Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona - Hiking

Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial beginning of summer, has a tendency to be windy, stormy, and wet in Utah.  This year was no exception.  Fortunately, Roger and I decided that we would spend the holiday weekend in Arizona where we would be practically guaranteed more summer-like weather.  The only threat to our plans was excessive heat, but an unusually cool weather pattern made for perfect camping and hiking conditions.  After a quick morning flight to Phoenix and a few supply stops, we were on our way to the border to explore Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Organ Pipe Cactus

The Organ Pipe Cactus, with its dislike cold temperatures, grows primarily in Mexico and a small portion of southern Arizona.  Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument protects this region and contains enough diversity of plant and animal life to be declared an International Biosphere Reserve.  Illegal border activity adds a level of complexity to the human history of this region.  The rugged, barren mountains are scenic backdrop to the unexpectedly lush Sonoran Desert vegetation in the lowlands and washes.

Saguaro cactus blossoms

Ocotillo leafing out after recent rains

After a quick stop at the visitor center to pick up our camping permit for the "primitive" Alamo Canyon camping area, we made our way back to Alamo Canyon to set up camp and stroll up the canyon.  Later, we enjoyed the sunset as the pink and orange hues gave the landscape a softer feel.  With minimal light pollution, the stars and planets were brilliant that night.

Camping at Alamo Canyon

Alamo Canyon at sunset

Sunset from Alamo Canyon

Moon and Venus

It sounded like a tropical rainforest when I awoke on Friday morning.  There were so many different birds singing at the same time.  I walked over to an Organ Pipe Cactus that looked ready to bloom, and sure enough, a couple of blossoms had opened.  The blossoms open for one night and the flowers are pollinated by bats.

Organ Pipe Cactus blossom

Organ Pipe Cactus at sunrise

We spent the day on Friday driving the 21 mile Ajo Mountain Scenic Drive, starting at the visitor center, and looping through some spectacular scenery along the way.  We stopped at two trailheads and did a couple of easy to moderate hikes, one through Arch Canyon and another through Bull Pastures and Estes Canyon.  Both offered scenic views and passed by a variety of desert plants.

Illegal border activity is a constant challenge

Arch Canyon

View from the top of Arch Canyon

Bull Pasture Trail

Bull Pasture Trail

Flowering agave

View from Bull Pasture Trail

With a few more hour of daylight left, we decided to drive along the U.S-Mexico border to Quitobaquito Springs, a true desert oasis and home to the endangered Sonoyta pupfish.  It was an interesting experience to be so close to the border, an imaginary line that has resulted in so many human deaths.  Birds and other animals paid no attention to this line.

U.S. border fence

Quitobaquito Springs

Quitobaquito Springs

After another beautiful night camping at Almo Canyon, we made our way back to Phoenix for the rest of the holiday weekend.  It was interesting the see the long line of vehicles headed south through Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, on their way to a weekend in Mexico, unaware of the beauty and solitude of the surrounding monument.  We spent some time in the town of Ajo, enjoyed a small but lively farmers market, and explored for a bit around the town's plaza.  Once a booming mining town, Ajo has a quiet Southwest charm to it.

Last night camping at Alamo Canyon

Sunset at Alamo Canyon

 Ajo, AZ

Ajo, AZ

No more trains to Ajo

On Sunday, we rented bikes and rode through South Mountain Park, enjoying the spectacular views and perfecting riding weather for most of the day.  Before heading back to Salt Lake on Monday, we spent the afternoon at the Desert Botanical Garden.  The trip was a perfect combination of relaxation and adventure, and a great way to welcome the summer!

Biking at South Mountain Park

Biking at South Mountain Park

Roger near the top of South Mountain

Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah - Sightseeing

The temperature has always been an issue for Southern Utah adventures (too hot or too cold, but rarely just right). A lot of this has to do with the fact that I hate crowds of people when I'm trying to enjoy the outdoors. The crowds, being the smart people that they are, disappear when it's too hot or too cold. Those are my favorite times to visit.

Rarely has precipitation been an issue. Aside from a few run-ins with thunderstorms, most trips have been dry. I always expect an adventure when I visit the deserts of Southern Utah, but this past Memorial Day weekend was more than I expected. While the canyons and rocks provided their usual spectacular show, the weather was the main event.

We decided to visit Capitol Reef National Park because it is by far the least crowded of the parks in Utah. There is also no reservation system for backcountry permits so it's not much of a hassle to escape whatever crowds are in the main part of the park, even on a holiday weekend.

The first day was a Jeep day. Brandon wanted to take his Jeep off-road so we decided to visit the northern portion of the park on the roads that are not accessible by car. The weather was cloudy and cool, but mainly dry. After driving through a river (and making me quite nervous), the rest of the Jeep roads were in good condition and traveled through some amazing scenery.


Brandon and Amber at the South Desert Overlook

Bentonite Hills

Exploring a small canyon with Amber

Amber shows off her Junior Ranger badge

Checking out the Fremont River with Brandon

Cathedral Valley

We camped in the main campground at Fruita that night. Despite the crowds, it was convenient and allowed us to enjoy some real food and beer with all the comforts of a developed campground. Just as I headed into my tent it started to rain. I love a little rain at night while I'm in my tent - it's great sleeping weather. The light rain, however, became heavier and heavier as the night wore on. I wasn't too concerned (it never rains for more than a few hours in Utah, right?). Morning came and it was still raining. We made breakfast and packed up our wet tents, determined to make it to the trailhead so we could camp in the backcountry. Surely the weather would clear!

We took the Bullfrog-Notom road south along the Waterpocket fold as we headed towards Upper Muley Twist Canyon. The rain became a downpour and the dirt road became muddier and muddier. At some point the road became impassable, and we pulled into the Cedar Mesa primitive campground to join other refugees of the flood. It became apparent that we weren't going to make it to the trailhead so we decided to set up camp and hunker down for the evening at Cedar Mesa.


Flood and mud

Red flood water

A "dry" wash

Brandon and Amber setting up their tent in the rain

Muddy Jeep

The rain let up for a bit that evening so we took a walk to check out the surroundings and get rid of the tent boredom. The abundant water made the familiar landscape a brand new experience for me. Our walk up the dry wash was so peaceful and relaxing - one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip!


A break in the storm

Yuccas

Flowering Yucca

The sun came out the next morning! We decided to risk the muddy road and do a day hike in Upper Muley Twist Canyon (where we had planned on backpacking). The road was terrible, but Brandon navigated the slippery mud and washed out sections expertly. Even a small rockslide on the Burr Trail switchbacks didn't stop us.


Clearing rocks from the Burr Trail road

We made it to the Upper Muley Twist Canyon trailhead and had an excellent day hike under mostly sunny skies. I backpacked Lower Muley Twist Canyon with Rob and Jake a couple of years ago, but the Upper portion of the canyon seemed more scenic. We weren't able to explore the whole upper portion of canyon due to time constraints, but we managed to see some beautiful arches and narrow parts of the canyon. We made it out just before another round of thunderstorms hit.


Me in Upper Muley Twist Canyon

Saddle Arch

Upper Muley Twist Canyon

Amber and Brandon

Amber and Brandon walking out of the canyon

We camped in Dixie National Forest, a beautiful pine forest just west of Capitol Reef, on the final night. The weather had one final surprise for us - a big thunderstorm with lots of hail! A beautiful rainbow signaled the end of the stormy weather and the end of our adventure.


Dixie National Forest

Hail!

Rainbow after the storm

This was my second trip to Southern Utah with Brandon and my first trip with his friend Amber. They both proved to be awesome adventure buddies (even in challenging conditions) and made the trip extra fun. I hope there will be future trips with both of them!