After several days of limited exercise, we decided to do a bit of walking around Organ Pipe Cactus park. We started by taking the Palo Verde trail from the campground to the Visitors Center, an easy 2.6 mile walk through a variety of vegetation, mostly cactus. Here are a couple of our favorites:
This magnificent Organ Cactus at the Visitors Center gave us a preview of what can be seen throughout the park.
This grouping of little grey cacti (?) are only about 4 inches high and 1.5 inches in diameter, but they provided native americans with a red dye when cut open, and the curved barbs made needles, fasteners, and fishhooks (in the desert?). We're still working on the official name for these little guys.
After a late lunch and some resting time (did I mention that Pris walked the first trail? Quite a trek for a little fur child), we decided to try the Desert View Trail. This trail is not nearly as long at 1.2 miles round trip, but has much more elevation change than this mornings' hike. Desert View goes up a mountain NW of the campground, providing wonderful views of the surrounding Sonoran Desert (and Mexico). There are benches placed for viewing sunrises and sunsets, neither of which we expect to enjoy...we'll wait for the video.
As usual, there is a beautiful sunset from our campsite:
We enjoyed a "happy hour" with some people who pulled in next door, and are on their way back to Utah after spending time in Puerto Penasco, Mexico. They shared some fresh shrimp they had bought that were huge, about 13-15 shrimp per pound, with a price of $6 for 5 pounds! Ah, the joys of a Mexican fishing village!
No comments:
Post a Comment