New Year's in KOFA: Who needs plans when you have 3 days and nights in the wilderness

[DVD]

I think the theme of this trip is throwing out plans. I had the week between Christmas and New Years off, so the plan was to visit relatives in CA for a couple days, then hit the KOFA National Wildlife Refuge for a camping/exploring trip.
We spent more time visiting relatives in CA than planned. But that was because we were having a good time, and it's ok for family visits to trump my detailed, daily plans for wilderness trek--if they have to, I guess. My initial plans called for camping at Big Eye Mine on day one, but that's difficult when we didn't leave San Diego until 3 pm or so. And my wife is game to go on these trips, but doesn't like setting up dispersed camp at night. So we stayed at Mittry Lake, the first night. It turned out to be great camping, right on the water.

Leaving our site at Lake Mittry​

Day 1. Going to sleep the night before, I had a moment's thought: should I sleep with my watch on or off?" I took it off and we slept until 9 (which is only a little over an hour after sunrise). Further behind schedule. The Mittry Lake site is 1/2 hr the wrong way, but is has the benefit of taking us past all the cool displays at Yuma Proving Ground on the way to KOFA, which also put us further behind "schedule."

Come on, if the tanks don't make you stop, what will?​

Then into KOFA and the first highlight: Big Eye Cabin and Mine. The concern about schedules dissipates as we meander through KOFA.

Approaching the Big Eye Mine cabin

Nice place for lunch​

First night of wilderness camping, near White Tanks. We had great vista for sunrise and sunset, and a roaring campfire that night.

We slept in the back of the vehicle on this trip​

Day 2 took us on Engesser Pass to Hoodoo and Wilbanks cabins. Lots of great scenery.

The KOFA cemetary​

That night, we planned to stay in or near Wilbanks cabin, but Hoodoo cabin was much more habitable (clean, no signs of mice, nice woodburner), so we backtracked and celebrated New Year's staying in Hoodoo cabin. My wife was glad for the warmth of really nice woodburning stove, and our air mattress fit perfectly with the 2 cots placed together.

Cabin interior - great place to spend New Year's eve!​

Day 3 took us past Hovatter Homestead and other sites.

Near the Crowder dam (which isn't much as evidenced by dry landscape - but I'm sure it helps during rains).​

Then back west to check out KOFA cabin. Then we headed out Jasper Springs trail to highway 95 and back to civilization.

Leaving KOFA​

All in all a great trip. The scenery is a bit lower on the awesome scale than our last big trip to Canyonlands / Maze, but the desert has a subtle beauty - and plenty of awesome as well. Not to mention, the temperatures were great for mid-winter camping. We took a couple days to do the Mohave Trail last year at this time, with temps in low 20s. My wife was much happier camping this year in southern AZ.

Here's a link with more photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/0OLh8KOWHXeeaRhz2

See you on the trail, and thanks to all who provided suggestions and advice!

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

SO awesome! I got homesick going through the photos on your trip report. I loathe living here in NC. The Antares Cabin at North Star/Polaris is a new addition. It used to be marked as private property and was closed to the public. Very cool!

 

[crawler#976]

Excellent! Glad you both enjoyed the trip!

 

[1leglance]

Great little write up and happy to hear the wife enjoyed the cabin stay.
So many cool things hidden in the desert that folks just need to do a little research to find.

Thanks for posting.

 

[mkitchen]

Nice thread, thank you

Mo and I have been to the Kofa quite a few times and have always enjoyed it and we still haven't seen it all. Your right, the scenery is not up to par with some other places but once out into the Kofa, you get some solitude that is seldom found elsewhere. Our last Old Iron Run was at the Kofa and all of us loved it.
Mikey

 

[mkitchen]

SO awesome! I got homesick going through the photos on your trip report. I loathe living here in NC. The Antares Cabin at North Star/Polaris is a new addition. It used to be marked as private property and was closed to the public. Very cool!

I didn't know that you moved to NC. Is this a permanent move or do you plan on coming back to the southwest? Getting down to the Yuma area and knowing your not around just makes me feel at a loss. Not to mention that I still hope to meet up and you being in NC is going to make that real hard, heck it was hard enough when you lived in Yuma. Either way, wishing you the best for 2014.
Mikey

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

I didn't know that you moved to NC. Is this a permanent move or do you plan on coming back to the southwest? Getting down to the Yuma area and knowing your not around just makes me feel at a loss. Not to mention that I still hope to meet up and you being in NC is going to make that real hard, heck it was hard enough when you lived in Yuma. Either way, wishing you the best for 2014.
Mikey

Sadly its semi permanent. After many many years in Yuma the Marine Corps thought they needed me in NC FOR some strange reason. I hope to come back someday. I have a home in Yuma that I also miss dearly.. I do look forward to doing a KofA trip with you someday.

 

[DVD]

Hi Desert Rat, Thanks for the Hoodoo cabin photos (in 4 corners forum). Strange to say, but it brings back memories when it was only a couple days ago.
To clarify, the Antares Cabin at North Star/Polaris is not open for camping. We could walk up to it and peer in the windows, but it was marked "no entry." That said, it had the sign with historical details which includes the statement "You are welcome to stay and enjoy." So I think that it must have been open at one time, but no more.

Mkitchen, you are so right about the solitude. That was one of the main points I intended to state in my report, but didn't explicitly say so. It was interesting how we saw a few people near the peripheries of KofA, but as we got past the point of day-trippers, there was nobody. And that was one the best things - being able to travel for multiple days seeing only a few other vehicles - and none when we got into the heart of it.

 

[Yuman Desert Rat]

Oh ok. Either way, you couldn't even get to the cabin before. The roads leading to it were closed to public travel.
You hit the nail on the head Mkitchen! And THAT is why I started overlanding/exploring or whatever one wants to call it. The peace, quiet, tranquility, unspoiled natural beauty.... you should see the KofA in springtime when everything is green and in bloom! Its unreal. Sometimes I even go in the summer when there's really nobody out there!! 99% of the time I go out there alone and go off on foot hiking/climbing. Thats when you really see the good stuff. Anyhoo sorry for rambling ...