Warming In Organ Pipe

Saturday: (03/02)  It was not at all cold last night and today it was almost hot, about 84 degrees. Today was a day off. We tinkered at home much of the day. In the afternoon we walked down to the visitor center for a ranger talk about rocks. In the evening we went to the evening ranger talk. Breakfast was baked potatoes and sausage gravy. Lunch was another tuna salad. Our after noon snack was a fruit salad and for dinner we had leftover chicken and rice.

Sunday: (03/03) I hiked the Desert View Trail this morning. It's a 1.5 mile loop trail with information signs by some plants next to the camp. 

 
In the afternoon we went on a van tour with ranger Betty on the Ajo Mountain Road. It should be the first thing one does because then on subsequent trips one could stop and examine some of the things the ranger pointed out. Unfortunately the earlier tours were full and we had made four previous trips on the road for sightseeing and hiking. It was a most interesting and educational tour that Betty provided. Alog  the way she pointed out an organ pipe cactus crestate which we had missed on the previous trips. In the evening Volunteer ranger Katie gave an excellent talk on the saguaro cacti. Corned beef hash and eggs for breakfast. Chicken and rice for lunch. Chinese cabbage tofu peanut salad.


Monday: (03/04) I was up very early for my hike out to the Victoria Mine. It's a 4.5 mile round trip hike from the campground out to an old mine. Not too much left of the mine site other than the now bat home mine shafts. 


The mine shafts are now secured such that people can't get in but bats can.Above right another view of a cabin ruins there.

The cacti are beautiful and taking the wak early was cooler and the birds were still saying good morning. I, of course, extended the hike a little up to a ridge behind the mine for a look out over the valley where Quitobaquito is. I also spotted a crestate organ pipe cactus. They are cacti that have growth abnormalities.


We drove up to Alamo Canyon and hiked out to an old ranch site in the afternoon.


An interesting moth on some green crud in the stream in Alamo Canyon.

In the evening we enjoyed our neighbor Terry's campfire. Cereal with bananas and yogurt for breakfast. For lunch we had cottage cheese and fruit.Smoked pork with noodles and a coleslaw with peppers and carrots for dinner.