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Road Trip Arizona: Intro ::: Organ Pipe Ride 1 ::: Organ Pipe Ride 2 ::: Organ Pipe Ride 3 ::: Gary ::: Tucson ::: Scottsdale


Poncho Was a Bandit, February 2019
Mount Ajo Loop, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: A Photographic Log
26 February 2019, 25 miles

The campground at Organ Pipe, surprisingly, nearly overflowed with RVs, big travel trailers, camper vans, and a few folks—like me—in tents. Where all those vehicles went during the day, I don't know, but I saw very few of them on the park roads. They were far outnumbered on the roads by Border Patrol pickups, SUVs, and quad ATVs racing around and kicking up dust.

Fortunately, very little traffic of any kind appeared on the Mount Ajo loop, not even the BP. A two-way dirt road led in from near the park visitor center. After a couple of miles, it narrowed into a rough one-way road leading uphill toward the mountains, then looped around and back downhill to rejoin the two-way stretch. Other than a grader busily smoothing out part of the road which had been almost washed away in last week's big rainstorm, the loop was quiet and nearly desolate. I was glad to be on the Ogre with its wide tires, aggressive tread, and lowest gears, but in most places just about any decent bike without skinny tires could have gotten through without demanding a dismount.

Although I was probably never more than a dozen miles from the visitor center, it always seemed like the Ogre and I were in the middle of a remote, empty desert. Were we bandits, I think the Border Patrol could never have caught us.


Signs like this appear on all the roads and trails in the park. This one greeted me as I started up the Mount Ajo loop road, which is one-way except for the very beginning and end.


Typical view of the road ahead. Some fresh, smooth hardpack (because a grader was working on a section of the road). Some rough, rocky parts. A few sandy bits. And, surprisingly, a couple of paved stretches on the steepest grades.

Not counting cars parked at trailheads or the grader, I probably met fewer than a dozen vehicles.


This is Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, but I think I'm seeing more saguaro cactus and cholla.


Ah, here we have some nice organ pipes.


From higher ground, looking across the park.


The place is thick with cacti.


Still gradually climbing up to higher ground.


I paused here after one of the few really steep sections. Fortunately, it was paved.


While I was catching my breath, I met Linda and her husband, from British Columbia.

I rode along with them for a bit, and—amazingly!—in the span of about half an hour they unexpectedly encountered two different Canadian couples they already knew, including neighbors from back home. Small world.

Didn't see any other bikes on the loop.


Cliffs near the highest point on the loop.


Saguaro and organ pipes.


Lots of landscape attracting my camera.


Looking back at the mountains as I start rolling downhill.


Another smooth stretch of road.


You can look but you better not touch.


There's something trying to puncture you at every turn in the park. Don't walk into this stuff.


More organ pipes.


More saguaro.


Danger! Danger!


This guy got a little too close for comfort while I was heeding a call of nature.


The Ogre was very much at home riding the loop through this desert terrain.

We're off to a good start, with more planned for the next two days.



Summary

Date: 26 February 2019
Time: 9:00 - 1:00
Weather: 55 - 75° F, mostly sunny
Route: Mount Ajo loop
Distance: 25 miles
Bike: Ogre
Riders: Solo


Road Trip Arizona: Intro ::: Organ Pipe Ride 1 ::: Organ Pipe Ride 2 ::: Organ Pipe Ride 3 ::: Gary ::: Tucson ::: Scottsdale



Comments? Questions? Suggestions? I'd like to hear from you.

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