FRIDAY - Today marks the halfway point of our 16-day visit here at Twin Peaks Campground in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
When we arrived here 8-days ago we emptied our waste tanks and filled our fresh water tank before setting up on our campsite. Now as a matter of convenience we are going to hitch up THE POD today and tow him over to the dump station and once again empty the waste tanks and refill the fresh water tank, even though we still have 38% of our fresh water tank full.
We'd rather do it today than try and squeeze out all 16-days on one tankfull, and then be required to do it on Day 14 or 15 when we have no choice.
WEDNESDAY - Today we're going to tackle the 41-mile long scenic drive along Puerto Blanco Drive.
It begins and ends at the Visitor Center and circles around the Puerto Blanco and Sonoyta Mountains. It's in a very remote section of the park and we're happy that another Airstream couple will be following behind us during the entire trip. We made plans to meetup at the Visitor Center at 9:00AM to begin our drive.
It's much wiser to have another vehicle along for the ride in case one of us experiences mechanical problems because there is no cell phone service along the entire route.
I've highlighted today's route in RED on this map.
PUERTO BLANCO DRIVE SCENIC LOOP
Three things you're going to see in nearly every photo today are...
...saguaro and/or organ pipe cactuses, ocotillo and mountains.
As if to prove my point, this photo has all of the forementioned items.
This is a cholla cactus and grows primarily in southcentral Arizona and northern Mexico.
We are still in the two-way travel paved section of the loop drive, but that will change soon.
I believe this is Pinkley Peak (3145') in the Puerto Blanco Mountains.
Far off to the east you can see the Ajo Range of mountain peaks.
One of the picnic shelters at the end of the paved section of roadway.
You'll find this ominious sign at the beginning of the unpaved section of the loop drive.
Once you pass this sign you're commited to traveling the entire 41-mile loop road.
Here's a trio of jumbo sized saguaro cactuses.
Just a little bit further down the road is this roadside cholla cactus.
If these pods manage to remain on the plant they'll bloom every year in early June.
There's still a lot of road to travel, so we better get going.
In many locations the cactus are right along the edge of the roadway.
The saguaro on the left appears to be running and swinging both arms back and forth.
This single saguaro has nearly a dozen good sized arms.
We've now reached the northermost portion of the route for today.
With the sun backlighting the plants they all seem to glow.
The peaks to the north are part of the Bates Mountains.
We are finally seeing a more organ pipe cactus mixing in with all the saguaros.
All cactus varieties seem to flourish on the sunny southern side of the mountains.
Here we have reached the northernmost point of the Puerto Blanco Mountain range.
Here's a leafed out ocotillo with several early blooms.
The ocotillo doesn't usually bloom until mid-March
These blooms are still in the process of opening up.
Another nearby ocotillo also is showing early blooms.
We're hoping to see a whole lot more of these in Big Bend National Park next month.
This one will be blooming any day now.
This is a very rare sighting, a Cristate (or Crested) Organ Pipe Cactus.
It's a genetic mutation that occurs in only 1 of 200,000 plants.
We stopped at the Bonita Well Picnic Area for lunch and a bathroom break.
All that's left here is the well's windmill and a broken down cattle corral.
Another Hanging Cholla plant is located near the pit toilet house.
These fruit look ready to pop open any day now, but it's too early.
This saguaro's frostbitten arms look like a balloon animal waving at cars as they pass.
Just for you Rod!
Here's a Senita Cactus, if it was any further south it would be in Mexico.
It looks like a hairy Organ Pipe Cactus, but it is not related.
FUN FACT: The Senita Cactus blooms only after dark and closes back up at dawn.
FRIDAY - Today after breakfast we're going to revisit the 21-mile long Ajo Mountain Drive. It's a loop drive than ends back where it started.
We did this drive last year during our visit and feel it's worth the time to check it out again, even though it's not like anything has changed all that much!
Once again I've highlighted today's route in RED on this map.
AJO MOUNTAIN DRIVE
ROVER measures just over 20', including the hitch, so we're good to go!
Here a palo verde tree appears to be trying to strangle this poor saguaro.
Here the road gains some elevation so it can make it through the pass.
The organ pipe cactus bristles are red in color, easy to see with the sun backlighting it.
This saguro appears to be growing right out of the middle of the organ pipe cactus.
This is the trailhead parking for the Arch Canyon Trail (1.2-miles roundtrip).
The "official" trail stays on the canyon floor...
...but a strenuous "social" trail will lead you all the way up to the lower arch.
We didn't do any hiking today, we were on a driving only tour.
Here's a saguaro growing out of the middle of an ocotillo plant.
This photo has a little bit of everything, organ pipes, saguaro, ocotillo and cholla.
This plant in the front is called Teddy Bear Cholla, beware it's not soft or cuddly.
Another variety of cholla can be found here. This is called Buckhorn Cholla.
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This specimen appears to be a Hanging Fruit Cholla, common here in southern Arizona.
