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.

Second Week at ORPI

A week has come and gone at ORPI. R and I have been busy learning the “ins and outs” of our new “home”. It takes a while to get comfortable at a new location. There are 11 sites that are provided for volunteers. While the roadway is gravel each trailer pad and adjacent patio is concrete so parking is flat and sturdy. All of the RV spots are spaced far apart and have full hook-ups. The day we arrived it was 63 degrees but the next day the temperature started to drop. By the same time the next day, the temp was in the forties with the night dropping to around 25 which is unheard of in this area. It will take a couple of months to see just how the cacti in this area were damaged. This is the northern-most range of the Organ Pipe and Senita Cactus so they are not used to such low temperatures.

Our work days are Sat, Sun, Mon and Tuesday. The park wants 32 hours of volunteer work for the RV space. The thirty two hours can be split between married couples. So R and I will probably be splitting our workdays in the future.

Both of us worked on our presentations today. There are two types of presentations here at the park. Short ones last fifteen minutes and are used for ranger talks that occur at the visitor center at various times thorough the day. Longer presentations last 40 minutes and are done at the evening programs that are given at the campground amphitheater nightly. So my short presentation compares the Desert Tortoise to a perfect RV. R’s short presentation explains how the Saguaro Cactus is adapted to living in a hot dry environment.

Next week will be interesting as we give our first presentations.

Quitobaquito

It’s 4:30pm and I am sitting here writing this down while it still in my mind. Today was quite a day.

In an area where the rainfall level is less than 8 inches a year, is a pond that is over an acre in size. It is located in the southwest corner of the Monument about 20 miles west of the main highway (Hwy 85). This oasis is called Quitobaquito. The low hills surrounding the area contain about a dozen springs that supply the pond. In a place where the desert plants are in stress do to the lack of any significant moisture, lies a body of water. This body of water is surrounded on two sides with bull rushes. Swimming on the surface were 8 or 10 coots and a common merganser. During migration lots of birds use this place for a stop over on the way.

So today we went there. It was a major operation because Quitobaquito is located in the Red Zone. There are three alert zones here in the park. The white zone is the area around the visitor center, campground, and maintenance area. The blue zone requires more security. The public is not allowed and employees may not go into the area alone. The most restrictive area is called the red zone. Going into the red zone requires permission and accompaniment of law enforcement. Today, of group of people, including three rangers, several park resource people, and twelve volunteers were escorted into the Red Zone from 9am until 2 pm by two armed law enforcement rangers.

The entire entourage were under the control of the LE ( law enforcement) for that time period. The park resources people conducted the training for us, telling us about the history, prehistory, geology, and biology of this unique area, but the timing and even the trip itself, was under the control of LE. It was very interesting trip and an amazing place, but the danger was always in the back of your mind.

The road to and from the site was rough. Part of the time the caravan which consisted of LE vehicle, two vans and then two pickups traveled on Puerto Blanco Road which was very dusty and wash boarded. The other part of the trip was traveled on the road that travels along the fence that right next to the US/Mexican border. In the picture to the right, you can see the road in the distance assending the hill. The entire section of the border from Lukeville to the southwest corner of the park is “adorned” with a fence, for five miles it’s a twelve foot high steel fence with barbed wired on the top. The other thirty some miles of border is dominated by a strong steel fence. It was very odd to be 20 plus miles west of the highway by rough road, to get to this remote area and, across the border, very close, is the busy Mexican Hwy 2.

Weight

Today, Wednesday, was our first day off, so while R was cleaning and dusting the trailer, I emptied the storage area underneath and cleaned and rearranged the storage boxes. When you begin camping you start to accumulate items. A tool box, flashlight, rope, tarp, etc. Before long the underside storage area and maybe the toolbox of the truck is full of boxes crammed with every “do-dad” and “widget” that Camping World stocks in their catalogue. So, from time to time, it is necessary to purge the items. Before we left home I downsized a couple of boxes of items that had not been used in a long time. So when we left town there was empty space in the storage area. With that in mind, there still is too much stuff. I still want to get rid of unneeded gear, but I find it difficult because there is always that “I might need this some time” theory. So as we spend more time out traveling, I continue to try to eliminate extra items. Fewer items mean less weight and more space, both good things.

All in all we are quite satisfied with our living conditions. The truck is a great puller. I would, of course, not turn down a new vehicle, but I cannot justify an expenditure of $60k. There’s no way a new truck is worth that. The Ford could use some more power and a new chip would help that, but then the transmission would be in jeopardy so I hesitate. On the other end of the scale, if I could afford it an exhaust brake would be my next purchase. The only time you need it is when you are heading down a steep mountain road with a 12000 pound trailer hitched to your pickup. Then you learn to pray very quickly. The trouble is that the cost of getting one installed on my truck is about $2000. I’m not sure why it is so expensive, but it prevents me from installing one on the Ford.

Quartzsite 2011

Quartzsite, AZ a place where the population goes from a couple of thousand to nearly a million back to the original number in a matter of months. Approaching Q from the east you come over the hill and see white specks scattered all over the desert as far as the eye can see. Each one the specks is a motor home, travel trailer, or a fifth wheel, etc. It is interesting seeing what ingenious ideas each owner has come up with to live out in the desert without hook ups. Some have multiple solar panels, some have wind generators, most everyone has a generator or two of various brands with Honda being the most prominent. A thousand watt generator is ok if you just what to recharge the batteries on your RV, but two thousand or more watts are needed to run the TV, other appliances and electric lights, and even more if you want use air conditioning. The picture is taken in the morning while folks are in line to use the dump station before they head out.

My generator is a older 3500 watt unit with a Briggs and Straton engine. But because it is over 10 years old is not as quiet or as easy to start as the new ones. It is quite a bit heavier than the new ones as well. But it came along when I bought the pick up from my brother in law, so I have used it, though sparingly, for several years. For the last week I have been using my generator to keep my batteries charged while we are parked in La Posa South, one of the areas that the BLM has set aside for use by RVs. By running my generator for an hour in the morning and in the evening I have kept, or tried to keep the batteries charged up. I have discovered that no matter how careful you are, twelve volt batteries are not as good for boondocking as 6 volt ones. The latter hold the charge longer. So when it is time to replace batteries, it will be two gold cart batteries.

Unfortunately, the generator is getting harder and harder to start. The only way to get it running is to spray starting fluid into the carburetor before I pull the starter cord. This works but is not the correct thing to do. So I have two choices. Get a new generator ( $800 - $1000) or repair this one. It does not seem smart to spend that much money for a product that be used infrequently for only about two weeks a year. So when I get to Ajo, I am going to see if there is a small engine repair shop that can tune it up and make it more “user friendly”. Ajo is a small town so I may have to wait until I return home in May to complete this task.

Hawthorne

Tonight we are parked at a RV park in Hawthorne, Nv. home to the "Hawthorne Army Storage Depot". Coming into town from either the north or south you notice acres and acres of land covered with bunkers, half buried in the earth. What are in those bunkers, you can only imagine, but I guess it isn't chocolate chip cookies.

This barren land is full of "government land". The A bomb was tested within 200 miles of here. Nevada contains thousands of square miles of testing areas, bombing zones, and military bases. Tomorrow we will continue our drive south on Hwy 95 past these areas. As I drive by the test site, I will be sure to keep my windows rolled up.

Movies for 2011

So we have been hanging around and watching a few flicks, some good some average.

MY SON JACK. ( Masterpiece Theater - PBS) A story of Jack Kipling, the only son of Rudyard Kipling who was sent to France as an Army officer in WWI. He died one day after his 18th birthday. The story is of his relationship with his father who was a very influential person in England and the war and the family's coping with the loss of their son. The movie works because so many people can relate to having a loved one killed or missing in action (whether it was Viet Nam, Afghanistan, or any other war).

SALT. The Bourne Identity with Angelina Jolie instead of Matt Damon. Lots of action and fun.

INCEPTION. Have you ever turned on the TV and it is in the middle of the movie so you are scrambling mentally to understand the story? Well, that's the way I felt with this movie. I watched this with five other people and none of us could figure it out. Maybe if I watched it again, it would make more sense, but I didn't like it enough to do that. The story is too twisted to enjoy without a program.

TRUE GRIT. Enjoyed the original last night. Great John Wayne movie. Went to the Coen brothers "remake" this afternoon. It is a definite "must see". Interesting story, great characters, good dialogue. Actually, it is not a remake but a re-telling of a story. I must admit that I did not miss the Duke for one minute.

EAT, PRAY, LOVE. Chick Flick