Nogales, AZ

The rains finally ended, and the campground was starting to dry out, so I dragged my Lyric Motion Run3Rx from the Accord and set it up.  Took a couple of turns around the campground to try it out, then Nancy wanted me to try out her favourite trail.  The trail turned out to be sandy and rocky, and a bit of a challenge for my neophyte Runner riding skills (It is designed to lean into turns, and can lean uncommanded and at inopportune moments).  It did get me over to the bench under the White Oak along the Guindani Wash, which was running merrily because of the rain.

 Where the Agave is taller than the trees

I did go ass-over-teakettle on the way back (not a full-fledged flying W of my dirt biking youth, but rather a slow motion high-side; Nancy, always looking on the bright side, said “At least you didn’t land in the Prickly Pear”), but I figure it’s like learning to ride a horse or a dirt bike; there’s bound to be a few learning moments along the way.

Ocotillo

Home and recovered, mostly, we decided to take the 60 mile scenic drive on Highway 82 over to Nogales, AZ for lunch.  The Sonoran desert was not what I had expected, relatively mountainous, and with tall grass cover and shrubberies.  The meanest, driest hillsides had no ground cover and only ocotillo sticks. 

We’ve found that pretty much anything green in the desert is covered in thorns.  Green means moisture, always in short supply, and there’s lots of critters on the hunt.

On the way back, we stopped in at Patagonia Lake State Park to check it out.  The campground ran along the lake, and looked to be well set-up.  Nancy and Kirk did a few miles birding along the lake, while I rested my back in the car.  The day was sunny and windless, about 70 F.

Prickly Pear Cactus that something was munching

Tomorrow is moving day.  We have to hook up the Accord, drop the grey/black tanks, fill the water tank, fill the propane and gas tanks, and totter off down the road.  Catalina State Park is a little over an hour north, but it’s a 1,000 feet lower in elevation than we are now, so the temperature change should be a wash.  We’re expecting no services in Overflow camping, since they’re full, but something may open up.  It’s close to Tucson and the annual Gem and Mineral show is apparently a big RV’er draw.