Christmas Pass, CA. and some personal thoughts…

Saturday, February 3rd, 2007

 

Oh!… Brrrrrrrrrrrr for ourselves it was… snow at the higher elevations, not much protection from the winds blowing from the East… and that couple sleeping outside in the hail and freezing rain must have found shelter in their small SUV after all! The invincibility of youth… I can remember that…

 We are off the Mountain… backtracking is in order, not mentally that is for sure. It is has been a week of deep thoughts, I have had some concerns about my aspect of traveling! As much as “living” on the road is so much more different than “traveling” on the road I have had reservations about continuing with this caravan… everyday that I am riding I just want to continue the roads… I want all my gear to just fit on the rig… have that complete freedom to go on with less “stuff’ and stop where a spot looks inviting…

 

I honestly have even thought about selling it all… but I have to be realistic. Spirit would also be exposed to the elements 24/7… the nice days are great, the not so nice days… cold… rainy… miserable… are not so great just living in a tent! Am I getting too old for living in that fashion 365 days out of the year?… maybe for the winter times… How would I continue posting my Blog?… Would have to come back near civilization every couple days and spend it sitting at a Starbuck or Motel lobby?… I have some great good friends in my life and I have to be so thankful to them… truly… as they have talked me out of it…

 

Does it make sense to want to get away from it all and at the same time in need of a way to communicate through the Internet?… It does!… And having the ability to communicate without having to look for a connection is the big final step to my freedom… at least that is what I think.

Writing and communicating is something that I have immensely enjoyed… I should post all the e e mails and comments that I have been receiving! They are all filed away and I read them once in a while… they are uplifting, full of thoughts… good thoughts.

I truly feel having done some good in others lives in this Journey that has just began… I have given hope to others that are in the same situation as myself having gone through, and still going trough, personal family tragedy. They have thanked me for giving them a renewed lease on life… and if that was the only good thing that has come out of all this… well… to me this is all worth it, as one helping one and other should be the key of life in itself…

 Others have written to me realizing how they have displaced their priorities in their own lives… that yes, they will for themselves and the sake of their own and family sanity take that trip to Big Bend or Louisiana soon… forget the better and more powerful and more fancy car this year… the open road to open up the mind to a useful freedom of the Soul will come first… I have read from Texans that had never heard of Big Bend… I have spoke with Californians that had never heard of Mitchell Caverns… I enjoy being, in a certain fashion, the eye opener to great unknown areas… I would love to be a “hub” someday where others would join me to show them what they still have yet to discover… a guide?… just a guide… not a tour guide!!!

 

 

Christmas Pass makes sense now!…

 Open spaces… great views… total silence… clean air… time governed by the sunrise and the sunset… they all transport me into a different space of life and sharing it all has just been a peaceful way of life… digging deeper in my own mind, the daily meditation itself heightened to a higher level never reached in my past life… How can all this not be worth a try!

But, sorry, I just had to convey my thoughts this morning… I got away from my Christmas Pass ride… We headed east to spend the night in Needles… near Laughlin, I hear the fasted growing city in the USA… full of Casinos… and the Colorado River flowing gently, for right now anyhow!

 

I talk to locals a lot, not trusting the legends on maps too much… maintained gravel road… dirt road… graded dirt road… and you should not either. I stopped by the BLM bureau also, talked quite a while with the Ranger in charge of information, a man that was born and raised here!

The map legend he confined in me cannot be trusted because mainly of the weather… a quick storm will damage those roads in no time… even black tops will be covered will mud and sand within hours! Too many washes to be concerned with… and also after talking with a couple utility workers the same train of thought was predominant.

Many roads have been built here in the Desert following power lines, pipelines and water lines… the pipeline roads are the best ones as, I was told after 9/11, are maintained in a much better fashion. They turned me on to a great ride through Christmas Tree pass… from west to east…

We had to ride north on 95 from Needles, pass the Arizona border, sorry, Nevada border… and make a right on the Pass… Degree of difficulty… 0!

The view as a few miles passed… a 10! Graded road… fast or slow… nothing in between if you don’t want to bounce around… it went up and up… without any sight were this was going to lead into… The rock formations kept changing and we stopped many times… for a walk… for pictures… and to listen to the silence!

All shapes and all colors… deserted as many roads are… only a couple dirt bikes zoomed by me… more interested it seems in riding at maximum speed than the views! I called this formation ” the saddle rock”… There was no one to ask if I my thought was original… probably not… that is what it looks like… right?

Reaching the top finally the road was a bit more challenging! a “1” maybe… I was taking it all in… guess why?… no sand… Give me anything to ride besides sand and I am a happy camper… such a thrill… almost… such comfort!

 The view of Nevada on the other side made its appearance… filled with housing, one can even see the huge buildings… the Casino’s! As I wrote, the fastest growing city around… What a great ride… If in this area I do recommend it. We finally reached 163… left toward civilization and a right on River Road to avoid the City to return to Needles…

 For those who have been following my waist line expansion… well, I am now on a diet!…

No more milk and cookies… no more of my favorite pasta, rice… and potatoes every night!

Did I mention bread!… It is just too easy… We stopped at the grocery store… much fruit, vegetables… sniffed the cookie boxes, my will power has been good… it is only the first day and I am not ready to buy a new riding suit… my belt is at the first hole… 3 more to go!

 

     Will be on the road tomorrow… as my friend Ricardo wrote one day, I am sure that I will see something interesting to share with you… it is always there when one looks and takes the time for it! I might even walk you through on how to point and set up an Internet Dish properly… at least I will have some reference points myself when I forget on how to do it! I should be back here probably at the end of next week… A friend of mine, which I have not met yet, is going to show me the local colors of Gila Bend which I understand has also a lot of history…

You be well… thanks for being with me wherever you are… love the company!

Ara & Spirit…

* Spirit has a handle now… a motorcycle handle… as soon as he gets his own e mail address he will register on some Forums… The sidecar that he rides in is called a “Ural”… he is kind of protective of it when he sits in there… he will growl a bit if a stranger comes by…His handle?… “Uralgrowl”… what do you think? Let me know…

 

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5 Responses to “Christmas Pass, CA. and some personal thoughts…”

  1. Macrobe Says:

    When I am on the road, there are times when I don’t want the connection with the Internet, I might not even open up my laptop, or even take it with me. But I still write, in my journal, and which many times finds it’s way onto the laptop sceen and perhaps even on my blogsite.

    For me, there are times when I need to be alone, without the connection. Without the presence of modern conveniences and distracting technology. There’s a certain solace in that isolation. When you are presented with yourself and your immediate surroundings. Ditch the phone, the watch, the laptop…….. all that’s left is me and the rawness of where I am. I become part of where I am. It fills me; I embrace it. It’s a melding of spirits.

    No one really knows themself until they are faced with that isolation. It’s too easy to resort to relying on someone or something else. It’s like standing out in a storm naked. You are exposed and humbled. You learn much about yourself. and when it is over, you walk out more of a person than when you walked in. You can not hide from yourself.
    You become your own best friend.

    But that’s just me. 🙂

  2. SidecarRon Says:

    Hi Ara,
    We’re enjoying your travels a great deal. I’m afraid you really would have blown your diet had you been here in the frigit north for our “French Chef’s” motorcycle group on Sat. Patrick Charbert fixed mushroom soup, sauteed grouper on mini ratatouille with bois boudrant sauce, venison and rack of lamb with grand veneur sauce, red cabbage with celery root puree, a green salad with three morcels of cheese — plus assorted appaetizers and deserts. At the end, I felt like I shouldn’t eat for a week.
    By the way, it’s -12 with a wind chill of -35 here right now, so I’m sure you’re glad to be in the sunny south.
    Best wishes,
    SidecarRon

  3. wes Says:

    i know you have no idea on how much you inspire me and how much much your writing keeps me going day to day thru my self imposed drudge. keep on keeping on.
    thank you.

  4. Michele Gibson Says:

    Hi Ara, I love Spirit’s new handle, Uralgrowl. ha! I have been loving all of the photos too. But one in particular I really love is the second one in this post. The flowers with the pink, stormy sky. Very nice!

  5. Mark Hasslinger Says:

    Ara, Here you are. Well this explains a lot. It’s easy to see why some don’t take to your sunsets. You don’t conform to their image of what one should be; A good Corporate Soldier, a mindless consumer of stuff and entrapments. You seek to free youself of those confines and live with a dog whose breed has bad Karma. Give him a treat for me. Your trying to connect and this offends the disconnected.

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