A Second Look - River Song

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

RV and I finally met up! It had taken several weeks, but we finally got together to look at the property on the river. I hadn’t been able to get this little place off my mind, and I was eager to see it again. I had done a lot of research on the Internet and had a file folder full of information regarding taxes, property description, easements, zoning regulations, maps, and more.

RV, the owner/agent, was surprised to hear I had already visited the property. When I had first talked with him, he had said the property would be too hard for me to find by myself. But, I hadn’t had any problem at all. With the magic of GPS, it’s not hard to find any place anymore, even when there’s no cell phone service.

RV was also surprised to see I had done my own title search already. He had owned the property for about 25 years. He had always planned to do something with it, but he just never got around to it. Part of the issue, he said, was that it was too small for a well or septic system, so it was really only recreational property. Which was exactly what I was looking for!

I told him I was looking really for something I could use as a weekend getaway. I don’t need utilities or luxuries; I spend two weeks every year living in a tent in the remote Nevada desert, so the lack of modern amenities was not a problem for me. Moreover, I had no intention of building anything, other than perhaps a rudimentary shelter. I really wanted to keep the place pretty much as it was, in its wild state.

Interestingly, RV had no idea the zipline was even there.

I did a bit of exploring, bushwhacking my way along the edge of the bluff with my machete, and finally found the ravine marking the northern property line. RV had suggested it might be a way down to the river, and I could see the potential. The ravine was full of debris, but it might be possible to clean it out. If so, then it should make fairly easy access.

I liked what I saw. RV said I could camp there that weekend if I wanted to. He was willing to make a deal with me, but I have a lot to think about. Not only did fixing my Sport Trac require most of my savings, but then it broke down again the day I picked it up from the shop, stranding me 60 miles from home. I had to have it towed to the closest repair shop and take a Lyft all the way back home. It wasn’t expensive to fix the second time, but by then, I’d lost my faith in it and purchased a new truck the following day.