Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

This confirms my GPS problem hypothesis, there is a fix in to prevent no-goodniks from using modern technology around the border.  

We didn’t get our usual smooth and early departure today, as is our wont when we have a travel day.  The car was at a slight angle to the Bigfoot when we hooked up, and after all was said and done, we just could not get the tow bars to straighten and click into the tow position.  We were parallel to the main exit at the park, and had no room to maneuver.  There was nothing for it but to unhook everything, go around the block, line up and try it again.  Lesson learned; hook up towd in parking lot, or some other place with lots of room and no traffic.

The delayed departure put us in Saturday morning Tucson traffic, no mind, it was a gorgeous sunny morning.  From Tucson to Why, we took Highway 86, across the Tohono O’Odham Nation.  The Sonora desert changed again, greener, more ground cover, and more vegetation diversity.  The highway was in good shape, but no shoulders, steep edges, and the vegetation was, in places, encroaching on the pavement.  Must have been a great Friday night; at least half of the scant traffic going the other way were ambulances.

We went past the Kitt Peak National Observatory, familiar names from the dim past in the Astronomy club in high school.  

At Why, we turned south on Highway 85, heading straight south for the border.  We entered Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.  Organ Pipe Cactus is not uncommon south of the US border, but it’s range within the US is pretty much within the boundaries of the park.  We got our campsite and collapsed in the Bigfoot for the heat of the afternoon; I finally mounted the sensor for the remote indoor/outdoor thermometer the kids got us for Christmas.  It’s been 31C the last two days.  Pretty remarkable, in the desert to watch the temperature go from 31C at 5 pm, to 9C at 8 pm, and wake up with the temperature at 1.8C.

Organ Pipe Catcus NM is a remarkable place.  It’s pretty far south, only 6 miles from the Mexican border at Lukeville/Sonoyta.  The mountains and desert vegetation make it look like it’s on one of the star wars planets, truly alien.  $12 per night for dry camping, with showers/flush toilets, potable water  and sewage dump.  Cell receptions is shaky, probably voice, but no data, so I’m not sure when this will get posted.  This is the warmest night we’ve experienced so far, still 19C at 8:10pm. With the moon rising later, a lack of light pollution, and the dry, clear desert air, we sat out in the starshine and admired our galaxy through the tops of Saguaro and Ocotillo.

258 Km. today.