March 2, 2014 Quitobaquito spring/ Victoria Mine , Organ Pipe

We heard there was a cancelation on the Quitobaquito van tour yesterday  so John reserved it for us. It is in a closed area of the park and the tours fill up really fast. We were lucky to get on one.

Sunrise before the tour. The reason I show this is because I am never up at sunrise. We had to be at the visitors center by 730 for the tour. The group rode out in two vans. The road goes right along the border of Mexico. The second shot is of the fence built between Arizona (no other states) and Mexico. The bottom part of the photo has the 12 foot high, metal fence built around civilized areas. The top part has the ‘walking fence’ away from civilization. On the other side is a Mexican highway with semi’s whizzing by. The plume of smoke is the burning of the garbage at the dump. Not exactly a wilderness experience trip.

The pond built at Quitobaquito spring by some early settlers. Water in the desert is always a treat. Our group listening to an educational lecture from Betty our guide. We hiked a mile and had lots of lectures. About 2 hours at the spring area.

This is  Betty and our armed escort of Law Enforcement rangers.  We were not allowed to leave the group, the van   was not allowed to stop for any reason on the way out, we could not open the windows. If there had been a border incident we would have had to turn around and go back. High security on the border.  Well the whole park really. We just missed the 7 smugglers they brought out when we hiked Alamo canyon. The park service  took down all the old settlers buildings at Quitobaquito. The only thing left was one grave of a deceased shopkeeper of the general store that was there. It was a very educational and interesting tour.

After the van tour John and I hiked 4 miles round trip to Victoria mine. The building is the ruins of the company store at the mine. There were lots of covered shafts. John of course had to climb on top of one, stand right over the shaft and drop stones in to see how deep it was.

Ruins of company store. John found a new hat on the trail. Such a fashion poodle.

John hiking back. It was a very pleasant hike, after the rain it was still cool, only in the high 60’s. Another cool rig in the campground-it is a pirate rig. Some kind of home made truck/camper pulling an Air Stream trailer with a pirate flag.

Sunset was lovely. John took this photo of me leaning on a a grizzled saguaro.

Nothing like a saguaro in the sunset for the typical south western sunset photo.

Wet Jackass clover and tansy aster flowers, a burr seed pod and the flowers on the same plant, a verdin nest in a mesquite tree, a wet funnel spider web, cholla blossom and some kind of insect disturbance on a 4 winged salt bush.

A blossom on a hedge hog cactus, the  channel for the spring into the pond, a couple of ducks on the pond, wolf berries, another 4 winged salt bush insect thingy, Jackass Clover, sedge and arrow weed.