The first guided trip to Quitbaquito

QBQ Trip March 1, 2011

This is the border fence between Mexico and the US. Those posts are 4"hollow steel filled with concrete and rebar and placed every two feet with a steel rail welded horizontally between them. It will not keep out a human. It is desoned to keep out vehicles.

The first trip taking the public to Quitobaquito has been completed. The whole thing went off without an incident. I picked up Van #2 at our parking area which is adjacent the VIP camping area. When I arrived at the Visitor Center before 7:45am, the place was bustling with cars, people getting bags out their cars and walking toward front door. I parked my van and took Ranger K’s pickup over to the parking area and returned with Van #1 which he was driving for the trip. By the time I returned, he had the visitors in the auditorium and was giving them a briefing about the upcoming trip. He covered where we were going and what we were going to see. He also stated that the entire trip was under the control of Law Enforcement. They had the final and absolute say as to when and how and even “if” the trip would go. The LE who was “command” for the event came up and explained the rules.

Then it was time to load up. As people boarded the van, I checked them off on my master list. They were told that they to come and go using the same van. By 8:30 we were buckled up and heading down Hwy 85 to the South Puerto Blanco Rd. where we turned west. Before 2002 the entire Puerto Blanco loop was open for its 51 mile loop. But now only the northern section of 5 miles is open to visitor traffic.

Twenty miles and almost an hour later, we traveled over the shoulder of the Quitobaquito Hills and dropped down into Quitobaquito Springs area. After the vans were off loaded, the visitors were given the opportunity to back a potty break (women in the bushes to the left, men to the right). When all were back together and a head counted taken, the tour began. This hill in the picture is part of the Quitobaquito Hills which house the 11 or so springs which feed the pond. As our group was being guided around the area I noticed that there were two LE rangers silhouetted against the sky. Our guardian angels watching our us.

Even though there were three rangers on the trip only one is the lead ranger. This is part of “ranger etiquette. The ranger leads the group, conducts the tour, answers the questions, etc. The other rangers are there to help out. They don’t make comments unless they are asked by the head ranger. They are there to keep the herd aimed in the right direction, answer a question from someone in the back such as “What is that bird?” “How much rain do you get here?” “Is it further to Chicago or by bus?” Because there were two vans on the trip another ranger was the assistant ranger which meant that he presented the narration in that van out and back. On the next QBQ trip which is next Monday March 7 another ranger will be the lead and the ranger that was lead on this trip will not be on the spot like he was this time. Another trip and twenty more people get to go where few have a chance to go.