February 17, 2017 Organ Pipe National Monument, Arizona

High winds, 70’s and party sunny today. We hiked to Baker Mine.

We hiked 5 miles ‘for our health’ and got this cute Organ Pipe pin. Scenery on the way to Baker Mine. The old road to Baker mine  is the trail.

John standing over one of the red tinajas or holes in the rocks that hold water. They are very important to the people traveling in the desert.  Looking up the hill covered with organ pipe cactus.

John atone of  the Baker mine’s addits.  The sign that is in the opening of the Baker mine,  a piece of blue ore from the mine. The sign in the middle has the safety measures to take when hiking here. Including   watch for illegals and smugglers, watch out for sharp cactus, carry enought water, wear sunscreen and sunglasses.  The last two are some black water bottles- those are what the illegals carry their water in- they don’t show up at night like the normal white ones and more ore from the mine.

Two more photos of the ore from the mine, the tops of some organ pipe cactus and the twisted stick looking thing in the middle of the 4th photo is called the queen of the night- or the night blooming cereus.  It grows to about 2 feet tall and has one huge white flower that is so beautiful and so fragrant that people come from all over to see it. It only blooms for one night then dies.  The next set of photos the top two are bird nests in the cholla cactus. As I was photographing the first one one of the thorny segments attached it self to the back of my hand. The thorns are barbed so it is really hard to get out. John tried to help me and it got stuck to his hand and every time he tried to remove it it stuck somewhere else. They are called jumping chollas because the segments break off and stick to passing animals or humans, it is one way the plant repropigates, the segment then fall to the ground and root.  it seems like the segments jump up and grab you. The last photo is a map of the hike today. We hiked in fairly narrow canyons full of pretty scenery.

John walking in an organ pipe forest. Some wierdly shaped cactus. The saguaro as symbol that is recognized around the world- but not those pictured above it.

John walking back to the trail head. Really pretty views.

Sue in front of a really big organ pipe cactus. I am holding my arms up like the  cactus, trying to blend in. Walking back to the car we saw another rig with a boat on it. Not some thing you can really use in this part of the country. Mostly people who live in their rigs are the ones with boats, there is no where else to put them but on top.

There are these tanks of water spread around the area. They are put up by the Humane Borders compassion group to help save lives of the people crossing the desert. Many of the immigrants  are just dropped off at the border by ‘Coyotes’, people who take money from them to get across the border. They tell them that it is only a days walk, or that they don’t need water. Most just don’t realize than in the hot times of the year you can’t carry enough water to make it. Many people die.The Border Patrol has a unit called the Borstar- it is a search and rescue group that searches out people in danger, rescues them and provides medical care.  The border patrol is real into saving the lives of the immigrants.  When they pick them up they first feed them, give them medical care then process them and return them to Mexico. They feel particulary bad when it is children.  They are not out to arrest these people, just help them out. The smugglers are the ones they want to stop. There are tons of tiny plants coming up all over. They are poised to grow fast and bloom when they get some rain, it is going to rain this weekend so hopefully we will see some of them. Phacilia, christmas cactus and crypanthia- nwith little white forget me not kind of flowers.

Evening light on the desert by the campground.