April 30 -- Lake Havasu - updated

It was sooooo cold last night. It was snowing lightly when I went to bed. I slept in thermal underwear AND a down jacket, and I was still cold. Needless to say, I didn't sleep that well.

Hot coffee was a necessity when I awoke. I met Terrapin Flyer; her husband, Granite; Trouble; and her husband, The Dude, at Higher Grounds, a local coffee shop in Idyllwild. Once warmed and fortified with caffeine, we drove the twisty-turny road down the mountain to where the PCT crossed the highway. I let them out, snapped a few photos, wished them well, then drove away, effectively ending my trail angel ways. I was headed east toward the Grand Canyon.

Highway 74 led me through the San Jacinto mountains out to the Coachella Valley and into the city of Indian Wells, CA. To call this place posh would be an understatement. When I lived in West Palm Beach, I sometimes wandered onto the island of Palm Beach, an enclave of the super rich. It was always well-manicured and highly refined. Indian Wells makes it look like a dump in comparison. Everything in this place is lush and green. And it's in the middle of a desert!

From there, I drove east on I-10 between the Cottonwood Mountains to the north and the Orocopia Mountains to the south. Once past Joshua Tree National Park, I was in the Mojave Desert. Signs on the interstate warned of overheating. Semi trucks labored up the hills. In the distance, I watched dust storms blow across the desert floor. Tumbleweeds blew across the road. Dirt devils, like small tornados, popped up, swirled around, then disappeared. This is desolate country. Then a green sign announced an exit to the "State Prison," which apparently had no name. A yellow sign under it warned, "Do not pick up hitchhikers" -- as if I would consider it to begin with.

Around noon, I crossed into Arizona. Rather than fly to my destination via interstate highway, I decided to take a detour up to Lake Havasu, which was formed by damming the Colorado River. The lake is long and narrow, running north to south and forms the border between Arizona and California. There are several state parks along its banks. I ultimately landed at Cattail Cove State Park, which is just south of Lake Havasu City. The city is another posh little vacation spot for the wealthy. According to some people I met, the bridge across the lake was brought from England piece by piece and re-assembled. Thus, it was dubbed the London Bridge. No kidding. There is a lavish resort right next to it.

The park I'm in is very nice. Arizona, I understand, is experiencing severe economic depression, and thus many of its state parks have been closed. This one, however, appears to be brand new and is rather upscale as state parks go. It's clean, at least, and the guests are being very quiet, although the campground host is showing a movie at the amphitheatre, which is loud at the moment, but will soon be over.

On my way up here, I stopped in the tiny town of Parker, AZ, because the brakes on my rental car were screaming when I slowed or stopped. I didn't want to be stranded in the desert on a weekend needing car repair. A Ford dealership service person initially told me I might need a brake job, but later discovered that the brakes were just very, very dirty, so he cleaned them (for free), and I was on my way. Nice.

Tomorrow, I am off to the Grand Canyon. No more detours. I should be there mid-day. I can't wait. The locals here tell me that it will be quite cold there. I have been experiencing some weather extremes. It was 75 all day and probably won't dip below 60 tonight. Perfect. We'll see what tomorrow will bring. I'd personally rather be hot than cold, but that's just me.

I'll try to upload photos when I can. It's a rather difficult and time-consuming process. I'll need to do laundry soon. My one outfit is in need of washing, so maybe while I'm waiting for my clothes, I can use the library. Stay tuned.

P.S. Is anybody out there?

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone