Arizona, Ehrenberg April 15-21

Once again we are at Ehrenberg, AZ and will spend the next week.  We love stopping here so we can kayak the Colorado River.  The park is very empty of campers this time of the year.  I did get to play some poker.  Kay and played card bingo one night.  It was a good relaxing week.

Ehrenberg, Arizona

The Colorado River north of Ehrenberg, AZ

Kay doing her thing.

This Egret was one of the few birds we saw coming down the river.

More river

Taking life easy.  The river was running quite fast, so was an easy paddle down to the campground.

A view of the campground from the river.

The following is a STUPID, but true story.

How STUPID can one get when he is 72 years old.  Well let me tell you. Yesterday after a nice kayak run from north of the campground on the Colorado River, Kay and I drove along the river on the AZ side looking for a place to take the kayaks out on a run the next day.  We were going to put in at the campground and kayak south on the river.  I thought it smart to take this little road to get closer to the river,  That was  Mistake #1.  I had to put the truck in 4WD to start up the road, all the time Kay was telling me this is a bad idea, don't be stupid.  Not listening to her, was Mistake #2.  As we were going up the road, the sand started getting very soft and the 4WD was having a hard time moving that big truck. So I told myself better start backing out.  That is Mistake #3.  One does not stop in soft sand and reverse directions.  That big old truck sank like a rock in fresh cow manure.  The more I tried backing up, the deeper it sank. 

It was now getting close to 6 pm and the sun was starting to go down, and we were at least 8 miles from any civilization.  We locked up the truck and started to walk down the road looking for some one to give us a ride out.  Along came a young man who we had happened upon earlier.  He was there fishing with his family.  I stopped to talk to them and gave them some cold beers.  He offered to take us back to the campground.

 The next morning I called a tow truck company and met him at the Flying J gas station. He told me it would cost $175.00 to pull me out of the sand. With his long wench cable, got me to the top of the hill where I could get enough traction to move by myself.  In the meantime as Mark (the tow truck driver) was starting to leave, he got his truck stuck.  His truck stopped running and he could not get it started again.  So, with my truck out on the road, I gave Mark a ride to the Flying J where he was going to wait for his other tow truck to pull him out.  Mistake # 4. I should have asked him what his travel time would cost to pull me out. He gave me a break on the pull out job for giving him a ride, but he still charged me $200.00 an hour travel time. This little adventure cost me $500.00. The moral of this story is always do what your wife tells you to do. That way you will remain from getting STUPID.  

You can see the front of the truck is high centered in the sand.

This back wheel looks like it was digging it's way to China. 

Mark used a long cable to wench me out of the sand.

At this point, with the truck in 4WD, I could get it back to the road.  But Mark's truck was stuck in the sand, and his motor had quit.  Something about the wiring had burned up.  With all that I payed him, he could buy a new truck.

We met Bob and Nancy from Florence, OR who also love to kayak. This is us putting in at the campground getting ready to travel south on the Colorado River.

This is the bridge on HWY 10 between Ehrenberg, AZ and Blythe, CA

The river was moving 3 to 5 mph and there was no wind at all.  What a good way to kayak.

Kay on the river.

The river sure was blue.

Once again, all I can say is I love to kayak.

Nancy

Bob

Kay took this picture of these dogs as we were getting out of the river.

Sunset at Ehrenberg.