Field Trip

Yesterday, Monday, we were taken on a expedition of the total length of the Puerto Blanco Road.  The loop is over 50 miles into an area of the park that has been closed for about ten years.  The road is narrow, dusty, bumpy, even undriveable for a vehicle that is not high clearance, but it was wonderful!  The normal vans were replaced by four wheel drive explorers and pickups.  A  total of seven vehicles left the VC around 9am filled with volunteers and staff carrying lunches and excitement for what was to come.
   Many stops were made.  Many photos taken.  Much chatter.  Lots of smiles.  The miles were covered. Histories were told.  A day in the desert was spent.  It, truly, was a great day!
   The park is exploring the future; if and when the Puerto Blanco Road will be re-opened.  It will be wonderful for Organ Pipe actus National Monument, because it would add many more roads to drive on, trails to hike on, and photo opportunties to take advantage of.  Bonita Well, Red Tanks, Dripping Springs Mine. Senita Basin, Quitobaquito spring, to name a few, plus miles of wild and beautiful desert.

The lower photo shows Puerto Blanco, the White Gate, which looks the part in the morning light.

 

Saguaro close up

Here is a close look at a Saguaro.  The top photo is one that is very much alive.






The bottom one had been dead for several years.  Notice the curved ribs.  This Saguaro had an unusual cristated formation in it's arms and that is why they were curvy instead of straight.

The first

    Mollie and I took a walk yesterday on the tar road that circumvents the residential area. It is our normal route.  We took friends with us.  Lee and Marilyn are fellow volunteers and have a small trailer parked not far from ours.  Lee and I explored the Twin Peaks route together.  They had been working on programs and were glad for the interruption and exercise.  The loop is a bit over a mile and on it almost every type of plant and cactus can be viewed.

     The walk was impeded because we stopped often to view the coming of spring on the vegetation.  Blossoms developing on the ocotillo.  Buds and new growth on the cholla. The best part was a single yellow gift from a Buckhorn Cholla. 

Saguaro

A tall old guy with three arms next to another without arms.  A Hanging Fruit Cholla skeleton in the foreground.

The Middle of the Night

(written early Friday morning)

   I have awaken in the middle of the night for no apparent reason.  It is the middle but I have no way of knowing it was Midnight or 3am.  I got up and used the bathroom as much for something to do as something that needed to be done.
    I peeked out the window.  No light it the east told me that dawn was not yet close by.  But it was not dark.  The nearly full moon was taking care of that.  The night, if not dark, was absolutely quiet.   A distant bird sound.  Or maybe it was a coyote.  No traffic on the distant highway.  The only other sound was the sleeping form on the other side of my bed, making in & out sounds in somewhat of a rhythm. 
    I returned to bed and thought about the day past.  We had jouneyed to the Big City.  Lots of buildings, cars, and people and yet, we were alone.  It was not a totally unfamiliar city, but it was not our city.  All in all, it was a pleasant day, but iit was good to get back here and be among friends.  New friends, but still friends that value things that are important to me.
   

Twin Peaks

Yesteday Lee, a fellow volunteer, and I did some exploration and climbing on Twin Peaks which is just behind the residential area where the volunteer campground is located.  We started about 9:30 and headed west to a low saddle that is just south of the peaks.  That was the only easy part.  The rest was steep semi-hairy.  We followed someone else's directions and ended up atop a mesa with a canyon between us and the actual mountain.  We had to do some vertical climbing to get to there and we could not find an easy way down so had to down climb to descend from there.  By then we had decided that we had gone UP far enough and it was time to go DOWN. 
   Downclimbing is more difficult than ascending so it took us a couple of hours to pick our way slowly and safely down the mountain.  But we did get down and back to the trailer by 2:45.  Safe, sound, and tired.  My leg muscles are feeling it today, but it is a good feeling.

Cartoon

A reminder of our program on Sunday evening.  If you are camping at Twin Peaks Campground, come and see us.

Desert Rig

Now here is the rig you need if you want to go Anywhere!  Up a mountain. Across a desert. Fording a stream.  Negotiating a dangerous
 Wal-Mart parking lot.



This rig was actually parked in ORPI parking lot and I was lucky enough to catch sight of it.  I have yet been inside one to see what they are like inside.  It will be another blog some day.

The Organ Pipe Cactus

Tuesday Feb.4, 2014

   It feels like a Saturday, because it is our first day off, but Tuesday it is.  So we are happily, doing nothing today.  Slept in.  Had a late breakfast/brunch and are hanging around the Sanora building, checking email and working on the current jigsaw puzzle.  It's one with many brightly colored butterflies; pretty but really tough.
   Our friends and fellow volunteers from Cape Blanco, Ralph and Debbie, are staying in the park.  we went over to their rig last night after supper and spent several hours swapping stories.  The people that we have met out here "on the road" have been fabulous.  Good friends forever.

Jan 31

Yesterday was my birthday.  How can I be this old?  Where did the time go?  Hmm....

   It was a good day.  Many cards. A party after the evening program.  We had seen it before but we went to support the presenter.  It has become a tradition to get together with some of the other volunteers in the Sarona building afterwards for cookies or ice cream or ? and conversation.  Lots of stories, lots of laughter, lots of fun.
    Tonight's program will be my first time giving my Desert Tortoise program in two years.  I have the "first time" nerves, but it will be ok.  The problems are usually equipment related.  I have a Power Point program with three videos in it and they are the challenge.  If they don't run, I will just move along without them.