Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, The Snorin’ Desert
We had driven down towards, way towards, the Mexican border to the
town of Ajo, Arizona to visit this greater wilderness area. We did not know
what to expect. Our mind’s eye said it would be flat, indiscriminate desert
with stands of the Organ Pipe Cactus, a unique, large, multi-columned cacti
found only here in the US, then its range extending into Mexico. To our
delight, we found mountains and some of the most dense desert vegetation we
have yet experienced. Lots of green. Cholla, Ocotillo, many, many Saguaro,
Ironwood, Palo Verde, Mesquite, Creosote Bush and more. One day we took a 3
mile hike through a part of it and the next we took a park ranger led 21 mile
drive. It was terrific. This desert is rich in vegetation due to its
unique two rainy seasons. In winter, there are the gentle rains that come
in from the nearby Sea of Cortez/Baja Peninsula. In late summer, it becomes
monsoon season as large swells of clouds form and dump heavy rains and
accompanying flash floods to the area. Other than that, it is dry, dry. The
plant life has adapted. The big cacti can store water when it comes and the
other plant life can just live without. It really is a wonderful landscape and
hard to put into words, so I will ask Cathy to add photos to this text before
we publish it. Oh…this is the Sonoran Desert, and it sleeps quietly.
wow
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