Visit to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

2005 Februrary 19-20
E990, 2005:02:19 14:33:31 -- 5/1109 sec, f/6.6.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Our first day in the park was rainy. Really rainy. We paused during a momentary lull in the downpour to climb a small hill adjacent to the road.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:33:51 -- 10/1187 sec, f/5.6.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 14:34:17 -- 10/1997 sec, f/4.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Look how ridiculously green everything is -- its like one of Terra's pictures of Ireland or something. We've had crazy amounts of rain this winter due to an El Nino event.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:34:40 -- 10/1751 sec, f/4.4.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 14:35:14 -- 2/269 sec, f/5.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Not many of my wildflower closeups came out very well.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:36:45 -- 10/1359 sec, f/3.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 14:37:54 -- 5/522 sec, f/3.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 14:38:44 -- 10/777 sec, f/3.6.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 14:40:03 -- 10/837 sec, f/4.6.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 14:42:13 -- 5/678 sec, f/4.4.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

This is the hill we climbed. Its covered in Organ Pipe and other cacti.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:44:02 -- 10/2507 sec, f/4.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Here's a monster one with wildflowers at bottom.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:45:22 -- 2/609 sec, f/6.2.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

This one looks like its supposed to be art. Menacing clouds, Ocotillo thorns, but red buds at the end.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:45:38 -- 10/1459 sec, f/3.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 14:47:54 -- 1/125 sec, f/2.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 Large -- Medium

Gwen in front of a truly large Organ Pipe.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:50:00 -- 5/597 sec, f/3.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

A view of the plain leading up to the Ajo mountains to our east.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:50:12 -- 10/627 sec, f/4.0.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

The green, cactus-covered plain.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:51:02 -- 10/771 sec, f/4.4.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Mountain to the north.
E990, 2005:02:19 14:51:23 -- 10/1391 sec, f/3.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 15:18:29 -- 10/1429 sec, f/4.4.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

View of the Canyon Diablo wash along the Ajo mountain road (visible in background).
E990, 2005:02:19 15:19:45 -- 5/649 sec, f/3.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 15:20:17 -- 1/125 sec, f/2.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 15:33:29 -- 5/563 sec, f/5.6.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Arch along the Ajo mountain road.
E990, 2005:02:19 16:10:57 -- 1/79 sec, f/3.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 16:11:51 -- 10/1947 sec, f/5.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:19 16:42:13 -- 10/323 sec, f/4.0.  No Flash.2048x1536 Large -- Medium

A bunny we encountered along the Puerto Blanco road (the part that was open).
E990, 2005:02:20 07:31:17 -- 1/79 sec, f/3.2.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

We stayed over night at the Gringo Pass motel in Lukeville about 100 m from Mexico. This is the sign coming into the monument from the south, as if from the Mexican town of Sonoyta. Just 60 miles further south from here is Puerto Penasco, a tourist town on the beach of the Gulf of California.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:02:41 -- 5/504 sec, f/4.0.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 08:15:50 -- 5/458 sec, f/3.1.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

A feature of all the rain we had endured the previous day -- flowing water! In the Sonoran Desert! Flabbergasting!
E990, 2005:02:20 08:16:01 -- 10/1929 sec, f/3.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 08:22:29 -- 10/1141 sec, f/3.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Small field of wildflowers along the Alamo Canyon trail.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:27:34 -- 10/1327 sec, f/4.4.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

One of the ranchers that was grandfathered into being able to keep ranching after the monument was formed in 1937 continued to do so until he died in 1976. This is what's left of the house.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:28:03 -- 5/378 sec, f/3.1.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Its in great shape -- until we realized that there was an entire other room made of adobe that collapsed into a pile of mud.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:33:13 -- 5/783 sec, f/4.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Along the flowing arroyo just below the house.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:35:24 -- 10/1021 sec, f/3.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 08:44:27 -- 10/1447 sec, f/3.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Gwen in front of a remarkably Organ Pipe-covered hillside.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:44:42 -- 10/933 sec, f/3.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

This is us in the cattle pen, abandoned c1976.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:48:22 -- 5/1163 sec, f/5.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

The well pump at the cattle pen.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:54:12 -- 1/317 sec, f/6.2.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 08:55:02 -- 10/1633 sec, f/4.4.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

View from the ridge that we climbed overlooking the cattle pen.
E990, 2005:02:20 08:55:18 -- 10/2017 sec, f/5.5.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 08:55:58 -- 1/145 sec, f/5.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 09:06:24 -- 5/1788 sec, f/5.0.  Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

On the way back, the water tank, built 1950 Jan 30.
E990, 2005:02:20 09:06:49 -- 1/185 sec, f/5.0.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

Me (Jason) at the cattle loading ramp.
E990, 2005:02:20 09:12:19 -- 1/285 sec, f/6.3.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 09:14:04 -- 5/919 sec, f/7.0.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

A cool spire that Gwen found.
E990, 2005:02:20 09:18:10 -- 10/2061 sec, f/7.3.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

E990, 2005:02:20 13:20:24 -- 5/1339 sec, f/9.9.  No Flash.2048x1536 NORMAL . Large -- Medium

On the way home, Kitt Peak National Observatory peeking above the mountain.