My apologies as it's now October 19 and I'm just getting around to posting about the rest of my boondocking stay at the Overton mesa earlier this year. What can I say except time flies and I get lazy. So without further ado here's a brief conclusion to the transition from winter to spring in the SE Nevada desert.
March 7 -- It's been two weeks since the rare snowfall at the Valley of Fire but the rain sticks around for awhile longer. This was taken at one of my favorite spots for reflections and it's right along the White Domes Scenic Byway road.
March 8 -- My friends Reb and Romain Babcock are also boondocking on the mesa; here's Reb after we hiked to the hills in the background looking for photo-ops.
March 18 -- I'm a member of Lance Owners of America and posted about the Overton area on the online forum. A few other "Lancers" came by for a few days to check things out. Here's Harriet, a member who like me owns a Lance 1685 trailer. I took her to see some of my favorite areas including Gold Butte National Monument's Falling Man.
March 26 -- The record-breaking wet winter is finally over and the wildflowers start to come out. Silverleaf Sunray is unique to the area around Lake Mead, growing only in gypsum-rich soil. This was taken along Northshore Road about 5 miles from the boondocking mesa. Those are the Virgin Mountains in the far distance.
April 2 -- This desert horned lizard was only about 100 yards from my boondocking site. I nearly stepped on him as he blended in perfectly with the rocky ground. Desert horned lizards are referred to as "horny toads" but they're lizards, not toads. Go figure.
Also on April 2 this is my boondocking site at sunset, looking to the east. There was only one other RVer this far out on the mesa.
April 6 -- California Bearpoppy, also called Las Vegas Bearpoppy, is similar to Silverleaf Sunray in that it grows in gypsum-rich soils. In fact, both forbs can sometimes be found near each other. It's a rare plant that has been considered for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
April 12 -- I usually head back home after my stay at Overton around the middle of March but it had been such a wet winter that I wanted to see the wildflowers set in the unique landscape of the Valley of Fire. It wasn't as spectacular as I'd hoped, but it was still a sight that's rarely seen in that abundance. Here are Desert Primrose along the White Domes Scenic Byway.
April 14 -- I did quite a few hikes along the Northshore Road, looking for wildflowers. This is gravel ghost, also known as tobacco weed and parachute plant. It prefers living in gravelly washes which is where I found it.
April 22 -- On this day I did a drive to the high-desert corner of southwest Utah near the Nevada border and came upon this huge area of lupine. Hoping to come across scenes like this is why I extended my stay in SE Nevada. Success!
Also on April 22 -- It's an unusual sight to see wildflowers you usually associate with higher elevations mixed in with cactus, and the cactus blooms made it extra special.
I finally headed in the direction of home at the beginning of May but I had a few more adventures along the way; next up, ambling along the old Route 66 and a visit to Petrified Forest National Park.
