Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

November, 2021 

After we left Joshua Tree National Park in California, we headed to the southwest part of Arizona.  I had never been to this part of Arizona, so I was really surprised at how lush and diverse the vegetation was in this area.  I could not stop taking photos of the greenery.

Let me just say, the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has the best campground I have seen in all the federal lands that I have been on.  Of course they did not have electric hook-up, but wow the water and dump station and campsites themselves are lovely.  They even have showers, albeit 1-2 per restroom, but they were a bonus.  This National Monument is so close to the border that active Immigration police everywhere you look.  There are two long roads that go around the monument.  They both skirt the edge of Mexico, so don't be intimidated by the signs that we read everywhere "Illegal smuggling in this area...beware."  The park staff seemed to be aware of everything that was going on and were not alarmed.  We took our lead from them.  

The first day, we tentatively drove out on the Puerto Blanco Mountains Drive and hiked on the Senita Basin Trail.  We thought it was a beautiful trail until we realized that we were going to be walking in sandy wash for a mile in and mile out.  For those of you who have not experienced this-think about walking in a sandbox for 2 miles back and forth.    I was a little tentative too as we kept seeing water bottles and abandoned clothing...when we got back to the beginning of the trail, an Immigration officer  came driving up immediately.  "Did you see anyone?" he asked.  I told Ken I am not sure I would have told the truth if I had seen a refugee coming across the border.  It they got this far--go with God.  After that trail, we wandered back to the Visitor Center and I stocked up on Christmas gifts.  

This landscape definitely made my fingers itch to draw and paint.  What I am realizing is that you can't hike extensively, travel, and draw.  This will have to wait until I am settled in one place for a while.  

The second day, we drove the Ajo Mountain Drive, which led to two really cool hikes.  Arch Trail was short (3/4 of a mile), but led to a view of a double arch that appeared and disappeared as you went up the trail.  We got to the tough part going straight up on rock and decided "nope" and came down.  

The second hike though was the jewel in the crown of the visit.  The Estes Canyon hike was one for the books.  It was a gradual climb for about 2 miles, and then went straight up a rocky side to the Bull Pasture Trail.  Though I had read it had great views at the top, we were satisfied with staying in Estes Canyon. The backside of the Estes Canyon trail is pretty much straight down, but we came upon the perfect spot for a bench with a killer view of the canyon.  We sat there for a while just glad to be alive.

For those of you who are wondering, the temperatures in this Organ Pipe National Monument were perfect in November.  Just right for hiking in the daytime and chilly at night for sleeping.  I would not attempt to visit this place any later than February.    

I used my Boss Griddle for a lot of this trip.  It was warm enough to cook and eat outside, so I made everything from eggs to grilled chicken.  I am still trying to figure out why the connection freezes even though there is still propane gas in the canister.  There must be a technical glitch, but I am not sure what is happening.  We did not spend much time in the two towns next to the park (Lukeville to the south and Why and Ajo to the North).  The grocery stores and content in Ajo were much to be desired, but there was an antique barn that looked very inviting at the southern end of the town.  If we go back (and we will, I want to stop there.  All in all it was a very pleasant trip to Organ Pipe National Monument.  

Nomads in Arizona and Joshua Tree National Park, California

We loaded up the car with a complete Thanksgiving dinner, including items for a vegan and travelled up to Tempe, AZ where #4 is going to college at ASU.  It was not our typical 12-person dinner at home with, homemade bread (baking I do miss), but it was the sweetest little dinner that we made.  Our youngest daughter bussed in from California and stayed with our youngest son.  We ended up at a fancy-dancy hotel down the street.  We have been on the road now since May, 2021 and I feel like we are starting to get a handle on travelling and flexibility.  We ended our Thanksgiving with a little hike up Hole in the Rock Trail in Papago Park right outside Tempe, Az.  A great way to end the holiday.

I have been thinking lately about what a Nomad really is.  The dictionary defines a nomad as one who wanders around aimlessly, frequently, without a fixed pattern of movement.   That is definitely NOT the way I travel around.  I am a hopeless romantic about the places I go.  I have thought about the places that I am travelling to right now...my whole life.  I was given a set of books involving children in different parts of the world when I was 6 years old.  I still remember thinking "I am going there one day."  I have to laugh though these days the price of gas definitely defines where one is traveling to.  

After Thanksgiving we went back to Tucson and picked up "Little R" to do a local trip for about 10 days.  We traveled to Quartzite, AZ where the movie Nomad was made and stayed for the night in the BLM La Posa Longterm Campsite.  Since we drove in late, we did not realize that you can only buy a longterm permit for this area...so the next morning, when I went to pay for the permit, the guy laughed at me and said "no charge."  I will tell you that place is organized by volunteers and they are serious about the way the water and dumpsite is used.  You form an orderly line and go through the process without issue.  In this area of Arizona, water is a real luxury and so we have been very careful for the last 4 days.  We went through about 14/20 gallons of our water tank.  

Right in back of the BLM land of Quartzite was the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. We drove to Palm Canyon Road inside the Refuge where the southernmost population of California date palms are growing.  It was about 1/2 mile hike in and out, but definitely worth the time and effort to get there.  After that, we headed to Joshua Tree National Park.  Woo doggies-when we got there, it took $80 to fill up the van at about $4.80/gallon.  Not sure we are over the shock of that one.  We stayed at Indian Cove Campground, which is inside the Park, but just a little pocket of campsites outside of the city of 29 Palms.  

This time (as we have been in this park before) it was much warmer.  The last time we went in the spring and though we saw some beautiful wildflowers, it was soooo cold.  We were able to sit outside in the sun and have a comfortable campfire.  We met up with some campers from Portland, Oregon and enjoyed talking with them about all of our travels.  

While we were there, we drove the Geology Tour Road and learned about how the landscape has weathered: Pinto gneiss, monzogranite, Blue granodiorite, apolite, and basalt formed the valleys and mountains according to time and weathering processes.  The gneiss was 1.7 billion years old!  The monzogranite on the other hand was a baby rock at 85 million years old.  The Geology Tour road is 4-wheel and we were glad that "Little R" was able to make it around the loop.  It is one-way so you can't turn back.

The next day as I was walking out of the Park Visitor Center, someone called my name...what a pleasure to see Jan Abu Shakrah and her husband Samir.  This lady changed my life and taught me how to age well in all of the Gerontology coursework that I took from Portland Community College.  She is now retired and travelling to as many natural place as she and Samir can get to.  It was a pleasure to see how happy she and Samir are in retirement.  

We also hiked a lot this time.  I spent some time taking black and while pictures along Split Rock, Skull, and Discovery Trails.  The lighting is just so much more distinct when you have large rock landscapes in black and white.  

Even the Joshua trees seem more unearthly in grey, black, and white tones.  

However, here is a comparison though where color is better than black and white, so the concept does not always hold true.

Finally, I got a Pit Boss Griddle to take along on this trip and love it.  We have been trying to conserve the battery power of our chassis as it is time to replace the AGM batteries when we get back.  So I have been cooking either half-way through the day (then we are at full capacity when we stop for the night) or if we are in one place for a while--the griddle is a great alternative.  So far pancakes,  hamburgers and salmon and potatoes have come out pretty yummy.