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Tag: Organ Pipe Cactus

Cactus & cristates at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

blooming Brittlebush desert Ajo Mts clouds Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZSpent a few days exploring with a friend at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument searching for wildflowers and cactus cristates, an unusual growth that I’ll tell you more about.

bushes full moon set Mohawk Mts BLM Owl AZHowever, before leaving the Mohawk Mountains boondock in Owl, Arizona I caught the moon set with better luck than the dark of the night before.  Back on Interstate 8 east to Gila Bend, taking video along the way.  Absolutely scored finding diesel at $3.99/gal.  Though that’s still too much it was the first time all winter I found under $4/gal.  Sure does limit the miles I drive.

purple Lupin & yellow Bladderpod flowers SR85 ORPI NM AZLupine surrounded by Bladderpod

From there I got off the interstate and headed south on SR85 through lush Sonoran desert to Ajo.  The shoulders on both sides teased with strips of wildflower colors in yellow, blue, orange, purple, white, and shades of green.

plaza Ajo AZ

lunch Tacos El Tarasco Ajo AZMade a stop in Ajo for a few last minute groceries and lunch at Tacos El Tarasco at the Plaza.  Travel days I don’t make time to prepare meals so usually treat myself.  Why not?  Flowers continued to line the road for the 30 minute drive to the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument visitor center, passing through Why, Arizona along the way.

truckcamper cg ORPI NM AZA Facebook photographer friend as yet unmet, Richard Strange, had a campground reservation for two nights.  I assumed I’d be able to get a first-come campsite at Twin Peaks Campground when I got there.  But of course now everything is reservations that MUST be made online through rec. gov.  (More about them through links at the bottom of this post.)  I should know better, but don’t frequent campgrounds on public lands preferring to boondock nearby instead.  With barely a signal at the visitor center I managed to signup with the reservation site and get two nights camping, with my pass $10/night.  It’s a beautiful campground (here’s my site view) with over 200 sites nestled privately amongst the desert vegetation.  Richard hadn’t arrived yet, being distracted for over an hour by a couple large Caracara birds along his drive from the Phoenix area.

cg trl desert Ajo Mts ORPI NM AZ

Sonoran Desert cg trl ORPI NM AZI took a short walk on one of the many trails that leave from the campground and felt immediately immersed in this dense and diverse Sonoran desert.

window sunset cg ORPI NM AZ

Richard & RockyRichard & Rocky obviously not outside my door

After dinner Richard texted me.  What I didn’t realize at first was he was right outside my door with his walker and dog.  I went outside, we met, chatted away like old friends, and made a plan to meet in the morning to explore Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

RockyRichard, and his dog Rocky, rearranged the minivan so I could sit in the passenger seat.  Rocky is the most loveable Pitbull I’ve ever met.  He’s a rescue from dog fighting, and now a service dog.  Of course he thinks he’s human so really didn’t understand why I didn’t sit in the back.  But he shared the seat and immediately moved when I wanted to sit there.

Redtailed hawk preparing for flight off pole N Puerto Blanco Dr ORPI NM AZWe started with the North Puerto Blanco Drive for the miles allowed non 4x4s.  I almost immediately saw a Red-tailed hawk perched and Richard understood the command to “STOP”.

yellow brittlebush flowers desert mts N Puerto Blanco Dr ORPI NM AZ

desert N Puerto Blanco Dr ORPI NM AZWe saw some flowers but not endless views of colors.  The yellows of Brittlebush and Bladderpod were most prevalent with a few orange patches of Poppy.  In fact as we drove by an area of orange along the banks of a dry wash I saw a vehicle I thought looked familiar.  And sure enough more known photographers were set up to shoot complete with reflectors.  We chatted briefly before moving on.

Cholla Saguaro cristate SR85 ORPI NM AZ

Saguaro cristate SR85 ORPI NM AZNext Richard shared some awesome crested Saguaro cactus not too far off the main road.  Referred to as a mutation, or abnormal growth, the crest or cristate, is certainly unusual and not all that frequently seen.  I suppose first, you have to be actively looking for them.  There is debate about what causes these typically fan-like shapes.  We spent a lot of time speculating on various growth patterns seen over the day.

Saguaro cristate SR85 ORPI NM AZFrom Wikipedia: “Fasciation (or cresting) is a relatively rare condition of abnormal growth in vascular plants in which the apical meristem (growing tip), which normally is concentrated around a single point and produces approximately cylindrical tissue, instead becomes elongated perpendicularly to the direction of growth, thus, producing flattened, ribbon-like, crested, or elaborately contorted tissue. Fasciation may also cause plant parts to increase in weight and volume in some instances. The phenomenon may occur in the stem, root, fruit, or flower head. Some plants are grown and prized aesthetically for their development of fasciation. Any occurrence of fasciation has several possible causes, including hormonal, genetic, bacterial, fungal, viral and environmental causes.”

the Wall Gachado Line Camp Rd ORPI NM AZA very short jaunt took us to the border where neither of us wanted to be distracted by the wall.

yellow flowering desert Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZWe spent the rest of the afternoon lollygagging along the 21-mile mostly one-way Ajo Mountain Loop drive.  We searched for flowers and cristates, and ended up with a whole lot more.

Saguaro glomerate Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZAt one point Richard stopped because of seeing some weird growth on a cactus barely visible from the road.  I walked out to get a closer look and took photos with my camera and his 300mm lens Nikon.  It was at least two feet long.  Found out later from the Crested Cactus Society this anomaly is called a glomerate.  You may have seen nursery grown plants and cactus hybridized to create this look.

Redtailed hawk bird Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZRed-tailed Hawk

Cactus wasn’t the only sighting.

Saguaro crest Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZStopped for lunch at an actual picnic area with table—few and far between—offering an awesome view into a valley and another crested Saguaro not too far up a hill from the road.  If you get the guide for the Ajo Mountain Loop drive it’s #7.

desert cactus ORPI NM AZWe took advantage of almost every spot wide enough to park, and a few that weren’t.  Though I’ve taken this drive several times, I see it differently every time.

Saguaro anomaly desert Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZYet another unusual growth with wavy patterns are known as “spiral” or “checkerboard”.  Made us wonder if that was a sign for more crests to come.

bifurcated Saguaro Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZ

Saguaro bifurcation Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZSaguaro bifurcation Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZ g-2

And then there’s bifurcation, when the cactus, or an arm, divides into a split instead of the usual arm growth with a ring-shaped joint.

Crested Organ Pipe Cactus Ajo Mt Dr ORPI NM AZ

Sonoran desert crested organ pipe cactus Ajo Mt Rd ORPI NM AZFinally we got to #9.  Exactly six years previous to the day I saw this most amazing growth which I named the “octopuses’ garden”, my first ever crested Organ Pipe Cactus.

dead Organ Pipe Cactus with cristate Poppies at Organ Pipe Cactus NM AZI’d been told by a Ranger friend it had died since then.  I was sad.  Yet I’ve seen a lot of these Organ Pipe Cactus dying or dead during this visit.

dead Organ Pipe cactus sketleton cristate ORPI NM AZI was still anxious to see it, and got a closer look at the skeleton which clearly shows a very different growth pattern for the flatter cristate versus regular columnar cactus arms.

desert cloud virga ORPI NM AZWe continued with our drive-stop pattern, joking about the “plethora” of poppy patches, NOT.

crest Organ Pipe cactus Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZcrest Organ Pipe cactus Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZ

Richard shared a known-to-him/new-to-me crested Organ Pipe cactus that grows almost on the road.  It has several bifurcated and cristate growths.  How did I miss this one before?

desert Poppy flowers mt Ajo Mt Lp ORPI NM AZ

Poppies ORPI NM AZAs we came around the last third of the loop drive more flowers appeared.  Finally, some poppies.

Cactus Wren bird ORPI NM AZAnd a Cactus Wren too.

Sonoran desert Ajo Mts cg trl ORPI NM AZWe returned to our respective campsites exhausted from a long and wonderful day exploring Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Granny's Kitchen Why AZRichard and I pulled out of camp at 9am then slowly made our way north to Why for breakfast at Granny’s. Had to stop a few times for pics and Richard was scolded by Border Patrol for parking on the road.

desert Black Mt clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZWe parted ways after a delicious breakfast at Granny’s Kitchen and I continued north towards Ajo and my next camp.

desert Ajo Mts reverse sunset clouds Darby Well Rd BLM Ajo AZAll this happened weeks ago and I’ve been busy so am way behind real time.

Rec. gov & film permits

Did you know that rec. gov is a private company with a government contract that makes a bundle of money but not much reaches the feds?   I highly recommend Todd/Park Junkie’s explanation about who is rec. gov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9ab9frl8zE & about a Lawsuit Against Rec. Gov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7vYpSeAn6U .  This could be changed during the renewal of the Federal Lands Recreation & Enhancement Act.  Which also includes the issue of needing permits to share videos and photographs on social media for commercial purposes including YouTube, Istagram, and others.  So even though I don’t personally make any money on my social media platforms, somebody does, so legally I should have a permit.  Every park’s permitting system is different and the process takes time.  There goes spontaneity.  I’m going to do it anyway as my constitutional right to free speech and freedom of the press.  If I go to jail, I hope you’ll consider bailing me out.

Arizona, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Places I've been, United States , , , , , 23 Comments

Exploring the diversity of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

February 7-11, 2017

After camping off Darby Well Road for several days I went exploring Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument about 30 miles south.  This national monument is listed as a showcase for the lush and diverse Sonoran Desert with its extreme temperatures and limited rainfall where all species must adapt to survive.

SR85 South Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaOnly a few miles past Why there is a Border Patrol inspection station but southbound traffic wasn’t being stopped.  I’m sure with the multiple speed bumps a camera has time to take a photo of your license plate and there’s not too many places to easily run away.  Guess I passed inspection as I didn’t get arrested over the four days in the monument and saw plenty of border patrol vehicles while driving the back roads.

Camper Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaTuesday was my first day in the park and I paid for two nights at Twin Peaks Campground which even though large with first-come first-served can fill up during the winter months.  Most sites are pull-through with the last few rows set aside for no generators and tent camping where I parked.  And with my Senior Pass providing half off it was like getting two nights for the price of one.

 

Map Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaSecond stop, the visitor center where I found my friend Cynthia, picked up all the park literature, and attended a Ranger program where I ran into Michael, Imkelina, and their dog Sydney.  Of course I picked up Junior and Not so Junior Ranger books.  I love the idea of an adult version and would love to see us do this at Grand Canyon. Back to camp for lunch and a cold solar shower which was brief but still felt good.

 

 

 

Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThen I took off to drive the 21-mile slightly rough gravel Ajo Mountain Drive, a fantastic loop up, over, and around the Diablo Mountains.  Ask for the guide at the visitor center, which I had with me but forgot to use that day.  And get an earlier start than my 3:30pm because it’s not only a slow drive but you’ll want to make many stops along the way.

Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThe Sonoran Desert stretches for 120,000 square miles through Arizona, California, and into the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California.  It is the only place in the world where the saguaro (sa-WA-roh) cactus grows naturally.  As the largest cactus in the US, the saguaro grows very slowly, up to 50 feet tall in about 125 years.  Palo verde trees often serve as “nurse” trees for saguaro seedlings providing shelter until they are established.  As the cactus matures it competes with the tree for moisture.  Palo verde have deep roots to seek the water table while saguaro have shallow spreading roots to gather the water from rains.  The saguaro in turn provides food and shelter for many species of birds, mammals, and insects with payback when insects and bats pollinate its flowers, and other wildlife eat its fruit and disperse its seeds.  Everything works together to maintain this intricate, well balanced community.

Ocotillo blooms Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Chainfruit cholla buds Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaA seasonal pattern of light winter rains and heavy summer thunderstorms make the Sonoran Desert lush compared to other deserts.  Creosote bushes grow everywhere interspersed with prickly pear cactus and thorny mesquite trees. Multiple species of cholla (CHOY-yuh) hung heavy with buds. The fountain-like stalks of the ocotillo (OH-koh-TEE-yo) were covered in rows of tiny dark green leaves and a few burst at the tips with brilliant red flowers.  Despite the long sharp thorns this is not a cactus but a shrub that drops all leaves during dry times and resembles a bundle of sticks.

Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Organ Pipe Cactus South Puerto Blanco Diver Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaAnd of course the name sake organ pipe cactus named by early settlers thinking the dead cacti looked like church pipe organs.  And here I thought it was because the organ pipe is said to hum in the wind.  Because severe frosts can kill this cactus it typically grows on southern slopes where it can absorb the most sun and its range doesn’t go much further north than the national monument.

Cholla, palo verde, saguaros South Puerto Blanco Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

 

 

 

 

Because of recent rain the whole desert looked extremely lush in many shades of green.  At my many stops along the drive I wandered a sinuous/snakey path on rocky soil using extreme caution not to bump into any of this prickly growth.

 

 

 

 

 

Waxing moon Arch Canyon Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThen I’d drive a little closer towards the Diablo Mountains.  This landscape is made up of steep, blocky mountain ranges that alternate with the flat, narrow valleys, part of the Basin and Range that covers much of the Southwest.  The surrounding mountains were created by the eruptions of ancient volcanoes.  Hot ash blown from these volcanoes fell in layers and as the ash cooled it solidified into rock called ash-fallWaxing moon Arch Canyon Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona tuff.  This is topped by rhyolite flows which would have moved slowly across the land scraping up fragments of other rocks and cementing them together to form a new rock called breccia.

Waxing moon Arch Canyon Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

I came around a curve and couldn’t believe my luck with the waxing moon hanging over a saddle to the left of an arch.  There is a .6 mile trail into Arch Canyon but it was getting late in the afternoon so I just enjoyed the view feeling fortunate to have caught this moment.

Waxing moon in Arch Canyon Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaI gave a look back as I continued down the road and couldn’t believe my luck seeing the moon through the arch, a serendipitous moment.  Do you see it’s a double arch?   I didn’t see any wildlife except a few birds probably because it was the middle, and hottest, part of the day.

Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaI returned to camp just before sunset thinking I’d attend the Ranger’s evening program with Cynthia but I was just too tired from the long day and really wanted to see the photos I’d taken of this indescribable desert landscape.  I’m really trying, or it’s really tying, to use the tripod more frequently.  I’ve noticed that my hand-held shots are often not sharp.  But that dang tripod is heavier than the camera.

Wall South Puerto Blanco Drive West Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Wall South Puerto Blanco Drive West Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaWednesday I headed for the 14 mile South Puerto Blanco Drive that winds through the Sonoyta Mountains to the La Abra Plain which parallels the US and Mexican border. Signs warn of smugglers telling you not to stop or leave your vehicle unattended.  I saw several border patrol vehicles along this rough road while within sight in Mexico is a nicely paved road.  I became distracted and obsessed with the wall—which is mostly just a fence—to the point I couldn’t appreciate the beauty of the desert.  Does the land know it belongs to different people?

Wall-fence South Puerto Blanco Dr[ve West Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Wall South Puerto Blanco Drive East Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaAll I could think about was Pink Floyd.  I could have parked, walked under the fence, and gone for lunch at a café within sight.  Of course I’d have taken my passport with me.  After about five miles with the road getting progressively worse I turned around.

 

 

Lukeville border crossing SR85 South Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaAfter returning to pavement I drove the mile south to Lukeville at the border crossing.  I had no intention of crossing but just had to look.  Not much there but did top off with fuel. Good thing because another person at the pump said no diesel in Why that day.

Cacti moon Ajo Range Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Glow prickley pear cactus Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaI paid for two more nights at the campground then wandered in my current back yard.  My site on the outside loop offered nothing but desert beyond.  The moon seemed to look down on the land.  And as the sun sank the desert life took on a golden glow.

 

 

Sunset Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Sunset light Ajo Range & moon Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaAfter sunset I went to the evening program about the brilliance of planets we can see with the naked eye.  Venus was visible but the sky was dominated by the almost full moon.

Sunrise Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThursday I returned to the Ajo Mountain Drive with another late morning start even though I was up for sunrise.

Crested saguaro Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Crested Organ Pipe Cactus Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Arizona

Crested Organ Pipe Cactus Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaThis time I used the guide stopping at all the numbered points along the way.  And, this time I saw crested, or cristate, cactus.  First a saguaro and then an Organ Pipe Cactus.  According to the guide cactus have growth cells on the tips of their arms that grow in a circle.  But some growth cells form a straight line that creates the crest.  There are several scientific hypothesis but this beautiful phenomenon is still unexplained.

The suggested time for the entire loop drive is two hours.  At 3 1/2 hours I was only about half way.  I often drive no more than 5mph because 15mph seems too fast to whiz past the landscape.  Traffic was no problem with only a few cars passing me when I used pullovers.  Most drivers weren’t going a whole lot faster than me anyway.

 

North Puerto Blanco Drive East Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaFriday I again started a late morning drive this time on the North Puerto Blanco Drive about five miles to the turn around where the road becomes one way for another 16 miles and requires high clearance and perhaps 4×4 to loop back to the South Puerto Blanco Drive.

Ajo Mountain Drive Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaIt was beautiful, but again I wanted to return to the Ajo Mountain Drive so this time only drove the first 2 1/2 miles to the turn around for that one way loop.  Several trails lead from this point but at 104°F I passed on hiking.

Junior Ranger badge Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ArizonaI returned to the visitor center to get my Junior Ranger badge the last day of my stay.

 

Art Under the Arches by Cynthia Sequanna Ajo Arizona

 

 

 

Then instead of shooting the full moon I went to Ajo with Cynthia to a gallery showing where one of her most awesome art quilt wall hangings was on display.  And by the way she deservedly won best of show for Art Under the Arches.

Petti-point cuff

I bought myself an early birthday present from the store attached to the show.  Just couldn’t help myself with a petti-point turquoise cuff, old pawn, for only $125, a steal of a deal.  Then we went to dinner with some fellow Rangers to the advertised “Best Burger and Craft Brew” at Estrellas.

I was beginning to feel like a local even knowing Rangers by name.  I asked Cynthia who I could volunteer for just to drive the Ajo Mountain Road daily.  Still more to explore, roads, trails, Ranger programs, and maybe flowers coming.  I just might have to return to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, soon.

So I may have missed the full moon rise yet figured to get another chance Saturday night.  But as this post is already too long that’s another story.

 

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Arizona, National Parks and Monuments, Organ Pipe Cactus NM , , 14 Comments

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