Need some Info!

[LostInLife]

Hi all!

I'm looking for some information about heading to Quartzsite soon. I am just starting this whole FullTime thing and am nervous as can be!

1. What is the water quality like these days? I've read that it used to be almost undrinkable, but still safe to drink? Is it still the same?
    1a. - How much water will I need for one person in a Travel Trailer with a RV type of toilet and taking a shower every three days or so?

2. What kind of clothing is most comfortable and safe for the area over the winter down there? Pants? Shorts? Sandals? Boots?

3. I am about to be adopted by a kitten, I'm happy about that, but is there someplace around the LTVA that I could take her for cat sitting?
    - I am planning on leaving my camper with the YARC club people (still need to confirm this is a thing I can safely do...} for a 4-5  days at the beginning of December to go visit my kid and am now worried that I'll come back to a dead kitty

4. What is cell phone coverage like for T-Mobile customers?

5. What do you guys do all day out there in the desert? I am disabled and will mostly be in or around my camper, sadly no more long hikes for me...

6. Are scorpions and tarantulas and wasps a real problem? (Sorry if this is a stupid question, the Internet is scary sometimes! LOL )

I have tried searching online and not found the answers for these questions.

Thanks,
Don

 

[MrNoodly]

1. You can get water that's either high in mineral content or water that isn't.

2. Some winters it's like spring elsewhere, with shorts weather. Some winters (like last year) it's chilly and wet. Be prepared for either.

3. I don't know about cat-sitting. However, cats that aren't on leashes or in containers are generally a bad idea in the desert. They often become coyote meals.

4. Cell signals are usually good but the bandwidth can get very crowded.

5. Various solitary pursuits or socializing.

6. Insects are dormant in winter.

 

[Qxxx]

Hello Lost, I can answer a couple of questions for you. Don't be nervous, there will be more people in Quartzsite than you can imagine!! It's hardly like being in the boonies.

1. for my part, I drink bottled water, and use the LTVA water for washing, etc, and I think it is fairly safe.

2. bring clothing good for both warm and cold weather. Days are not bad, but nights get down towards freezing in the winter.

6. the rattlesnakes hibernate in the winter, until late March to early April or so. Not sure when they go to sleep, but I imagine late November. Scorpions can still be found. When I was in La Posa South in January, the girl in the camp next door was rearranging the stones in the fire ring and got bit by a scorpion. I assume it was sleeping and she disturbed its sleep. They went to town, and were told not to worry too much as the venom is relatively weak in the winter. Duh. She didn't have any real trouble. I also saw a youtube of people camping in Ehrenberg by the Colorado River, and they also unearthed a scorpion that was sleeping in the ashes in a fire ring. So, 2 for 2 in a fire ring.

You can stay in the LTVAs for the entire season for $180, or $40 for 2 weeks. They are convenient in the sense of having water, dumpsters, and black water dump stations, included in the price.

Also, take a look at Russ' many many videos on the area, he lives in Quartzsite, although the latest videos are from his trip north the past few weeks.

https://www.youtube.com/user/rvertv/videos

 

[Qxxx]

There is one wasp you should learn about, called "Tarantula Hawk". Sting is extremely painful. I didn't see any in 2 1/2 months in the area, but I saw a youtube of one that was killed in late spring by some boon dockers.

https://www.nps.gov/articles/tarantula-hawk.htm
https://www.wired.com/2015/07/absurd-creature-of-the-week-tarantula-hawk/

One more thing, in regards bottled water, you can fill 5 gallon bottles with filtered water in various places in Quartzsite.

 

[Kaylee]

3. I am about to be adopted by a kitten, I'm happy about that, but is there someplace around the LTVA that I could take her for cat sitting?
    - I am planning on leaving my camper with the YARC club people (still need to confirm this is a thing I can safely do...} for a 4-5  days at the beginning of December to go visit my kid and am now worried that I'll come back to a dead kitty

There are seriously major Cat Geeks among YARC.
Talk to them now, and get a firm commitment, and you shouldn't have any worries.

Happy adoption!

 

[highdesertranger]

first off you need to hold off until the latter part of October, it's scorching hot there right now plus it's monsoon season.

the water sold around town and the water at the LTVA is all potable. the more you pay the less minerals you get. frankly I have no problem with the water but some people do.

the others gave good advice for everything else.

the T-Mobile thing I don't know. has anybody tried T-Mobile there lately? I know they used to be strictly a big city carrier but I heard they got better.

very few insects during the winter.

highdesertranger

 

[Cammalu]

1. Water is the same. Buy bottled for drinking.

1a. Doesn’t matter. Water is free if you plan to camp at the LTVA. Bring a jug or water container and you won’t have to move your RV everytime you want a refill.

2. It was cold last year. Boots would be better around cactus.

3. You will probably find lots of people who would cat sit. There is a bulletin board at the gate where you can advertise if all else fails.

Who do you know in YARC Camp? Your trailer will be safe. I’m sure you can make arrangements for someone to look after kitty

4. I have no idea. I’m good with AT&T. Jim in Denver will know the answer to that question about T-Mobile

5. Everyone has different interests. There are lots of clubs to join if you want. Some people hang around their camps and visit. Some have nightly fires. I run around in the desert all day looking at rocks on a UTV. Tons of other disabled folks in the desert.

6. I haven’t seen any of those critters. Maybe it’s too cold. I see mice, chip monks, squirrels, coyotes, birds.

 

[LostInLife]

Thanks to all of you that have replied!

Some great info so far.

Tarantula Hawk is some Nightmare fuel! So, thanks for that... lol

I'm a little slow sometimes...
 How do I talk to YARC ? I read the the 200 page Thread, but maybe I missed something? I don't actually know anyone in YARC - I am about as green as a newbie greenhorn can be!

If the LTVA water is potable, that's good to hear.
 I only have a 25 gal fresh water tank onboard, but I will have a 45gal container to transfer water from my van to the camper. 

I think I am gonna go visit this kitty in a day or two, She is about 3 weeks from being able to safely come home with me.
I feel a lot better about being (possibly) adopted now.

I am planning on leaving Colorado about the 3rd of Oct, so Hopefully it wont be so hot by then.

 

[Qxxx]

Cammalu is the Mother in Chief and Grand Pooh-Bah at YARC camp, so you already know her. She's a real sweety (not kidding).

I did see 4 coyotes in the open areas around La Posa South. The ran off when they saw me, but probably prowl around campsites at night. Don't leave kitty out alone.

The Tarantula Hawk is just something to make a mental note of, not worry too much about. Youtubers have made many 100s and 100s of videos on the area, and only one sighting.

In regards October, the season at the LTVAs starts middle of October or so, but may still be very hot, like LDR said. However you can always camp in the high country around Flagstaff and Sedona for a few weeks till it cools down. That is the other major favorite place for boon dockers in AZ. Plus you can come south from Colorado and stay in the high country of New Mexico too. Mountains everywhere.

 

[LostInLife]

Thanks Qxxx ,

Definitely have a mental note on the Super Wasp of Pain , LOL

Is it proper etiquette to just PM Cammalu regarding the YARC camp?

I have no plans on letting the cat roam around by herself, Part of the reason I am okay with bringing a cat down there is because she is a kitten and should hopefully adapt to the trailer life easily.

Thanks!

 

[Cammalu]

Qxxx you are a NARC. I’m going to get you [emoji16]. I may have been the first at YARC Camp but it’s Doug (Abnorm) that is the hub of camp. He’s MUCH nicer than me and was a natural for the job.

I’m gone just about all day every day to quilting or rock club activities or just out into the desert. We are starting to have a pretty big amount of quartz in the camp and several of us love to go out to the desert and collect rocks and look around.

This was our biggest (that we could manage) piece last year.

This year I have a 4 seater UTV which will fit five so I can take more YARCers with me. I’m looking forward to the fun!!

 

[Cammalu]

Lostinlife I PMed you.

 

[Qxxx]

Lost, there is nothing formal at YARC camp, people just show up and come and go as they please. Abnorm has a cat or two, too. I must obviously be a very b-a-a-d guy if Cammalu, the Ace #1 Sweetie Pooh of all time, is threatening to get me, but she's always nice to everyone else. Now you know why I only stayed at YARC camp for 2 hours, LOL.

YARC camp is about 2 1/2 miles in from the main entrance to La Posa South. If you don't want to haul your trailer all the way in there, I know a couple of guys who've spent the whole season for the past 2 winters near the entrance of LPS, Bear and Jack. Bear was a 24' travel trailer, Jack has a van. Each winter a small community forms around them, and they all watch out for each other. Camping opposite the first outhouse on the right as you come in, 
here: [font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]33.619350, -114.208361[/font]

[font=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial, sans-serif]https://www.google.com/maps/place/Q...998648bdd0b32!8m2!3d33.6639137!4d-114.2299486[/font]

 

[Cammalu]

You coming back this year Q?

 

[Qxxx]

Maybe.

 

[LostInLife]

Cammalu, I responded to the PM .

Qxxx, thanks a lot for the directions, they will come on handy!

 

[Qxxx]

You will find lat,lon coordinates to YARC camp on the YARC thread. Drive south on the LPS entrance road, until the pavement ends, and it turns to rubble, then drive on, on, and on, till you think you've past the ends of the earth. Cammalu will be "there".

 

[DannyB1954]

The cats that I have had did not travel well. It freaked them out. I have known one cat that loved to travel. So good luck. Cats don't seem to know the difference between a friendly dog and a coyote. Birds of prey can also grab a cat.
There are also things called velvet ants, but they are really a wasp. The females have stingers. https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/stinging-insects/velvet-ants-cow-killers/ Centipedes also can be poisonous and have a painful sting. https://www.orkin.com/other/centipedes/poisonous-centipedessting Actually there are a lot of critters that you do not want in your sleeping bag. Scorpions, tarantula, Green Mohave rattlers, ( they have one of the most potent venom of all rattlers) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crotalus_scutulatus

Children and pets probably face the most risk. If you leave any of these alone, they will not generally chase you down.

 

[bullfrog]

One of our most memorable moments was watching our one year old playing in the front yard with his two cats when an eagle swooped down within a foot of him and took one of the cats in rural Arkansas.

 

[LadyJo]

I had a cat that we took camping all the time. He loved it.
As soon as I got the kitten home, he got a harness put on. After a few days I hooked up a small, light weight leash to the harness for just a few minutes. Then a bit longer and more often each day or so. After he was used to the harness and leash, I took him outside and we walked around. He always did great on the leash and loved camping.

With a harness you can pick the cat straight up, like a mommy with a kitten. If you do this when the kitten is small it will naturally go limp. Limp cat is what you want if you have to grab it to keep it safe.