Mt Ajo

  The highest spot on Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is Mt Ajo.  I can see it from the door of my trailer.  This time of year the sun comes up over it;s southern shoulder.  As the sun sets its color changes from brown to red to grey to black.  It was our target on a Thursday morning.

   A half hour drive up the Ajo Mt Road put at the parking lot at the trailhead.  We hit the trail about 8:45.  The distance from the trailhead to Bull Pasture is approximately 1.6 miles of uphill.  It is a well maintained trail and we accomplished it in less than an hour.  The area gets it name more from the dominant rock formation towering over it than from cowboy usage.  With the only path up to it being the route we followed, it is unsure whether the rather large area was used by the Gray family for pasture.

   After a short break (drink water), we resumed our trek and the trail diminished but was still quite evident.  Sardius neglested to start his GPS so the exact distance is still an estimate, but it is at least three miles.  The entire route from Bull Pasture to the summit, while not being an actual trail, was fairly easy to follow as it traveled up and around Bull Pasture and zigzagged up the mountain.  Spots of traversing followed up steep scree (ugh) followed by more zigzags, always going up.   Several more rest stops with many water drinks, and for snacks and to slow breathing, we reached the ridge and traversed it north to the summit.

    12:15 pm.  The summit.  On it sits a large solar panel which powers some equipment in a box-like building and the nearby antenna.  Government property, US Park Service, Border Patrol, and who knows.  A leisurely lunch at the top, sign in on the registry, taking in the four directions:  north – more of the Ajo Range, east – the Tohono O’odham lands, south – Mexico, west – the trailhead below and the headquarters buildings more distant.   Time to head down.

   Now the hard part starts.  Down climbing with gravity trying to speed you faster than you safely want to go.  Tiredness makes your feet heavier.  Kept the water intake happening as the dry climate sucks moisture out of the body.  Down the dangerous scree slopes, using the walking stick as an extension of an arm to help slow the descent.  Finally back to Bull Meadow, another  stop more food and water.  Then the trip back to the car.

   Did we conquer the mountain or did the mountain allow us some time to enjoy her and her environment?  I think we were fortunate to be in that place at that time were happy to keep the memories and photos and leave only sweat drops and foot prints.

   The trip?  To quote the title of a Jim Croce song;  “Photographs and Memories”