Just after 10:30 we were ready to head out on one of the trails. We thought we would start by taking the Palo Verde Trail to the Kris Eggle Visitor Center...a 2.6 mile/4.2 km walk through the desert with views of the Ajo Mountain Range.
A huge Organ Pipe Cactus...this area (Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument) is one of the few places in the United States where you can see large stands of organ pipe cacti. An organ pipe cactus produces its first flowers at age 35. Just before and during the summer rains, the organ pipe fruit ripens and splits open to reveal its red pulpy flesh. The bat pollinated flowers blossom at night and are closed by mid-morning the next day.
There are also lots of Chain Fruit Cholla Cacti...
The Kris Eggle Visitor Center includes an orientation program, short accessible nature trail, exhibits and a bookstore. Ranger led talks, tours and hikes are offered January through March...hmmm...we're here a little early to take advantage of that...
The visitor center is named after Kris Eggle, a Park Ranger who died August 9, 2002. He was gunned downed while pursing members of an alleged drug cartel who illegally crossed the border after committing a string of murders in Mexico...he was 28 years old.
One of the main worries about visiting this area is safety and the park addresses this in literature provided at the visitor center. Since the southern boundary of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument borders Mexico for 30 miles, illegal border activities occur including the smuggling of drugs and humans. "You are very unlikely to encounter illegal activity. Smugglers and migrants want to evade detection and therefore try to avoid contact with other people."
Inside the visitors center, we watched a 15 minute video about the park and wandered around the displays...
We have a midden under the Organ Pipe Cactus at our site...
Then we walked the short Visitor Center Trail that introduces the desert and its inhabitants...We quickly passed by the pond as it was very popular with the bees...
After we were finished seeing all there was to see at the visitor center, we walked the trail back to the Twin Peaks Campground...
This ripened fruit has split open on the organ pipe cactus beside our campsite....
We were back home by about 1:00 and after relaxing in the shade with a bottle of water, we had lunch...and then spent the rest of the afternoon just chillin' in the peace and quiet of this lovely park.
As the sun went down behind the mountain, we headed inside...a short while later Steve took a picture of the beautiful sunset....ahhh...the end to lovely day....
Well I don't think we have to worry about been shot down by any drug cartels in Merritt.
ReplyDeleteEveryone says you can't get any internet service at Organ Pipe, you are. What do you have?
They must of added a tower...we have full bars on our Verizon.
DeleteThat is one of our "we need to go there" spots as well. Absolutely gorgeous. I have a couple of BLM spots picked out but we do wonder about the Mexicans coming in the night.
ReplyDeleteWe are leaving Monday for the Gunsite Wash BLM about 4 miles outside of the park near Why. We've had friends stay there as well as Paul and Nina from Wheelin it. Nobody has mentioned feeling unsafe and we certainly haven't in the park. There is also the Darby Wells BLM near Ajo. Talking to the staff here they say that when they have encountered migrants they are usually hot, tired, thirsty, hungry and trying to get back to Mexico.
ReplyDelete