Glorianna Mine Ride (Sunday, July 23rd, 2017)

Since Sheila couldn't go on our last mountain ride because of the coyote attack (See post on 100 Mile Trail Ride (Sunday, July 9th, 2017)), we decided to try it again, but with her this time. We have found that the Hualapai Mountains have become a new favorite escape from the summer desert heat.  

We all headed up to the lodge for their $9.99 Sunday brunch.  The brunch was a lot of fun again, and once we finished, we headed out to unload our RZRs for the ride. 

There was a cow elk standing in the parking lot as we unloaded, watching us, but not at all scared of us.

Once we were loaded up, we headed out on Flag Mine Road (Trail 7101).  It had rained recently, so the trails were damp, and not dusty at all. So nice!!!

On our last ride, we turned off on the Mansion cut-off (Trail 7200), and on the Yucca trail, but today we stayed on the 7101 until it dead ended at the Glorianna Mine.  Once again the views were amazing. The Hualapai mountains are so green, and I feel like I can see for miles.

John and Sheila were in the lead, followed by Mac, then us, and finally Keith and Ryan bringing up the rear.  Keith and John know these trails really well, so they took the lead and the rear to make sure that we didn't lose anyone.

There were more mud holes to navigate through this time, which made the ride more fun.

A picture behind us of Keith and Ryan bringing up the rear.

We would stop periodially for a quick break before heading out again.  John and Sheila brought their 9 month old son on today's ride.  He is about the cutest thing ever!

As we were getting ready to jump back in our cars, this guy came out of the bush and I almost stepped on him.  

These are Steve's gloved fingers.  He's really brave when he wears gloves!!!

Teranchulas a rare sight, so we had to spend some time just enjoying his presence.

The radios in the RZRs are great!  Steve and I can talk to each other all the time using the car's intercom sytem, and if we push the outgoing button, we can talk between the cars to everyone else as well.  They are super helpful!

As we got to the top of the hill, we could look down and see the old mining camp below us.  Then we just had to make our way down to it.

We climbed over some tailings to get to the mining structures.

Then, after taking a look at the mine, we made our way over to a pond, fed by a natural spring.  At some point someone put a few gold fish in the pond, and now there are hundreds.

The Glorianna mine is large enough that it has several entrances.

As we were hanging around at the goldfish ponds, it began to rain. It was a welcome rain, bringing the temperature down with it.

But as we stood around talking, it started raining much harder, so we decided it was time to head back.

Water in the desert doesn't soak in, it just runs off, leaving behind a greasy mess.

As it continued to rain, our trails turned into rivers.

At this point, we were very glad we had a windshield.  Some of the cars didn't, but no one melted!

We got a little wet from the sides, but for the most part we stayed dry and comfy.

Before long the rain stopped and we continued on warm and dry.

We all ended up a little bit muddy, but not too bad.

We brought along some fig newtons for a snack, and John and Sheilas little guy thought they were pretty amazing.  I think he ate about 10 in total!

He's all strapped in, ready for our next leg of the journey.

A few water obstacles were left behind by the rain.

And a little wildlife viewing too.

As we headed back to Lake Havasu City, the scenery once again became very dry and rocky, a reminder that we live in the desert, not the mountains.

It was another great ride in the mountains today.  So much cooler than it is under the Hava-dome, here in Havasu!  We have met so many great people riding RZRs, and we hope to meet many more. We were glad we finally got to ride with Sheila and their little guy. It was such a fun day!  Now to clean our dirty RZR, inside and out!