2018-7
Empire Ranch,
Sanoita Arizona
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| Empire Ranch, Long grain prairie grass |
Sanoita population:
14,287
Patagonia
population: 878
Campground: Empire
Ranch (Cieneguita campground) elevation 4,893 ft. (Tucson is 2,428
ft). Higher elevations, cooler temperatures. Dispersed camping (no
hookups). Water is available next to new restrooms at the Ranch
hdqts. Cost: free
Refilling 3 propane
tanks: $40.93, though I think one of the tanks was previously empty
before this camping trip.
My last Travel Club
meeting was on Wednesday and we had a great turnout. Sharing one
more Rv tip, and discussing some interesting places to visit in
Texas. We even had time for open discussions which was my favorite
part. Thanks to all the campers at Desert Trails who attended.
The Snowbird Season
has ended and I’m back on the road to adventure. After a last
minute laser surgery on both eye on Thursday, I packed up the camper
and was out on the road by 9:30. heading out of Tucson along Ajo
Highway before getting onto I-10.
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| Pronghorn Antelope |
Distance Traveled:
48 miles
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Floating Angel named:
Christine/Ann |
I’ve arrived at
the Empire Ranch, one of my first places to truly do some
boondocking. I was here
exactly 2 years ago and was able to get the
same campsite as I had back then. 20 minutes later and all of the 6
dispersed campsites would have been filled and I would have had to
move to one of the other campsites in the area. Lady Luck was on my
side, or was it my “floating angel named Christine/Ann”.
My first day I set
up the connections for the Westinghouse WGen3600DF generator.
I will be using the propane feature instead of gas. It has a remote
control to start it and I’ve already learned that especially for
the break in period, I need to turn the main breaker switch in the
camper off while starting the generator or unplug at the generator
side. As soon as it gets going, I can turn the breaker switch back
on and all works great.
The generator works
well and during the day, I’m able to have my solar/inverter running
to power all my needs. Last night I ran the generator in the evening
to build up the batteries to full charge so they would be able to run
the furnace all night. Last night it got down to 44 and next couple
of nights are expected to be 30 and 36. Nice to know I have backup
when needed. I can live with a lot of things, but cold is not one of
them. I’m also surprised at how quiet the generator is. It sits
in the back of the truck, which I park in the front of the camper
away from windows and doors.
Generator Notes:
There is a specific
sequence to running my new propane generator.
-
Disconnect
power line to camper (requires no load for starting)
-
open valve on
propane tank
-
turn the
on/off switch to ON
-
press start
button or use remote control to turn on generator
-
Generator
will start, if not, it will try a total of three times
-
once
generator is running, it’s ok to plug in the power cord to camper
Turning off
generator.
-
Turn valve
off propane tank, this will use remainder of propane in line and
generator will stop
-
turn OFF the
on/off button (this disconnects the battery as well)
-
cover
generator overnight to avoid any moisture or possible rain on
machine
I learned all these
steps from my first few days of dry camping. Especially this
morning, with temps in the 30’s, the generator would not start.
Apparently, leaving the propane on overnight flooded the engine and
it would not start. Yes there can be a build up of propane in the
engine compartment. It really does help to read the manual.
So with the
temperatures in the 30’s last night, I was able to charge up the
batteries fully before bedtime, along with watching TV, running the
lights and charging up all those electronic devices. This provided
enough battery power to run the propane furnace fan throughout the
night.
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| views from Empire Ranch |
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| so many varied sunsets |
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| dirt road to campsite |
The Empire Ranch is
now owned by the Government BLM and Forestry departments. Work is
currently going on to restore the main ranch house and out buildings,
with a temporary hold on work as some unexpected surprised came up
while removing ceilings wall coverings and roofing. Hopefully it
will be restored and open to the public this summer. The property
consists of about 65,000 acres of one of the last remaining tall
grass prairie lands. The ranch is still leased out for cattle
farming and has gone through numerous hands before the Government was
able to purchase the land. At one time it consisted of over a
million acres of land. I talked to the locals about the vast prairie
grasses and they tell me, though much of the year, the grasses are a
light shade of dried straw (golden yellow to almost white) the whole
valley turns green with the onset of the Monsoon season.
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| Empire Ranch Sunsets |
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| golden hues |
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| moody |
I’m drawn here due
to the wide open spaces, rolling landscape, mountains and giant views
of the sky and clouds. And last night when I went out to turn off
the generator, I looked up into the clear black sky and saw the
brightest stars I’ve ever seen. The stars were so clear, they
appeared to be much closer to the ground then I’ve ever seen
before. Off in the distance, beyond the mountain range the lights
from Green Valley created an eerie glow on the horizon. Showing how
light pollution dampens any view of the night sky.
Tomorrow night I
plan on bundling up, laying back on my outdoor lounge chair and just
immerse myself looking up at the night sky. Later,,,, stars and a
crescent moon hanging low in the sky were awesome, ahhhhh
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| Sandy and Erich, such good friends from Washington state |
Had a lovely visit
with the first set of friends coming down from Tucson, Sandy and
Erich. What enjoyable friends to share a bit of the local scenery,
lunch and a look at some great local Indian art and jewelry. Kathy,
Randy, Chris and Tom will be here on Friday, always a fun group.
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Kathy, trying on a new look
(my traveling buddy from last summer) |
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| Randy and Kathy, Patagonia Artist Co-op |
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Tom and Christine, back at the campsite
mucho good friends from Washington state |
Well I was all set
to turn on the propane generator, use the microwave and do some
nuking of a dinner meal last night. A couple of minutes into it all
I ran out of fuel. Checked a second backup tank and it was empty as
well. A third one that I use for the furnace/fridge etc was also
empty. I was down to just one 20# propane tank. Went into the
little town of Sanoita this morning figuring I’d have breakfast and
get the tanks filled. Not a single restaurant opened for breakfast
that I could find, but I did get a bad cup of coffee from the local
gas station/convenience store (it was instant, yuck) then went to the
local farming supply store and filled the propane tanks at an
inflated price of $3.20 a gallon,,, said it was a convenience for the
locals.
Rv Tip: Go to the
Tractor Supply store to fill up your propane tanks, it’s usually
the cheapest. Lately it’s been available in the 2.10 to 2.30
range.
New Generator
update: After changing out the propane tank to the generator, I
noticed there was a leak at the hose connections to the generator.
That fixed, I was hoping the generator would start right up. It
didn’t, and so I’ll have to wait until Monday morning to call
tech support. The joys of working with new equipment. Possible engine flooded with propane?
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in front of a mission style church
in Patagonia |
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| art co-op in Patagonia |
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| inspiration for my creative sister Ann |
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| main street in Patagonia |
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| silvery sunset at campsite |
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a large barn conversion to a motel
in Sanoita AZ |
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| barn/hotel |
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Indian Fetish, Sanoita AZ
Many Horses Trading Co |
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| Many Horses Trading Co |
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| Many Horses Trading Co |
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| Patagonia, AZ |
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| Patagonia Hotel Lobby |
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Excellent Native Indian jewelry
art, fetishes. Sanoita AZ |
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Native Indian started to make toys for grandson
and it became a business |
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| Cafe in Sonita |
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| Empire Ranch, big skies |
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| Empire Ranch |
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| Vineyard Cafe, Sanoita |
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| Empire Ranch, preserving long Prairie grass |
That’s enough
babble for this week, check in next week to find out if the generator
has been repaired.
Photos
Campground: Empire
Ranch (Cieneguita campground) elevation 4,893 ft. (Tucson is 2,428
ft). Higher elevations, cooler temperatures. Dispersed camping (no
hookups). Water is available next to new restrooms at the Ranch
hdqts. Cost: free
