Sad, depressing, then magnificent. That is the summary of my trip so far. I was so sad leaving behind my RV and van. About 225 miles later I was over that but then feeling depressed. I was in Tucson, where I lived until 36 years ago and was wandering around the west side, looking for the REI store. Despite using Google Maps, I was horribly lost in a neighborhood that I remember as being nice way back when. Sweet little southwest slump block, one story houses with white gravel yards instead of grass. Now, they were downright decrepit; Tuscon’s version of urban blight. Shock. Sadness. I recalled a recurring dream I had for decades about Tucson….being lost and looking desperately for something. Crazy that I actually lived that dream just now.
Depressing. Time has not been nice to Tuscon. In addition to the blight, to the east and north, the vast urban sprawl was appalling. For a long time I regreted leaving Tucson. No longer.
Magnificent. I set up my little tent in Organ Pipe National Monument, in the heart of the Sonoran Desert. This visit is like rediscovering an old, reliable friend. Compared to the Chihuahuan Desert where I have been this winter, the Sonoran desert is downright lush. Tall saguaro, organ pipe cactus, palo verde trees, mesquite, cholla cactus, prickly pear. The campground has a perimeter trail and a desert vista trail, which Tango and I walk morning and night.
Organ Pipe Cactus
I talked to a friend tonight who said that I seem to be going the wrong direction. Organ Pipe is near the border with Mexico about an hour from the Gulf of California and Puerto Penasco, MX. There is some truth to that observation. I am doing some research on camping along the borderlands and this whole region is a rich resource for that topic. The Border Patrol (BP) presence here is huge; this morning as I drove north into Ajo to visit Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, 10 BP trucks passed me, heading south. Before that, I heard a helicopter near the campground. A big bust? Regardless, I saw BP all day, everywhere I went. Constantly. Just south of Ajo, BP even has a huge, gated compound that looks more like a prison than a field office.
I am loving the car camping – tent thing. After months of messing around, I have Alice packed perfectly, which means that I can find everything I need, when I need it. Of course, I tweaked it some more, overall I am happy with the arrangement. I was worried for a moment because when I opened one door a small duffel fell out. Anytime something falls out it means that there is too much stuff in any given space. However, after a bit of shuffling and stuffing things and with the help of a small bungee cord, everything stays in place.
The best thing I brought so far: bungee cords. In addition to securing the duffel, I used four others to keep my doors open during the hot afternoons (nearly 90 degrees already). For some reason, the doors on Alice won’t stay open unless it is perfectly level. Bungee cords. Bungee cords, which I attached to the inside of the doors and then onto the front of the car, near the windshield wipers. I use them also as a curtain rod for the light blocking curtains that I made for the car.
The 3 car curtains would be the second best thing I brought, at least so far. If I run into a store or elsewhere, I can hang the front curtains and/or side ones to keep Tango shaded. I can attach them during the day when the doors are open to keep the car contents shaded. When not in use, they fold away perfectly. I bought long light-blocking curtain panels at Wal-Mart and then sized them to fit my car. As mentioned, they are suspended from super long bungee cords that hook onto the visors in the front, and headrests in the back. Someday I will get a photo!
Did I forget anything? Of course! A can opener. I only had one can – tuna – so it is not a big deal. I don’t really like canned foods so I think I will just avoid buying them rather than finding an official can opener.
Although wildlife is abundant here, the only encounters I had were with giant ravens. Tango and I took off for a walk this morning. When I returned, two ravens flew off and my boxes of tea were scattered across the table, each one with a hole pecked into the side. Crazy birds. They did not take any tea bags, so I guess the smell of hibiscus and coconut zinger was not appealing once they broke into the boxes.
The sun sets slowly over the rich, diverse, and beautiful Sonroan Desert, turning the organ pipe and sagurao cacti into ghostly sillohutes. Tango and I are already in the little tent for the night, listening to and enjoying the desert breeze. I have the cover over the screened windows unzipped so I can enjoy the softness of the breeze while writing. What a great place to start this adventure.
I stay a second night and do not want to leave, but it is time to head north. Tomorrow, I head up to another familiar friend, the Colorado Plateau. This time, I will drive into Utah from Page, AZ and lower Lake Powell where I can hang out for another few days while storms cross more northern areas. After that, I will be in iffy areas in terms of spring weather! Snow is always possible in the Rocky Mountain West, even through Mother’s Day in May. I have cold weather clothes in a duffel underneath the hot weather clothes, and will probably need to rotate them to the top!
Note to self: I looked at the pup tent while sitting in my camp chair, I realized that I could easily put it inside the large tent, once I get into Alaska. Why? Rain! Cold! A tent inside a tent would provide so much more protection from the elements if needed. I will keep that in mind.
