Originally Posted by
SilvrSurfr
I would rethink your attitude towards BLM lands. Back in the late 1980s/early 90s, I moved to Tucson, Arizona. I was fascinated by the different ecosystems all over the state. Soon, I discovered the BLM, which manages something like two thirds of Arizona land. I was especially interested in finding riparian (wetland) areas of Arizona (sometimes you get tired of looking at cactus and desert and want to see a tree or a stream). I found this one area east of Tucson on a map, and it looked like it probably had riparian areas.
So I called up the BLM and asked them if I could visit the land. They said sure - they didn't get that many requests to visit their lands but I could get a permit for a few bucks and it would allow me to camp on the land. The only problem: no campsites, no trails, no latrines, no nothing. Sounded good to me! I bought some topo maps and headed into the desert. I didn't have more than a couple of gallons of water, and definitely needed to find a water source to survive. After a few hours of hiking, I saw something in the distance that looked like a tree. I made a beeline to that area, and lo and behold, there was not only one tree, but many trees, and a stream with fish in it! You just don't see many riparian areas in the lowlands of Arizona.
After that, I started visiting BLM lands more and more, because they were really amazing and you never knew what you'd discover. Dangerous? Yes, but wilderness? They manage a lot of it, places you can go for a hike and die, and nobody will ever find your body. That's my kind of wilderness!
When my mother died, after a long battle with cancer, I headed out into the Arizona wilderness for some time to think. My wife asked me, "Where are you going?" and my reply was "East." She said, "When are you coming back?" and I answered, "A few days." I hiked into the wilderness and found a shallow stream, almost like a pond. I took off my clothes and laid in that stream for an hour or two. Once it got dark, I slept right next to that stream.
During all my time hiking on BLM lands, I never once saw another human. However, one time, I picked up the rib of a saguaro cactus to use as a hiking staff. When I got back to my car, a ranger came up to me and said, "You can't take that saguaro rib. It's against the law." Nice to know the BLM rangers are out there protecting against the theft of saguaro ribs!
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