Playing the Hand You Are Dealt, in the Desert

The campsite was a bit too close to the road, but I put up with it because traffic was light and nobody was camped in this part of southern Nevada.  But, when two van/car nomads showed up in the area, I panicked and went to a new site.

One of the ironies of desert camping is that there is so little privacy.  This seems to contradict the notion that you are in 'the middle of nowhere.'  You are so visible to others and visa versa.  Sometimes you can read the body language of a car approaching: they have noticed you.  They are actually sucked-in due to some weird psychology when they see somebody else (you!) camping there.  Soon the little paradise you have found will be degraded by neighbors. 

So, like I said, I panicked when those two young nomads showed up.  Young people are told what to do and where to camp by the internet.  They might even be contributing to that problem, in person.  The campers in question chose their spots on small promontories, probably for the great view and a good internet signal.  My idea of a great view is no neighbors, motorsports yahoos, or target practice people.

So I fled to a type of campsite, unusual for me.  It was a low spot, between two roughly parallel ridges.  You could call it a deep swale, deep enough to charm me with the rarest and most magical quality in desert camping: privacy.  Freedom from the sight and noise pollution of neighbors. 

It is remarkable how that kind of seclusion can work its magic on you, like the farm setting in the movie, "Babe,'" made back in the 1990s.  The director had gone out of his way to find a setting that had a children's storybook feel to it.  It is strange how the word 'charm' can seem so solid and overwhelming at times.