March 10, 2020 Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Up bright and early.  I stayed in my room so Gina could get lots of quality time with her niece and nephew before they left for school.  As soon as it went quiet, I loaded up the car, got Gina's things out and prepared to go.  Victoria was taking Gina to the airport, so I wanted to make sure I was prepared to leave at the same time.

I was ready to get back on the road.  There was talk of things things beginning to close due to Coronavirus.  We'd gotten a couple of cases in the US and it was starting to spread a little bit.  Disneyland Shangia and Disneyland Hong Kong had both closed to help prevent the spread of the virus.  At this stage there were only 760 cases in the US and 23 deaths.  But with the average of 3 people being infected by every infected person before they are diagnosed, it was spreading quickly.  I also had a schedule to keep.  I had to be in Dallas around April 1st and Nashville by April 4th.  I needed to figure out how many stops I could make and still be where I needed to be when I needed to be there.

I had the next couple of days worked out.  I was going to hit Ironwood Forest National Monument and Sonoran Desert National Monument on the first day and then head over to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument on the second day.  

 

I followed the directions on the GPS and at one point found a BLM sign but this wasn't a developed monument.  I had combined NPS National Monuments and BLM National Monuments into one list. I'd discovered the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument in New Mexico and realized that not all National Monuments are managed by the National Park System.  So I tried to look up both.

This was the day I discovered not all BLM National Monuments are the same.  The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument had an entrance fee and park ranger and information.  Ironwood Forest National Monument was not developed.   There was a nice drive through some uneven terrain that ended at a locked gate.  Apparently, the center of the GPS location was on private property.  I'm still not sure what an Ironwood Tree looks like. I got some pretty pictures though.  

Maybe an Ironwood Tree

Onto the Sonoran Desert National Monument.  It was still early, had plenty of time.  Sonoran Desert is also a BLM National Monument.  This one was also undeveloped.  They didn't have any sign at all.  I expect its designated because the land is protected and all, but there is no recreation here.  I think there should be another designation for protected lands that have no recreational activities available.  The GPS took me to an exit and I took that exit and drove a couple miles down the road before it ended.  It was a nice drive.  Again, there wasn't a sign.  No visitors center.  No educational displays.  Not even a sign designating any kind of a trail head.

It wasn't even noon yet.  

So now the decision was to continue onto to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument or to find a place to crash and continue to tomorrow.  I still had plenty of time, decided to move onto the next park.  The drive there was very interesting,  Drove through a lot of small towns.  I had to be close to a military base because a couple of times I had military aircraft flying over head.  They were fast and by the time I could pull over and grab my camera...they were gone.  There was some mining in the area, but not sure what they were mining.  I also ran across the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge that I didn't even know was there.  I probably should have stopped by the visitors center, but I decided to stay on my current path and maybe catch it on the return.

I finally got to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and was happy to see it was a good size park.  Visitors Center, Museum, Campground and maps with recommended trails and drives.  I asked the park ranger what activity they recommended with the amount of daylight I had and they provided me with good information.  There was a park ranger program starting soon, so I decided to hang out for a few minutes and join the guided tour around the Visitor Center.  There is a beautifully landscaped walking path around the building and the park ranger provided lots of information on the saguaro, organ pipe, cholla, prickly pear and ocotillo.  Before the park ranger completed the walk, it started raining.  Now I'm stuck.  I'm nowhere near a Walmart, rest area, truck stop or anywhere else I can sleep.  The rain is getting heavier and I never did the scenic drive the park ranger recommended.  I'm loosing daylight.  So....two options.  I give up and leave or within any luck, they have space in their campground.  There were warnings on the NPS website that reservations were highly recommended and it is high season in the desert, the weather short of boiling and people are enjoying all the blooming plants.  I talk to one of the park rangers and he doesn't immediately shut me down (if they were fully booked for weeks, I assume he'd know).  He gave me directions to the campground and advise I talk to the attendant to find out if they have any spots open.  

The campground is huge and has a couple hundred spots.  I was designated spot #124 for a whopping $25!  I was super happy.  I knew if I had to leave, I wouldn't come back, this park isn't anywhere close to anything.  It wasn't safe to illegally boondock this close to the Mexican border as USBP is everywhere and there is no place to hide.  And I really really really wanted to spend more time here.  There was so much in bloom and it was beautiful.  I wanted to drive as many of the scenic areas as possible and take all the photos.  Being able to spend the night allowed me an extra day.  I spent most of the late afternoon and evening, sitting in the front of my car and playing on my phone watching Criminal Minds.  It just kept raining. I made a couple of trips to the bathroom but other than that, just hung out in my car until it was time for bed.