around with Kermit and went in to Yuma for groceries. Sunday, however, was a different story. We were invited to join our friends Bob and Tina, Jim and Barbara (and their dog Abby), and Phil and Karen for an off-road trip to the Valley Of Names. This valley, located near Winterhaven, CA is an amazing place full of history and mystery. The aforementioned area is a large valley of rolling dune-like hills and washes covered in large and small rocks of mostly dark coloring. No one knows who first began the tradition of using these rocks to spell out their name across the sand colored hills, but we know it started some time before the Second World War. General Patton had a secret training camp near Bouse, AZ and apparently used the area near what is now Winterhaven as well. He referred to the

valley we visited as Graffiti Mesa back in the 1940's.
 
   By the 1960's the tradition had become a rite of passage for local off-roaders, and by the '70's it had been embraced by the Snowbirds and winter visitors as well. The local high school kids
discovered it in the '80's and there was no turning back. The area of valley floor covered in names and other mysterious messages swelled from the original four acres to roughly 1200 acres. It is visible from sattelites in space and you can find it on Google Earth. Tours are available by both jeep and airplane, and while I'm sure the view from above is spectacular I really don't think you can top the excitement of getting there by the off-road trails provided by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management). Some trails in the region are easier and could be done by a reasonably good driver in a high clearance vehicle, while others are more challenging and require a dune buggy or four wheel drive rig. Maps are available from the BLM office in Yuma, or you can go as part of an organized group or on a paid tour. Remember, it is always a good idea to travel the back country with at least one other vehicle; not all areas have cell service and you could be stuck for a long time before someone else comes along if you miscalculate or break down! Pay attention to the trail markers so you have an idea where you are should you need to call for help, and be aware that weather conditions can temporarily or permanently close trails. Maps may not be up to date and completely accurate, as Mother Nature has a mind of her own and a somewhat wicked sense of humor!
 
   We enjoyed touring the Valley of Names, stopping often to read and photograph the messages and memorials dedicated to friends and loved ones. Whatever the compulsion is to leave a lasting mark here on the valley floor, it is apparently quite widespread. It is astonishing how much planning and desert sweat equity has gone into some of these mysterious glyphs. Most of the easily attainable rocks have long since been used up by the more than 10,000 works of art already in place. For any who wish to add their own message, it is necessary now to bring your own rocks (please do not raid someone else's creation to make your own; Karma will get you!). Some artists use alternate materials, like colored golf balls or painted rocks; others add special touches like a vase of plastic flowers to their memorials. Some have dates included, but many do not and the year of their creation will remain forever a mystery. The sheer number of names in this valley is somewhat overwhelming; they stretch out almost as far as the eye can see. Some of the more intrepid artists trek long distances away from the road to make their mark on history. Some have a stick planted vertically so their creator can find it again; others have solar lights to illuminate the surrounding darkness, perhaps to bring a touch of civilization to this lonely place in the desert

.
   With Bob and Tina's help, we were able to find the Xscapers logo built here by  the group a couple of months ago (hint: look for the nearby Led Zeppelin name). Every few years, according to one tour guide, some of the locals who appreciate the magic of this place come together to clean up the plastic bags and debris that inevitably make their way to this place. They also carefully replace any rocks that have been kicked or otherwise removed from the artwork left upon this gravelly canvas. Although it is located in a secluded place at the base of Imperial Valley's rugged Cargo Muchacho Mountains, I'm not sure anyone could ever truly feel alone here. There is just too much company amongst the sand and rocks where thousands of strangers have left a little piece of themselves behind to create a silent community in the desert.

   Having enjoyed a brief overview of the Valley Of Names, where curiosity could easily keep you wandering for hours (or possibly days), we headed out to find a different route back home through the mountains. As I mentioned

previously, maps can be deceiving; the road shown on ours as going through to our destination was in fact a dead end. It probably was as indicated previously, but mining debris and rock slides are a commom hazard amid these jagged peaks. Roads and trails commonly dwindle down to nothing and trail markers are often on the ground or missing altogether where trails meet.  While there is currently no mining activity here, the remains of a large number of mines can be seen along the rocky slopes. Some have ruins of sluices and other mysterious wooden structures; others are merely openings in the hillside. We came across one while exploring trails leading out that still had some structures standing, but after walking partway up the road snaking up to it we decided against trying it with our vehicles, as the track quickly turned into something that looked more like a rock slide than a road. Even with Jim and Barbara leading the way in their dune buggy this trail was just not going to be possible for our vehicles. The fact that it ended in a blind ridge was an additional hazard as it would require walking a long way uphill to scout it out before even attempting it. Getting a vehicle to the top of a ridge and finding a sheer drop on the other side means you have to back down a track that was a challenge to get up going forward and was definately in our plans! So, once again we turned our little three vehicle entourage around and tried another trail.

   Having spent several hours happily exploring alternate routes, we were finally forced to admit the best choice was to partially retrace our original course until it intersected with Power Line Rd, a less interesting but more reliable way out. It was really amazing how well the three very different vehicles (a vw dune buggy, a Suzuki Samurai and a trail rated Jeep Cherokee) all handled the terrain equally well in different ways. Joe and I rode in air conditioned luxury with Bob and Tina in their Jeep, while Jim and Barbara led the way in their cool Barris dune buggy and Phil and Karen followed in their Samurai, a legendary on and off-road workhorse. While the Jeep's longer wheelbase and wider profile might be an issue on some trails it handled these without a problem, and much of the time it wasn't even in 4WD! Whenever the trail looked a bit dicey, the dune buggy was our go-to vehicle because of it's light weight and versatility. The Suzuki we knew could go almost anywhere, and it did.

   It has been a very long time since the summer I spent off-roading around southeastern Utah with my Uncle Fran (who wrote and illustrated dozens of off-road guides to the Colorado Plateau country from his home base in Moab) and this was a welcome change of pace from travelling in a motorhome. While Joe and I were initially looking for a dune buggy or baja bug to tow behind Flipper, we finally chose the Geo Metro because of it's spectacular gas mileage (and because the buggies and bajas we looked at never seemed to have a title; come on people, put the title somewhere you can find it again!). While we are enjoying having the option of zipping around in "Kermie" instead of driving the motorhome everywhere we go, we will still keep our eyes open for something that can function as well off-road as on. Our dream combo would be an MCI bus with an interior

designed specifically for us towing something like a Myers Manx dune buggy. With a rooftop deck and 3000+ watts of solar... and a scooter on front and back...and a full sized bathroom...and a king bed...oh, and a gourmet kitchen...and a gourmet chef to run it... Yeah, O.K., so I'll just keep dreaming, but all my dreams from now on are going to include some kind of a vehicle that can take us on off-road adventures like this one. There is so much of this incredible country of ours that just can't be seen from paved roads, and I don't want to miss any of it. I love being able to view new horizons with a childlike sense of wonder and adventure, always eagerly anticipating
 what is just beyond the next turn, around the corner,
 or over the next ridge. Until we meet again, keep on
 searching out your own adventures, My Friends!   
                                                                   -Lynn

   A big "Thank you" to Bob, Tina, Jim, Barbara, Phil, Karen and Abby (woof woof!) for inviting us to share this adventure with you. Good friends and good times are everything you need in life!


***If you enjoyed this story, please help us keep them coming by subscribing to this blog. Thank You... we love you all!***