We are trying a new campground in Lake Mead Recreation Area on the arm to the east where the Colorado River enters the lake.  It is more remote, claimed to have great star viewing night sky, typically lightly used and with bluffs (the features inspiring the name, Temple Bar) along the shore.  It is a long climb out from Mohave and at the mountain pass two big horn sheep pose on the ridge…very cool.  Desert stretches out before us in its muted browns and grey green.  Brilliant patches of fuchsia prickly pear blooms and yellow desert poppies provide magnificent accents.    Another hour or so and we start the long decent to Temple Basin.  It is remote.  It is lightly used.  It is pretty.  We will see if the fish are biting here!

We settle into a site with some shade – another unique thing here.   Trees are pretty rare in these desert campgrounds and this one has huge eucalyptus, olive, the ever-present oleander, and even a few palms.  Kent positions us to take advantage of sun for the solar but still get some benefit of the shade.  The forecast is to hit triple digits this week and we are in a non-powered campground.

Slight disappointment, there are bright dusk to dawn lights on the bath houses in camp.  Low humidity does bring us wonderfully clear skies but we have to walk a bit out of camp to get away from tramp light.  It is worth the walk.  We have to ignore the glow of the Vegas light dome to our west – some 44 miles away; but, the sky is still amazing.