February 28, 2014 Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

We hiked Estes canyon trail up to Bull Pasture trail and then back down the Bull pasture trail to the parking lot. About 4. 1 miles and around 800 elevation. The prettiest trail we have hiked here in the monument.

Estes canyon runs along a wash, pretty flat, then we come to the cliffs at the end of the canyon and go straight up switch backs. Really pretty rhyolite and tuft volcanic rocks.

When we got up to the saddle you can look over the other side and see the Ajo Mountain road we drove yesterday, it goes back to camp. The mountains in the background are in Mexico. Near the top looking back at the ridge we hiked up. To the right of it is Estes canyon. To the left is the view of the left photo.

John hiking back down, Estes canyon on the right, and Estes canyon farther down the Bull Pasture trail ridge.

The ridge had beautiful flowers and views.

The Ajo mountain road in the valley. Looking back up Bull Pasture trail.

A funnel spider web. We drove down to Lukeville on the the border and looked over at Mexico, then came back into the monument. A biosphere reserve is a park that protects special habitats, in this case the Organ pipe habitat.

Everything was blooming. I can’t believe everyday I am finding more new flowers. Not sure what these are.

A pincushion cactus with last years fruit on it, a parsley, a tiny barrel cactus growing out of a rock, an agave, a seed pod, red flowers, sorrel, and another red flower.

The little bud in the top left opens into what is just right of it, a purple mustard, the flower of the jojoba bush, indian paint brush, and I don’t know what the rest are.

 

We went to a nice campfire program on pronghorns tonight.

February 27, 2014 Ajo Mountains, Arizona

We took the 21 mile  Ajo Mountain drive in Organ Pipe today. It is just about the only drive through the park. We stopped on the way through and did a hike too.

The Ajo mountains are spectacular. Since they are higher they are also wetter and have more flowers and vegetation.

A many armed saguaro, the biggest organ pipe cactus in the park and some deformed cactus, called cristates.

More flowers. Arch canyon has 4 arches, you can see the biggest one to the right of the saguaro. We hiked up that canyon.

Back into the canyon then straight up through some rough terrain. The second photo here is of Estes canyon area that we want to hike tomorrow.

Looking back at the Ajo’s. Penstamen, larkspur, senicio, and owl clover.

The only flowers in this bunch I know are the bottom left, a poppy and blue dicks.

Hop bush fruit , one samota blossom, and a couple-the flowers come out on this bush before the leaves. Jojoba fruit, blue dicks again, penstamen again,  a big root fruit and more hop bush fruit.

February 26, 2014 Organ Pipe National Monument

We hiked Alamo canyon today. Before this was a park there was a ranch up the canyon.

We were into the the Ajo mountains and they are very green and lush. These are two shots of the trail at the beginning.

A giant chain fruit cholla. The ruins of the old ranch house.

The wash past the well and the corral. It was so green with  pools of water and tons of wildflowers. About this point we ran into a woman who used to be a ranger in the park and she told us it was not safe to go any further up the canyon, smugglers from Mexico used the upper canyon. So we turned around.

Rocks and cactus near the mouth of the canyon. We got to the parking lot and there were two ranger vehicles  that had been there when we headed up and a newly arrived paddy wagon with two rangers in bullet proof vests, with guns, handcuffs and radios. John talked to them and they told him that two rangers had captured 7 smugglers in the canyon and they were there to pick them up. They were going to charge them with illegal substances in the park and then turn them over to border patrol. Glad we turned around when we did.

Evening light on the cactus and Ajo Mountains near camp.

Sunset.

Flowers from Alamo canyon.  Red chuparosas are a flower unique to the Sonoran desert-there were giant bushes, scorpion weed and yellow fringe, yellow monkey flowers also on huge bushes, phlox and fleabane.

Pink flowers from a bush, nightshade, a metata where the Indians ground up seeds, seeds on a bush, night shade fruits, penstamen, berries on a bush and a cholla skeleton.

February 25, 2014 Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona

It was a cooler day, only 75 degrees and cloudy. Very pleasant. We went for a hike right before sunset and the sun came out just in time for a great sunset.

My God, Nathu! They’re like nothing I’ve ever seen! Kind of like the snow in my mind, the snow only seems like a dream now. John hugging a huge  organ pipe cactus.

Evening light on the saguaro and the Ajo mountain range to the east. I added this petroglyph from a nearby sign to this rock, seemed to fit. All the colors and lines were naturally on the rock.

Twilight on a hill covered with Organ pipe cactus. Sunset with saguaros.

Sunset looking south at Mexico. It is only 5 miles away.

Sunset and cactus.

A bird nest in a cholla, rose mallow, yellow cholla blossom, and tiny red plants.