LATITUDES' JOURNEY: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

We had yet another car repair the morning that left Tucson, but we finally made it to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Yes, this is the desert. The first poster we saw was to warn us about pack rats. No, they won't collect our goods but they do like to nest in warm cozy places - like under car hoods. They also like stuff like wiring insulation for their nests. The solution is to leave the car and RV hoods open to discourage them. We readily popped up our hoods while we're here!

Our first day in the park was to the Aho Mtn Driving trail (along with some short hikes off the dirt road. All park roads are dirt...

The drive overview is beautiful

But not all is perfect in paradise....We are only a few miles north of the US/Mexican border.

Here is the cactus that the park is named after, the Organ Pipe Cactus. Unlike the saguaro cactus which has one base with "arms" off of it, the organ pipe cactus is actually a cluster of tall cacti.

Near this cactus, we saw a fox den - recognized it because the literature said they dig their holes under the roots of the creosote bush, which exactly what this is! No, we did NOT stick our hands in there in search of soft baby foxes!

Here is an unusual saguaro cactus - instead of having a domed top, this one is "crested". Scientists are unsure of why this happens but it is relatively rare.

One of our short walks went to a double arch on the mountain.

Little ground flowers are in bloom. The Senora desert is the wettest desert in the US.

Mexican poppies line the walk.

This is a Jumping Cholla plant. It is from 2-4 feet high and these cactus brackets are just waiting for a unwary host.

The next day we drove the 3 miles to the Senita Basin Trail. The park is only 4 miles from the Mexican border and actually runs along it for some distance. So, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised to see ""the wall". But we were...

This is what this portion of the wall looks like closer.

But after the wall goes down the other side of this mountain, it becomes only a short but heavy steel fence. There were even some tank trap type welded I beam structures laying around. We think this is to prevent vehicles from crossing the border. We are in the car (see the car mirror just in the bottom right) and this house is in Mexico.

We were told that there are arrests of illegal crossings every night. We have seen the detention buildings and the buses to take the arrested to another area.

Humanitarian groups here go into the desert and leave water/food. This is illegal.

You read about about the problem and you hear about the problem. It feels very different to see the problem....

The senita basin is named for the senita cactus. This cactus is common in Mexico, but only a few hundred are located north of the border. They are all here.

The cactus is different from the organ pipe cactus in two ways. There are many, many "pleats" on the organ pipe and only 5-7 around the senita cactus. Also, the senita cactus has more thorns at the top, giving it a bearded appearance, hence the name "old man" cactus.

On Friday, we went "to town" in Aho, NM, about 30 miles NW. This is the first place to find groceries, laundry, a car wash, a bank, a hardware store, and restaurants. We did it all!

Aho was founded to support the copper mine workers in the very large open pit copper mine started in 1922. The mine was closed in the late 1980's after increasing labor strikes, but definitely left it's mark on the landscape.

This church just outside of the mine is now a historical museum. Unfortunately, it was closed when we were there.

No other pictures of Aho, just chores taken care of.

Today, our last day in Organ Pipe NM, we walked the Desert Trail loop, just outside of the campground. The desert floor is green and covered with tiny flowers.

Organ Pipe cacti climbed up the hill.

The little fishhook cacti are everywhere and in bloom. These little cacti are from an inch to about 7 inches. Look at those evil hooks on the barbs at the top of the cactus, and their charming blooms!