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


A Few Gray Federales, February 2019
Senita Basin and Quitobaquito, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: A Photographic Log
27 February 2019, 25 miles

These days one of the big topics of discussion in the US of A is to build, or not to build, a wall, fence, or other barrier along the border with Mexico. A contentious topic to say the least.

The southern edge of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument abuts the international border, and one of the park's rough dirt roads runs immediately adjacent to the borderline for about ten miles. I wanted to see the border for myself, so that road seemed like a good place to pedal the Ogre. I checked with a couple of park rangers to be sure Border Patrol agents wouldn't throw me and the Ogre into the hoosegow. The rangers assured me it would be no problem to ride along the border on South Puerto Blanco Drive, but to keep in mind I would probably be under surveillance much of the time, especially if I actually walked right up to the border itself. I had already seen plenty of BP pickups, SUVs, and quad ATVs along Highway 85. The rangers spoke vaguely of cameras, sensors, drones, etc.

That made me all the more desirous of scouting the border, so I decided to drive up to the dead end of Senita Basin Road, then pedal down to South Puerto Blanco Drive and all the way out to Quitobaquito. That would keep me in touch with the border for several miles, allowing me to see for myself exactly what the line of demarcation looks like around here.

The route was not as well maintained as the Mount Ajo loop, but it was much flatter except for the easy grade down from and back up to the dead end of Senita Basin Road. No pavement at all. Some solid hardpack. Some loose rocks. Some gravel. Some sand. In total, I probably had to hike through about fifty yards of deep sand. Not bad, but overall rough enough that I needed to keep my eyes on the road surface in front of me rather than admiring the scenery and watching the border.

While I tried to watch the border, I think the Border Patrol and the Mexican police probably watched me. No telling what I was carrying in those commodious panniers.


I parked by the hiking trailhead at the dead end of Senita Basin Road, then I pedaled back down the road toward South Puerto Blanco Drive.

This picture shows the landscape near the hiking trailhead.


I nearly backed my rear end into a cholla in order to get a wider view of the terrain.


A mile or two down the road stands this tower, roughly three miles north of the border.


It's a rescue station.


Instructions in three languages and pictures.

Anyone trying to avoid roads and move north through the desert around here on foot is probably going to need a lot of help.


Looking back as I continue down from the end of the road.


Senita Basin Road T's into South Puerto Blanco Drive. This sign marks the intersection.

The border barrier is barely visible in the background on the right.


Slightly off to the east of the T intersection, South Puerto Blanco turns north, away from the international border in order to avoid a couple of hills as the dirt road heads back toward Arizona Route 85. The border continues straight east.

With my telephoto, I photographed a much sturdier species of border barrier marching east over the hills. Note that Border Patrol vehicles prowl right along the dirt track immediately adjacent to the barrier. This was the only spot where I sighted such an imposing obstruction. I'm not sure if this qualifies as steel slats.


At the T intersection, I turned right and pedaled west on the rough road of dirt, rocks, gravel, and sand.


Within a couple of minutes I reached this spot.

Immediately behind the camera is South Puerto Blanco Drive, the east-west dirt road along the southern edge of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Immediately beyond the Ogre is a dirt track. Next comes the steel fence right along the border. Then a span of open ground in Mexico. Then a paved highway running along the Mexican side of the border. In the distance, mountains rise farther south in Mexico.

That's what the view to my left looked like as I pedaled west along the international border toward Quitobaquito.


Homes, businesses, and other buildings dotted both sides of the Mexican highway, with some buildings backed right up to and nearly touching the border.


Plenty of cafes and shops along the highway.


No cafes, shops, or pavement on South Puerto Blanco Drive.

Near here I ran into a young Border Patrol agent sitting on his quad ATV while he smoked a cigarette. We talked about the border and the barrier for awhile. He was mostly non-committal when I asked if he thought a big wall should be built along here, but he certainly didn't make the situation sound like an emergency. He told me that for the last six to twelve months, the only people who cross the border here are families who sit beside South Puerto Blanco Drive and wait for agents to appear so they can surrender and request asylum. The young agent shrugged a lot.


Getting close to Quitobaquito. Looking north, away from the border.


Made it.

There's a dirt parking lot here at the end of the road. A hiking trail continues to the spring and pond, but no bikes allowed any farther.

I sat on a big rock and ate my lunch.


The park road ends at Quitobaqito, but the dirt trail beside the barrier continues.


As always, the Mexican highway is just on the other side of the barrier.


Here's a closer look at the barrier along this part of the international border.

Multiple individuals, including a park ranger, informed me that the rather innocent looking barrier is actually guarded by video monitors, audio devices, and motion sensors, as well as plenty of agents cruising along the border and/or relaxing and smoking cigarettes.

"They know as soon as someone steps across," a ranger told me when I asked about bicycling South Puerto Blanco. "And you won't realize it, but they'll be watching you." I thought about that every time I had to stop and take a leak beside a saguaro.


After lunch at Quitobaquito, I turned around and pedaled east.


Along South Puerto Blanco Drive.


Along South Puerto Blanco Drive.


From South Puerto Blanco I turned left on Senita Basin Road to get back to the Forester.

Why they call it a basin, I don't know, because it's all uphill from the T intersection.


Beside Senita Basin Road, this blue barrel contains emergency drinking water. I was far from running dry.


Along Senita Basin Road.


Nearing the end of Senita Basin Road and the end of the ride.


Back at camp, I cooked up my dinner with the JetBoil, sorted out my gear, and prepared for another day and another bike ride in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.



Summary

Date: 27 February 2019
Time: 10:00 - 2:30
Weather: 55 - 75° F, partly cloudy
Route: From end of Senita Basin Road out South Puerto Blanco to Quitobaquito and back
Distance: 28 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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