tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2956495536310720932024-03-05T10:49:30.875-08:00Rorik & Sherri's Excellent AdventureRorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-64127052223422644742013-06-05T10:15:00.001-07:002013-06-05T10:15:58.058-07:00Settled InI have not posted since we returned to Albuquerque, it must be something about RVing which makes one want to Blog. The first couple of months, January and February were crazy busy, we house hunted, found a new home, bought all new (new to us) appliances and furniture, the grandchild was born January 16, sold the truck, bought two new vehicles, still have the 5th wheel for sale and I have a new job.<br />
Our granddaughter Payton arrived a couple of weeks early on January 16, one day after Amy's 21st birthday. New born hospital photos:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proud Grandpa!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherri, Jake(baby's dad), Melissa(Grandma)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Everyone was doing great until mid-February when Payton contracted RSV and she spent a week in intensive care at the University of NM Hospital. it wasn't a good week, but she recovered and is very healthy now. She spends some nights at our house and is a joy to have around. Ryder also likes having her around and here they are enjoying a morning nap.<br />
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Our new Albuquerque home is centrally located with shopping on one side and the bosque a stones through away. We take Ryder for a walk twice a day in the bosque and the Rio Grande river is a ten minute walk from our home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio Grande</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Casitas Del Rio(our neighborhood)</td></tr>
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Most mornings balloons fill the skies while we walk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another river shot with geese. </td></tr>
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It's a great location and the bosque has made the return to the city more palatable.<br />
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After selling the truck we each needed a new vehicle. We found a couple of cars Sherri was interested in at CarMax. We went to test drive and Sherri liked the Ford Focus hatchback which we bought. While working with the Sales Consultant, Brian, we discussed our RV adventures and return to Albuquerque. I told him I was starting to look for employment and he encouraged me to apply at CarMax. I have now been at CarMax for over three months and I am pretty good at selling cars, something I never thought I would do in my lifetime. It keeps me very busy, about 45 hours a week plus I work almost every weekend. I will consider moving to part-time when we pay off some bills and I start to get burned out, but so far I am enjoying CarMax.<br />
We do have some regrets since we gave up the full-time RV lifestyle. We had planned on a lot more traveling and many more adventures, but with the arrival of the grandchild we would not have felt good about being away from Albuquerque for long periods of time.<br />
I will try and post more often here. Sherri and I are both on Facebook if you want to friend us there.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-69287993065836538072012-12-28T16:49:00.001-08:002012-12-28T16:50:23.592-08:00Back in AlbuquerqueLeft Big Bend on Monday the 17th and arrived in Albuquerque on Tuesday. We had a good-long trip back with a mishap. I was pulling the 5er and running out of fuel as we approached Van Horn Texas. I pulled into the first station in town and tried to find diesel. The only diesel pump was in the middle of the islands, most stations have their diesel pump on the end. I didn't have the luxury to keep on going and find another station since the truck had been telling me I had 0 miles left two miles earlier. I was able to angle in and fill-up, but I knew getting out would be tricky. Sherri was directing me and as I pulled to the right she signaled that we were good, a couple seconds later I heard a terrible noise of metal hitting concrete.<br />
How ironic, after two years on the road we biffed the RV on our last travel day. The 5er is now for sale and will be fixed up soon. The truck is also for sale, I will miss the truck - not living in a fifth wheel so much.<br />
Since our return to Albuquerque we have been living at Sherri's mom and house hunting daily. With no reason to choose a particular section of the city to live in, we have run our Realtor all over town. Our decision was made somewhat easier yesterday as Sherri started her new job and when she got home from work she made it clear that she was not driving more than 45 minutes home from work in the dark.<br />
I am very proud of Sherri. She saw an ad for an office manager listed on Craig's list while we were still in Big Bend and she went after the job with vigor. She called the CPA company in Corrales as soon as we were back in Albuquerque and had an interview the following day, was called back in last Friday for a practice day, was offered the job on Monday and started yesterday. Sherri beat out 30 others who interviewed for the position.<br />
Before we left Big Bend we took one final hike, a 14 miler with elevation changes of 2,500'. The Marufo Vega trail stretches over mesas and through canyons on its way to the Rio Grande.After three miles into the hike the trail splits, the photo below shows the north fork starting down to the river.<br />
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The descent to the river can get steep.<br />
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We reached the river, a very pretty area. Here is looking north and south.<br />
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The hike from the river on the south fork is 800' straight up. The river is the green patch way down there.<br />
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It was a wonderful/tough 8 hour hike and left a good memory of Big Bend. Our first night in Albuquerque was spent at the Isleta Lakes RV Park. As I was walking the dog in the morning I saw a bird in the trees which was much bigger than the others and it had a white head...a Bald Eagle having breakfast while the crows looked on.<br />
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The area is very nice, unfortunately the train tracks are 50 yards from the RV park and the train whistle blows at all hours. Here's another shot of the lakes.<br />
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Time to get back to house hunting. I suppose I should also start job hunting.<br />
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HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-33954121674147775302012-12-12T16:19:00.000-08:002012-12-12T16:19:41.507-08:00TerlinguaThis will probably be my last post from the road, but who knows what the future holds. We are leaving Big Bend this Monday the 17th. For many reasons we have decided to head back to Albuquerque. The main reason is we are expecting a granddaughter February 4th. This will be our first grandchild and we, especially Sherri, are having a hard time being away from all the events which surround the birth of a child. There are showers to attend, cribs to buy and of course clothes to look at.<br />
We also realize that we are starting to get claustrophobic living in the RV and began talking about the virtues of having a home. I think we both enjoy having roots and feeling like we are a part of a community. I am not in any way saying we haven't had a great time over the past two years; plus we have learned a lot about ourselves and each other. Both of us are glad we had the opportunity to RV and we might give it another shot in the future.<br />
Well, that's enough philosophizing - let's move on to what we have done in Big Bend. Last week we left the park for the first time since we arrived. Right outside the park's western boundary are the very small towns of Study Butte and Terlingua. In Terlingua we visited the very old portion which is referred to as a ghost town even though people still live there, or maybe they have re-populated.<br />
Our first stop was the Terlingua Trading Company which is an old building with many rooms and many funky items for sale.<br />
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There is a short walking tour of the Ghost Town which was a booming mining town from the early 1900's until the 30's. The church Saint Agnes was the most interesting building and the best preserved.<br />
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The Starlight Theater, next door to the Trading Company is a big attraction after 5:00PM.<br />
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Down the road a short ways is the cemetery, most of folks buried here are from the old mining days, but there are some recent headstones.<br />
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After the ghost town we took a 15 minute drive to Lajitas which is a resort community right on the river. It is very incongruous to have this resort in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the desert. I'm not sure how well they are doing - we did not see many people around.<br />
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We headed back to Terlingua for some good Mexican food at Rio Bravo and finished up grocery shopping at a little market. On the way back into the park I stopped for an interesting landscape photo. This part of Big Bend is known as the Badlands.<br />
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We will be in Albuquerque by next Tuesday and the RV part of our Excellent Adventure will pause/end, and a new adventure will begin.<br />
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Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-17238837080948651812012-11-30T09:06:00.000-08:002012-11-30T09:06:54.820-08:00Big Bend ExplorationWork and exploring Big Bend are what we have been up to. The Thanksgiving week is one of the busiest in the park and it was good to have a lot of shoppers in the store. Otherwise the Rio Grande Village store is slow and booooooring....<br />
On our days off we have been hiking and checking out this very large National Park. There is desert, river and mountain hiking to do.<br />
The Lost Mine Trail is in the Chisos Mountains; the trail is 5 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1.100'.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherri says "Homer Simpson Rock"</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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One morning we joined a Ranger for a bird walk. I didn't get any good bird photos but we did see these Javelinas/Collared Peccaries on the way to the walk<br />
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A beautiful spot in the park is the Castolon Historic area and the Santa Elena Canyon. The canyon extends about five miles with the canyon walls up to 1,500' high.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Santa Elena Canyon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking out of canyon toward Chisos Mountains</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of the trail into Santa Elena Canyon, about 1 mile in.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lava deposits along Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive</td></tr>
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The last two photos are river pictures on our six mile round trip hike to the Hot Springs. My camera's batteries went dead and I did not get any photos of the Hot Springs. I guess we'll have to do the hike again.<br />
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Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-29485415287845254652012-11-16T19:21:00.000-08:002012-11-16T19:21:46.858-08:00Arrived Big Bend<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqudpvWdD9q5QZmH0aPv_UWz3H2RaElyhmHw7DVhYZAnbPmUQsfvOigPW6-nGEEGjsVHKWHDPUjRztJ5iRAELrtAbBQnG_jr1PCseCOPPooUOQ3bZbSiaTYidS5XTU89KcVX6urx2tKt4/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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It's been a long time since I posted a blog. We have been busy packing up at the North Rim, traveling to Albuquerque and getting ready to move on to Big Bend. We made it to Big Bend on Sunday Nov. 4, did our paperwork on Monday and started work on Tuesday. Our location in Big Bend is in the Rio Grande Village area, it is remote and cell and internet do not exist. Yesterday we finally got hooked up by Big Bend Telephone with DSL and a land line. If you want to call us over the next six months use our new number 432-477-2336.<br />
As usual I didn't take any photos in Albuquerque and we were very busy visiting family and friends who we had not seen in a year. I did take in a Lobo Football game and played a couple of rounds of golf, which I had not done in a year...I wasn't sure which end of the club to hold. We were also busy helping Amy buy a new car, which we did, finding her a nice used Toyota Corolla. Sherri has missed having a vehicle of her own so we bought Amy's 1996 Ford Explorer. Amy then used the money to make a down payment on the Toyota.Sherri followed the truck and fifth wheel in our travels from Albuquerque to Big Bend. Here is the new line up.<br />
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Upon arriving in Big Bend we stopped in the Rio Grande Village Store, our new work location. Much to our surprise the staff from Forever Resorts Retail from Scottsdale was in the store working on merchandising. Abriel is hard at it in our new work location.<br />
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The store and campground are located along the Rio Grande river and is a sliver of green in the desert, surrounded by many mountain ranges. A few photos show our work and living location.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherri and Ryder on the road from the store to Daniel's Ranch.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rio Grande from Daniel's Ranch...Mexico is on left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our RV is on far left</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9aeoj7dXMSoRlaFpeW3KEsHRq_pGNmlUaqsOXpyBeoMvlAbAsfH4DT6SruB0I0obQ0krAOsTqzZhqJvOkreZFcFaPDWQv4ZRYYiHyApEC_YYq5Iq22yS0eyl5nTeIYuuMRHCSmCr5KI/s1600/DSCF0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9aeoj7dXMSoRlaFpeW3KEsHRq_pGNmlUaqsOXpyBeoMvlAbAsfH4DT6SruB0I0obQ0krAOsTqzZhqJvOkreZFcFaPDWQv4ZRYYiHyApEC_YYq5Iq22yS0eyl5nTeIYuuMRHCSmCr5KI/s320/DSCF0016.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Town of Boquillas, Mexico on the other side of the river.</td></tr>
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Boquillas is a sleepy village of about 200. The residents used to cross freely over to Big Bend and shop in our store. The Big Bend tourists used to take a canoe across the river, a mule to town, then shop and dine in Boquillas. This all changed after 9-11, now a few residents cross but it is discouraged, and no tourists go to Mexico. This has hurt Boquillas economically, but a few still bring their wares over the border and leave the artwork for tourists to buy on the honor system.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking sticks and artwork</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the river</td></tr>
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Another interesting character from the Mexican side is Victor the Singing Mexican. He sings from the Mexican side with a tip jar on the US side. He has a great voice which is amplified by Boquillas Canyon. Not surprising - Victor can be found on You Tube.<br />
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One last picture of Sherri hanging out by the nature trail which is close to the store. The beaver pond has a beautiful catwalk which goes across the water and through the reeds.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-29053172087935244562012-10-14T12:35:00.000-07:002012-10-14T12:35:09.236-07:00Francois Matthes PointSherri, Ryder and I took our last long hike of the season out to Francois Matthes Point. The hike is on the Walhalla Plateau, going down an old road which is closed and overgrown.<br />
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To hike to the point is a level six miles one way through the Ponderosa Pines and changing Aspens.<br />
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At the end of the old road we were rewarded with beautiful views into Clear Creek Canyon and points beyond.<br />
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It was a great hike and beautiful day. Ryder was glad he got to go, but he was a tired dog.<br />
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Our weather has been beautiful fall weather, however we had a big change on Friday. A front blew in cold and snow. It snowed hard Friday afternoon and some accumulated. The photos below are of our RV site and the view from our rig into the forest.<br />
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The weather has rebounded nicely and for the next week we are expecting sunny skies with highs in the mid 60's. The park's concessions close on the 15th, so the visitors will drop significantly come Tuesday. This year the North Rim is hosting a special event for NPS, supporters of NPS and concessionaires beginning on the 16th and ending the 22nd. Sherri and I will work through the event and be leaving the North Rim on the 23rd. We will be in Albuquerque 10/24 - 11/3 and then head to Big Bend NP for the winter. I'll probably blog next from Albuquerque.<br /><br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-18337924351458610122012-09-30T12:52:00.000-07:002012-10-01T07:25:30.781-07:00Point Imperial HikeIt's been a lot of work and not much playing lately. All management has been busy getting ready for a voluntary inspection by the Arizona OSHA team. By passing, Forever Resorts North Rim earns a coveted designation which few companies have passed. Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) exempts the North Rim from OSHA inspections for three years and puts a feather in Forever Resort's cap. The OSHA team was here this past week and it looks like Forever Resorts North Rim will gain the VPP designation.<br />
We did make it over to Saint George, Utah two weeks ago to have the truck serviced, and if you remember a couple of blogs ago we blew a tire, so I wanted two new tires for the truck. We accomplished all the truck stuff at the Saint George Ford and then headed to WalMart to shop for the last month that we are here.<br />
Sherri and I did get in one hike from Point Imperial to the Saddle Mountain Wilderness trail-head. Point Imperial is the highest point at the North Rim, 8,803'. The views to the east are fantastic and the Aspens are golden. Here are few photos from the hike:<br />
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The last three Saturdays I was asked to be the step-on guide for bus tour groups which go to Cape Royal and Point Imperial. It is a three hour tour and as the guide, I talk to the group about the Grand Canyon and surrounding areas. I love being the tour guide...perhaps I should look into a position as a guide.<br />
Three more weeks at the North Rim.<br />
<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-87842708816527323382012-09-16T11:55:00.000-07:002012-09-22T20:22:55.683-07:00The Bridge and GoodbyeWe had many cool cloudy days in a row so Sherri and I decided to go for a hike into the canyon, of course we saw few clouds and it was 90 deg, two miles down.<br />
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We hiked another mile down to Red Wall Bridge and that was far enough on a warm day. A picture of Sherri proves we made it to the bridge.<br />
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September 6th was Ryder's 4th birthday and September 10th I had a birthday. Ryder was much happier on his as I wound up working 14 hours on mine. Oh well, I've had many good ones in the past and hopefully good ones to come. Here is Ryder with a big smile on his birthday.<br />
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Last Sunday the Gift Shop said Goodbye to our international associates, Rebecca and Sunny. It was a fun pizza lunch but sad to say goodbye to a couple of good employees and great people.<br />
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We also said goodbye to Micky, she is one of the hardest workers I have ever been associated with. The final month will not be the same without the folks who left last week. Another international associate, Geeno also finished up this week. Somehow I did not get a picture of Geeno. Micky is pictured below on the right receiving a gift from Jodi.<br />
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The Gift Shop is now very short on associates and with one busy month to go it will be a challenge. Fall is in the air up here at 8,300' with highs in the 60's and lows in the 30's. The next weather system will probably bring some snow.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-73433833764530795562012-09-02T11:51:00.000-07:002012-09-03T15:05:33.722-07:00Sister's visit, flat tireMy sister Susan came to the North Rim for a visit. We had a good time during her three day stay. Dinner at the Lodge, an evening at the Cookout and an excursion to Point Imperial and Cape Royal highlighted Susan's visit. I am pointing out land marks in the canyon from Bright Angel Point.<br />
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While we were having lunch at Cape Royal this storm developed on the South Rim and came our way. We were able to finish eating before it caught up to us.<br />
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This past week Anthony, Sherri and I headed out through the forest to hike from Swamp Point to the Powell Plateau. About half way there we heard a hissing noise and sure enough the right front tire was going flat. A pointy rock punctured the tire. Anthony and are finding the best place for the jack.<br />
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After changing the tire we didn't want to continue as far as Swamp Point without a spare, so we found a remote side road and bushwhacked up to the ridge-line. It was a good hike near Quaking Aspen Spring.<br />
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On the way back to the North Rim we stopped at the entrance station to hike up to a fire lookout tower. It was about a mile and a half up an old road. The tower is a historical site built in the 1930's.<br />
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This was the tower where Edward Abbey spent many summers with his dad, girl friends and wives visiting often. He also did a lot of writing in the top of the tower. The house is supposed to be worked on at some point, but now it is in very bad shape.<br />
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The climb to the top is a little scary, as the railings aren't much at the landing areas but that wasn't going to stop us from making it to the top. Except the door was locked to get into the observation area, still a nice climb with great views.<br />
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Despite the flat tire, we got in a couple of good hikes and enjoyed our day off.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-5700315171122738132012-08-19T18:13:00.000-07:002012-08-19T18:13:39.693-07:00Cape Final and TranseptWe haven't ventured far to hike, so in the last two weeks we repeated hikes from last year. Of course the views are still spectacular. Here we are at Cape Final.<br />
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Sherri doing a tree pose, I'm glad she has good balance.<br />
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A nice spot for lunch with a view.<br />
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On Saturday 8-11 the symphony from Kanab UT played at the North Rim on the veranda. I was asked to represent Forever Resorts and introduce Symphony of the Canyons. This is an annual event which Forever Resorts sponsors. There are 45 symphony members and there were 300 people in the audience. The veranda was packed. I am introducing the orchestra.<br />
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I think the audience is laughing at my joke, not a bad spot for some music, and the sunset was spectacular!<br />
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This past week we hiked the Widforss Trail which we did three times last year. It's an enjoyable five mile hike very close to where we live. The views of Transept Canyon are pretty good.<br />
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Also on this day we hiked over to Uncle Jim's Cabin which was really a cave in the side of the rocks. Uncle Jim was an early pioneer with many colorful stories. He was not very tall.<br />
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The meadow below is very pretty.<br />
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My sister arrives tomorrow for a four day stay, we are looking forward to showing her around where we live, play and work. Also, tomorrow the owner of Forever Resorts is bringing nine buses to the North Rim. I will be a step on guide for one of the buses and Sherri will be welcoming people in the Lodge area. It should be an interesting and busy Monday.<br /><br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-68320047585242418602012-08-05T12:46:00.000-07:002012-08-05T12:46:27.987-07:00Horseshoe BendTwo weeks ago Sherri and I went on a shopping trip to Page. We had read and heard about Horseshoe Bend Overlook just south of Page but had never had time to stop. It's a spot where land is several hundred feet above the Colorado River. We were amazed at the number of people who had parked and hiked the 1/3 of a mile to the overlook, most were not speaking English. The views and the rock formations are very cool. Wind and water can do some amazing things over millions of years. The photos below are river float trips, Sherri looking good and the Horseshoe Bend.<br />
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One of the reasons we went to Page was to buy groceries for the Gift Shop Employee Appreciation Picnic. Anthony and I (with Sherri's help) prepared and cooked lunch for our co-workers. The setting is pretty spectacular, right on the rim. We also gave out some prizes and all enjoyed a picnic rather than the another lunch in the Employee Dining Room. Some shots of the Gift Shop Employees having a good time.<br />
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Last week Anthony, Sherri, Ryder and I hiked from Saddle Mountain, in the designated wilderness, down to the Nankoweap trail head which is an additional 11 miles to the river. The hike we did is a steep seven mile round trip. We can take Ryder since we are not in the NPS. When we arrived at the trail head the clouds from the previous night's monsoon storms were laying low.<br />
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Although the temperature at 8800' never got above 70deg. the humidity was much higher than we are used to and we all worked up a sweat.One of the great things about this hike is we did not see another person all day. Storms did start to brew just east and north of us, fortunately we did not have a storm over head.<br />
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Ryder had a good time and he wanted to see what Anthony brought for lunch.<br />
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Above we are looking across the canyon. It was a great hike and we felt it coming straight uphill at elevation.<br />
We have now passed the halfway point of the season and most have fallen into a good routine, we are looking forward to a good second half.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-66111191419458371952012-07-22T12:33:00.000-07:002012-07-22T12:53:07.351-07:00Jacob LakeWe are approaching the halfway point in the season. Some are settling into a good routine while others are getting restless. It's a challenge to keep everyone satisfied in a seasonal position in a remote location. I have been fortunate in the Gift Shop to have very little turnover.<br />
Two weeks ago Sherri and I hiked a portion of the Arizona Trail which goes through the National Park. This part of the trail is mostly flat and stays in the forest. The trees and clouds made for a comfortable hike of about 8 miles.<br />
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Last week we took the back road to Jacob Lake. Jacob Lake is 47 miles from the North Rim and it is the last outpost of civilization before entering the Kaibab Plateau in the Coconino National Forest. Forest road 22 is a good gravel road with few other vehicles. Our first stop was a turnoff to Dry Park Lookout. The tower rises out of the forest close to two hundred feet.<br />
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At the bottom is a very nice cabin where the fire observer lives. He was manning the tower when we got to the top and we had a nice conversation with him. He pointed out the landmarks which we could see and talked about living in such a unique location. He also said that Ed Abbey had manned this tower one year. The author Ed Abbey had also been a seasonal ranger at Organ Pipe Cactus national Monument where we spent the winter.<br />
Here is a photo of the old cabin which is now used as storage. The next photo is north toward Kanab, the red hills around Kanab are visible.<br />
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We were glad we stopped and had a nice visit with fire watcher Bill. Driving on a few miles north we stopped at Lookout Canyon and took a short hike. We did not plan on hiking so we did not have gear, nor were we dressed for hiking, but we did have a nice walk in the woods.<br />
After a beautiful drive we reached Jacob Lake. We have been through Jacob Lake many times and stopped for gas or their famous cookies. However, we have never been to the lake. The lake was named after Jacob Hamblin who was a late 1800's Mormon pioneer. These days the lake is no more than puddle in the middle of a meadow.<br />
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From where I took the picture of the "lake" is one of the earliest Forest Service buildings ever built.<br />
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This building was typical of the times, one half was used as a residence and the other side was the office. The caretakers were not in today but we did see the entire Ranger Station through the windows. It was a very enjoyable day and we did partake in the Jacob Lake cookies after we were back home.Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-86629181696836369642012-07-08T12:24:00.000-07:002012-07-10T17:43:45.060-07:00Point SublimeTuesday 7/3 we were fortunate to have Jon and Diana take Sherri and I out to Point Sublime in their Jeep. Last year we tried to get out there in our truck but the road is too tight and rough for a full length pickup. We left mid-afternoon for the 17 mile drive, which turned out to be a great time of day to arrive at the point. It takes about two hours to go through the meadows and forests.<br />
The monsoons are starting to get going, although we haven't had any decent rain yet, the clouds are forming every afternoon. The clouds and forest made for a very pleasant bumpy ride. When we arrived at the point, the clouds were thick and photos looked washed out. <br />
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Jon and Diana taking in the views.<br />
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Sherri and I under a wind swept gnarly old pine.<br />
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The sun started peeking out through the clouds and I shot some nice photos.<br />
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Thanks to Jon and Diana for taking us out to Point Sublime, it's been on our Grand Canyon bucket list for a year. The Fourth was a blast. The parade led by the mules passes in front of the Lodge and water fights are the order of the day. Unfortunately I forgot the camera, I will try to find photos to post from other sources.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-38877731323298142192012-07-01T13:01:00.001-07:002012-07-10T17:45:50.915-07:00Uncle Jim and Walhalla PlateauAs the post title indicates we/I have been on a couple of hikes in the past two weeks. A week ago Wednesday Sherri and I hiked the Uncle Jim Trail. Just as we started out, near the parking lot we encountered this creature crossing the trail.<br />
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Think it's a Bull Snake, not positive. Uncle Jim is a nice trail along the rim. The warm winds from the canyon blow up to the rim and the warm air allows for such plants as Cliff Rose to grow. Here is Sherri stopping to smell the roses.<br />
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We stopped to have lunch on the rim and enjoy the views.<br />
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This past Wednesday Anthony and I set out to hike the Komo Trail on the Walhalla Plateau. Well, we parked in the wrong spot and never did find the trail out. So we wound up bushwhacking for 6 miles through the forest. Most of the hike wasn't bad but we did encounter some areas of heavy brush. This ravine we skirted...no sense in going up and down when you can go around.<br />
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After being lost for three hours we managed to navigate well enough to find the rim and some amazing views over a canyon. I think it is the Clear Creek Canyon.<br />
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Anthony is enjoying the views.<br />
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We figured out where we were and found the missing trail. Following the trail back was much easier but when we got to the road we had no idea which way the car was. We walked about 1/2 mile the wrong way and came across a nice tourist parked along side of the road. He gladly gave us a ride to the car. We were glad he did since we had already hiked 13 miles.<br />
The fire danger is now at the highest level. Thunderstorms are predicted for this week. Let's hope we get more rain than lightning or parts of the forest could end up like sections we hiked through. This fire was six years ago and created some eerie landscape.<br />
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Hope everyone has a safe and Happy 4th of July!!! A parade is scheduled near the Lodge, we are hoping to get rain on our parade.Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-56498779017953923982012-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:002012-07-10T17:47:13.869-07:00A VisitIn the last post I had completed a rim-to-rim hike with no pictures, since I forgot my camera. Anthony, my hiking partner took a few pictures with his phone so I'll post one in front of Phantom Ranch.<br />
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The North Rim has been open a month and everyone is settling into their positions. We are very busy since school is out and more families are taking day trips to the park. We have also hit the point where some employees believe the grass will be greener in another department. Overall I have a great group in the Gift Shop and I don't have to worry about a few malcontents. Managing employees who live and work together makes for interesting issues.<br />
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John and Carol paid us a visit this past Wednesday. John and Carol were fellow volunteers this past winter at Organ Pipe. Recently they have been volunteers at Bryce Canyon, right up the road from the North Rim. Wednesday is a day off so we were able to play tourist with them and had a great visit. Above, we are enjoying the view from Point Imperial.<br />
From Point Imperial we headed up to Cape Royal for a picnic lunch on the rim.<br />
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Sometimes it takes visitors to get us out and about. After spending last summer on the North Rim we sometimes feel like we have been there-done that. Hope all the dads have a good Fathers Day and I will leave this post with a photo of the Colorado River from Cape Royal.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-37973145509987109682012-06-03T11:51:00.000-07:002012-06-03T11:51:34.949-07:00Rim-to-Rim AgainLast post I mentioned that Anthony, the Assistant Gift Shop Manager and I were going to hike rim-to-rim and that I would be posting lots of photos. Tuesday morning at 5:00AM Sherri drove Anthony and me to the North Kaibab trail head and off we went. About 3/4 mile into the hike I realized I forgot the camera, so much for posting a lot of photos. Instead I will have to write about the hike and if Anthony ever emails the few photos he took I will post them at that time.<br />
The temperature at 5:00AM on the North Rim was 32deg. with a gusty breeze at times. Not wanting to carry jackets made it very cold, but cold would feel great in a few hours. We arrived at Phantom Ranch in 5 1/2 hours. The 14 miles downhill was fairly easy and uneventful. After a break we were on our way by 11:00AM and glad we were making good time.<br />
The first two miles toward the South Rim is flat and parallels the Colorado River. Then it starts uphill and the sun was shinning down with little shade. Our pace quickly declined and we stopped often in what little shade we could find. At one point a back country ranger was concerned about Anthony since his face turns very red with exertion. We pressed on and made it to Indian Gardens by 2:00PM. We still faced the steepest climb for 4.7 miles and the temperature was 90deg. in the shade, plus we would no longer be hiking along Bright Angel Creek which was a great place to soak our shirts and bandanas.<br />
After a nice break we went off to struggle uphill. A struggle it was, at times my mouth remained parched no matter how much fluid I took in and my legs were cramping. By 4:30 we still had two miles to go uphill, but a great thing happens at that time. The rim now offers shade on the entire trail for the final ascent. We made it to the rim at 6:04PM, a 23 mile hike in 13 hours. We were quite proud of our accomplishment and celebrated with steak and cocktails at the Arizona Room, a very nice restaurant right on the South Rim.<br />
We stayed on the South Rim at the Maswik Lodge. Despite some soreness we were able to play tourist for all of Wednesday morning. Anthony had never walked around the South Rim and he was amazed by the different atmosphere on the South Rim in comparison to the laid back North Rim.<br />
We caught the Trans Canyon Shuttle back to the North Rim at 1:30PM and arrived home at 6:00PM. Thursday it was back to work for both of us, with many stories to tell.<br />
<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-17161836631700007102012-05-25T19:53:00.000-07:002012-05-25T19:53:55.912-07:00East RimWe are 10 days into the season and it feels like we never left for the winter. The only difference is the new faces of the employees. The weather has been unseasonably warm, by this time last year we had been snowed on a couple of times in May. The fire season might be bad if we don't receive some moisture soon.<br />
The exciting news is the Assistant Gift Shop Manager, Anthony and I are going to hike rim-to-rim on Tuesday. Twenty three miles down and up in one day, spend the night on the South Rim and shuttle back on Wednesday. To get some work in Anthony, Sherri, Ryder and I went out to the East Rim for a seven mile hike, which is steep down and a climb up.<br />
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Here is a nice shot of hardy pine trees growing out of the rock plateau.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Anthony isn't much of a pet person but he and Ryder had a good time hiking together. Maybe he will become a dog guy.<br />
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The hike was a good warmup with some good shade on a warm day. My next post will have lot's of pictures from our 12-13 hour rim-to-rim hike.<br />
Ryder and Zeke relaxing after Ryder's hike. The cat doesn't need a reason to relax.<br />
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<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-8863208703967144432012-05-06T15:07:00.001-07:002012-05-06T15:07:49.441-07:00North Rim AgainOnce again I am falling behind with my posts. We are back at the North Rim, arrived on 4/24. So far we have been busy getting set up for the new season. Most of the employees don't arrive until tomorrow 5/7, and the park opens on 5/15. So, we have had the park almost to ourselves. Last night we went on a "super moon" hike along the rim, it was very cool. We did get in a hike into the canyon with a couple of fellow employees, April and Wallace. April works in the Gift Shop and Wallace is in the warehouse. Last year I posted a few photos from Coconino Overlook and here we are again.<br />
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After Phoenix and before the Grand Canyon we stayed four nights in Sedona. Beautiful place with lot's to do. Day one was a drive up Oak Creek Canyon and shopping in Sedona.<br />
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The next day we headed over to the funky, quaint, old mining, mountainside town of Jerome. The shops are not all this funky, the bikers hang out at the Spirit Room on Sunday afternoon.<br />
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The views from the city are fabulous. This is looking toward Cottonwood.<br />
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We had a great dinner at a New Mexican restaurant. Being from Albuquerque we have missed good chile and 15. Quince receives their chile from Chimayo and Hatch. I ate so much it hurt.<br />
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To work off our dinner, the next day we went for a nice hike just north of Sedona. Oak Creek and the red rocks make for some fantastic scenery.<br />
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The next couple of weeks are going to be crazy busy. The corporate retail department from Forever Resorts will be here for six days setting up the Gift Shop and I have to train 13 people in a week. It's busy but fun as 230 people get ready to open the North Rim.<br /><br />
<br />Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-85954728639785446462012-04-19T13:54:00.000-07:002012-04-19T13:54:20.995-07:00Kactus to KoiI've fallen behind in my postings. Time has been spent getting ready for Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument's 75th birthday which was celebrated on April 14. At the same time we were getting ready to leave ORPI, which we did on the 17th. We are now in Phoenix and having visited with sister Susan and completed our shopping, we will be heading to Sedona tomorrow for six nights and then it's on to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for our summer work.<br />
Before leaving Organ Pipe, I hiked Mount Ajo one more time with Sardius, Jim and Steve a visitor.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CnalSkDArCKJdp9tCWO08kx1cmgYIqWfU2G8K0OBamzFOVajDmkQ8PcB_dv8Rr8bgTxCUcYq1Tdq8FCm-v6uLGrIB4XgS7Pf3QimiOwTC5UvsSBd1JAg4WE2WjdQ_oopknAz2TD9M-M/s1600/DSCF0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7CnalSkDArCKJdp9tCWO08kx1cmgYIqWfU2G8K0OBamzFOVajDmkQ8PcB_dv8Rr8bgTxCUcYq1Tdq8FCm-v6uLGrIB4XgS7Pf3QimiOwTC5UvsSBd1JAg4WE2WjdQ_oopknAz2TD9M-M/s320/DSCF0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The view from the top is spectacular.<br />
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Although the high season is winding down at Organ Pipe it was tough to leave. This part of the Sonoran Desert is beautiful and over the past five months we learned a lot about the flora and fauna, and the people. We also made many friends who we already miss. The volunteer community is like no other and after working this summer we will look forward to volunteering at Santa Ana NWR next winter.<br />
While in Phoenix we visited the Japanese Gardens with Susan. Tonight it is out for dinner.<br />
Susan and Sherri sharing a bench at the gardens.<br />
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The visitor center sells cheerios to feed the Koi. I will leave this post with a photo of the Koi in a feeding frenzy, with one duck trying to outmaneuver the Koi.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5x8eDsW_IPcJOygJ6lrT5kuQYrREyrawPuNHqkqBH3lhgsl8AB8MmZsauL_efMHcH5xsg2ODRI5CuyKyifvUCkUm2bP09RtoHcGM-e6htwyZKkP5h8LBXLhEiMIZLTE-7at2ZQ2i3vwQ/s1600/DSCF0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5x8eDsW_IPcJOygJ6lrT5kuQYrREyrawPuNHqkqBH3lhgsl8AB8MmZsauL_efMHcH5xsg2ODRI5CuyKyifvUCkUm2bP09RtoHcGM-e6htwyZKkP5h8LBXLhEiMIZLTE-7at2ZQ2i3vwQ/s320/DSCF0036.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-39348429660969847112012-04-04T20:54:00.000-07:002012-04-04T20:54:36.098-07:00Pinkley PeakThe last week has been about hiking. Monday Brian, Sardius and I hiked the Bull Pasture/Estes Canyon Trail. Sardius is a seasonal ranger and he is writing a trail guide book. Here are Sardius and I at an overlook with Mexico in the background.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT7IGbLfiYEgwh-5FkPPeaEFmN92z1GuyCoOxtoZF-I0JGDajoZQ2VAXrAZra1VpNGdIfUEWaBgmPB2Y5z0B3wm8MtGWEG-l9MQxZ1sBFj_H9n1XVamSKD9CHqrOFfH1CRNkyZ26UAn0/s1600/DSCF0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUT7IGbLfiYEgwh-5FkPPeaEFmN92z1GuyCoOxtoZF-I0JGDajoZQ2VAXrAZra1VpNGdIfUEWaBgmPB2Y5z0B3wm8MtGWEG-l9MQxZ1sBFj_H9n1XVamSKD9CHqrOFfH1CRNkyZ26UAn0/s320/DSCF0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Most of the wildflowers are past their prime and the heat is making them wither, but the cactus are just starting to bloom. A pretty hedgehog.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrdDxvKge8YD4iH9CwRobyhyzbeYyOwfCrQqTcpeT_rs5b8TiVvzvrQVZPexs-dTU_hYbUCnpPBfi_GH6mpToclLT5Ic-K2ElZVRilix7kbZaXnaTJ-cIGP996eLrkb49EKFufyk1wZg/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrdDxvKge8YD4iH9CwRobyhyzbeYyOwfCrQqTcpeT_rs5b8TiVvzvrQVZPexs-dTU_hYbUCnpPBfi_GH6mpToclLT5Ic-K2ElZVRilix7kbZaXnaTJ-cIGP996eLrkb49EKFufyk1wZg/s320/DSCF0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We completed the 4 mile loop and I wanted to continue on, so we ventured off the trail and down a large wash. The wash has a quick vertical drop and we reached a point where we could not continue down.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae2AkVjDCL9kXDqn3pSdB1nx6gEfBIJXuz4zgQjZ8MvMgQYwyt-FEn4x7fne-JNSQMWnGaRYGripC3a9TABN2fU8nYSHwRk8OW7UDSlNGsNfBOLs-2hVdzoFqwEekJi1ZnRGLAXpGX2s/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjae2AkVjDCL9kXDqn3pSdB1nx6gEfBIJXuz4zgQjZ8MvMgQYwyt-FEn4x7fne-JNSQMWnGaRYGripC3a9TABN2fU8nYSHwRk8OW7UDSlNGsNfBOLs-2hVdzoFqwEekJi1ZnRGLAXpGX2s/s320/DSCF0012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Instead of going back up the wash we went up the very steep side, shorter and a little hairy.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-KM7toaSnPbGlhKwg4DSid_jeUC0bKMWlyK2TR5Bd904BFMykEOccGB0617l-gxQ9MdJtfm9L2tnqNQ28BhprvHL0toWVXHY_mqXPmnRFWCLON9po7z-DAb5gFewl_3ZbYX0Rzr2QyM/s1600/DSCF0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP-KM7toaSnPbGlhKwg4DSid_jeUC0bKMWlyK2TR5Bd904BFMykEOccGB0617l-gxQ9MdJtfm9L2tnqNQ28BhprvHL0toWVXHY_mqXPmnRFWCLON9po7z-DAb5gFewl_3ZbYX0Rzr2QyM/s320/DSCF0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The hike was good, but it was just a warmup for Thursday's adventure. Pinkley Peak is named for the monument's first Superintendent, Frank Pinkley. This peak is climbed by no more than 10 people a year. There is no trail and it is all find your own way. The peak is about 3,200' and we started at 1,700'. The route we took was up through the wash on the left and up the back side.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytdiv7YEjUsdN0dP0pOKEPpmKXDMC5zpvljSpN48LcyFcRlc3I0dcPHEcaTAZ-vrMosbqEKhZrnEVLvGcwB8KHPhTpjWs_Dgu6Sw3iqNFlUExOWhPwoygpmjaKp1ojtIheoYS3eEjkf0/s1600/DSCF0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytdiv7YEjUsdN0dP0pOKEPpmKXDMC5zpvljSpN48LcyFcRlc3I0dcPHEcaTAZ-vrMosbqEKhZrnEVLvGcwB8KHPhTpjWs_Dgu6Sw3iqNFlUExOWhPwoygpmjaKp1ojtIheoYS3eEjkf0/s320/DSCF0015.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Looking back down the wash and scrambling up the scree is Jim.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzISUamEc0ZzwjP0QAGpnq_d7FQ3T-7znt58wJA56DU5fR0nAWDLCZnv1zfxpSadNk5w_Kvr94WD1D8pvmzoa919xXBUQphLdQKjqSr67ob-3DIfvdHqijA8Na8nmXS0nzQvim2RZInX8/s1600/DSCF0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzISUamEc0ZzwjP0QAGpnq_d7FQ3T-7znt58wJA56DU5fR0nAWDLCZnv1zfxpSadNk5w_Kvr94WD1D8pvmzoa919xXBUQphLdQKjqSr67ob-3DIfvdHqijA8Na8nmXS0nzQvim2RZInX8/s320/DSCF0019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bOVIw8FLmjwUYRqS06o4R_PvMtpCkx2HuGqPCQt3zK9LcpuEYyo-um-xAoDSJ1_7MoeHS1-OX87LW983_p9k8u1OGodjlmMtdlZyPjD8CYgHZmUmzuJ1kFsrYhYQPeNT93jMog3FuFw/s1600/DSCF0020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bOVIw8FLmjwUYRqS06o4R_PvMtpCkx2HuGqPCQt3zK9LcpuEYyo-um-xAoDSJ1_7MoeHS1-OX87LW983_p9k8u1OGodjlmMtdlZyPjD8CYgHZmUmzuJ1kFsrYhYQPeNT93jMog3FuFw/s320/DSCF0020.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> We made it to the top and enjoyed the fabulous views.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrXe9jv-rS3e6bOKYwPUwtmHeQhc5gA5W5HNmeY4E6D6if9tFhl6bqoKRHIkWDMDXgIqoGnel5nLbRujuTK_mkEMP37BRvHoSojQUBp_5Fd3cU6lrUcC4ftVyA2hOQeZeTnBaQnrr4VE/s1600/DSCF0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrXe9jv-rS3e6bOKYwPUwtmHeQhc5gA5W5HNmeY4E6D6if9tFhl6bqoKRHIkWDMDXgIqoGnel5nLbRujuTK_mkEMP37BRvHoSojQUBp_5Fd3cU6lrUcC4ftVyA2hOQeZeTnBaQnrr4VE/s320/DSCF0023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqsjJfjWPXB8nOOdxwgb0E8BljCOog1s-efLir-y3z9kEjsHzEIvgYmp1mnRrgEQt0ugBGl1Im1UYAc8ozln6WzkiTBDcApgOf54xHZZhITwX_s7dToYLfFSb8kCIDEtlpHIHSumb3cA/s1600/DSCF0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqsjJfjWPXB8nOOdxwgb0E8BljCOog1s-efLir-y3z9kEjsHzEIvgYmp1mnRrgEQt0ugBGl1Im1UYAc8ozln6WzkiTBDcApgOf54xHZZhITwX_s7dToYLfFSb8kCIDEtlpHIHSumb3cA/s320/DSCF0025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Going down was tricky, it was sliding down on loose rock much of the way. But we did it and we felt good for our accomplishment. Maybe Sardius will include this hike in the trail guide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Saturday a Gila Monster was reported to be snooping around the administration building. It is rare to see one of these famous and poisonous lizards, so we all converged with cameras in hand. I'll leave you with two photos of the mad fellow.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-eW3fjkorie1f-uTW17ocw-8QgoKZtTmmeGig_YFyf0DrqpIks2o3FPaM8VJjw41ftXDyX2vccY3bYdQie6V4gNVNt75Tn8xpRxeQ-Bcl4amndSsDwyE2Eiq4hPIUzfQ7tXXDgkwntA/s1600/DSCF0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-eW3fjkorie1f-uTW17ocw-8QgoKZtTmmeGig_YFyf0DrqpIks2o3FPaM8VJjw41ftXDyX2vccY3bYdQie6V4gNVNt75Tn8xpRxeQ-Bcl4amndSsDwyE2Eiq4hPIUzfQ7tXXDgkwntA/s320/DSCF0032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><span id="goog_1118433901"></span><span id="goog_1118433902"></span>Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-48488963985682395772012-03-26T17:59:00.000-07:002012-03-26T17:59:33.675-07:00Sonoran Desert SymposiumThis past week was spent helping out with and attending the 2nd Sonoran Desert Symposium sponsored by the International Sonoran Desert Alliance which is based in Ajo, AZ. The purpose of the symposium is to bring together all the agencies which have a stake in the Sonoran Desert. The attendees included: Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, El Pinacate National Park in Mexico, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, Border Patrol, Barry Goldwater Military Training Range, Tohono O'Odham Nation, Fish and Wildlife and the Interior Department, plus many individuals and several special interest groups. As volunteers, our job was to help with logistics and registration, but we also were able to attend many of the breakout sessions and partake in the meals and festivities. It was an extremely interesting week, the number of issues and concerns discussed showed why it is so important for all these agencies to have an open dialogue. The most pressing problem is how Homeland Security and those with a stake in preserving the desert can work together to lessen illegal immigration, smuggling and Border Patrol's environmental impact on the Sonoran Desert.<br />
The symposium was held at the Curley School which was built in 1919 when Ajo was beginning to boom as an important mining town. The entire town was laid out as a planned community with the Curley School built to house 500 students. When the mines closed, the school fell into disrepair. Much of the school has been renovated to house local artists and their works. Here is a view of the front of the school and Sherri in front of a bougainvillea.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW5_qmLLr5Hl9Ep8cGbdTvpQ0XVD6zTyymP460fvaLH3lgjixG7xHnN75-swlWJpLABdPGICbaRg2kZblHz8QOUghCGiuaUq1JSemANALb6UJWbIz0AggtUvh9RU9x-nxmh8Tk3RvRp4/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW5_qmLLr5Hl9Ep8cGbdTvpQ0XVD6zTyymP460fvaLH3lgjixG7xHnN75-swlWJpLABdPGICbaRg2kZblHz8QOUghCGiuaUq1JSemANALb6UJWbIz0AggtUvh9RU9x-nxmh8Tk3RvRp4/s320/DSCF0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62sdh9qT-6cuA9RAg7HG8csseCUQl3XpLly79sOGOsEFYxS2lQ0-zmA3kuM3kT_9TbroDdG4THGO1hV1dn4dR4GFhFb8a5itGVBAMd8cstGW2FjCVIATaErcWLAes1_s6H0fUkM2KxZE/s1600/DSCF0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh62sdh9qT-6cuA9RAg7HG8csseCUQl3XpLly79sOGOsEFYxS2lQ0-zmA3kuM3kT_9TbroDdG4THGO1hV1dn4dR4GFhFb8a5itGVBAMd8cstGW2FjCVIATaErcWLAes1_s6H0fUkM2KxZE/s320/DSCF0005.JPG" width="320" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On Wednesday the group came down to Organ Pipe for different activities. Sherri and I led a hike up into Arch Canyon, there were 16 on our hike. That night Organ Pipe hosted a BBQ. On Thursday the symposium wrapped up with a dinner and entertainment by the Ajo Ballet Folklorico. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4td9DDki33iJCe0d2yRiR8yjFdlE-v5JDuPm8uG6Hl8aeCjxRE8FM5wCxasPlarVWJVLjhusS7CSvVzL-YUWCtVZ0O45nxn-n0zMq23f6tPVf1Hv8iM6hhYJJ0oVykSFwQpG3qD_Q35w/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4td9DDki33iJCe0d2yRiR8yjFdlE-v5JDuPm8uG6Hl8aeCjxRE8FM5wCxasPlarVWJVLjhusS7CSvVzL-YUWCtVZ0O45nxn-n0zMq23f6tPVf1Hv8iM6hhYJJ0oVykSFwQpG3qD_Q35w/s320/DSCF0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Friday was field trip day. Sherri and I chose a trip to Lago Seco, a dry lake on the Barry Goldwater Bombing Range. Civilians are allowed to visit this archaeological site twice a year and must be escorted by the staff archaeologist. The dry lake was a hub for trading from 1100 to 1450 A.D. and is littered with pot sherds, sea shells and tools. Much of the site has not been mapped and all pieces must be left in place. It really was an amazing place, with the Air Force practicing bombing just over the ridge from our location. The woman with the blue head scarf is Adrian, the head Archaeologist for the Goldwater Range. Below Sherri is examining a pot sherd.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUK1Ix-uOnz6Dq0AbeBXDQE8xdDq2-fCJSSXbw3CHtUSTXOOO6m8SxRNjcL73hk613ET4amrM8bG2lWFsWztkCakUtDUw6svLCR1QlgtYkR-cJDl6yckwfHSnWMTi_jl-U8mryjqvcHU/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUK1Ix-uOnz6Dq0AbeBXDQE8xdDq2-fCJSSXbw3CHtUSTXOOO6m8SxRNjcL73hk613ET4amrM8bG2lWFsWztkCakUtDUw6svLCR1QlgtYkR-cJDl6yckwfHSnWMTi_jl-U8mryjqvcHU/s320/DSCF0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynnpg4fMWDs1UnEPnvc4uc1FplLrdqOtI2yyXuVNlXUPd3j_qfdjF-rnW07Ref62g8S6fHeE8unr5BwG_l8ySDLwRlzXGf3BKcQ1RMTLEvF3tMIs3fvnZ59Dct-JJysZRZASPhbx0pXk/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgynnpg4fMWDs1UnEPnvc4uc1FplLrdqOtI2yyXuVNlXUPd3j_qfdjF-rnW07Ref62g8S6fHeE8unr5BwG_l8ySDLwRlzXGf3BKcQ1RMTLEvF3tMIs3fvnZ59Dct-JJysZRZASPhbx0pXk/s320/DSCF0011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was a very busy and educational week. Sherri and I learned a lot about the struggles to save the Sonaran Desert and the politics involved. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll leave this blog with a photo of Ryder getting comfortable on the couch....he does know how to relax.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-MlsRIGF8x2XFAORCdWZM5_Gk3q8K-NW31LqhuMxViLp_4yg1Hvej6pyYTftXXjqXX7C30r1nivdXPZ4FnWunzqP6N_7byVwKUXwzsifAeTS4_50j6u7EECL5rYt41rWsBRFs9S2-pE/s1600/DSCF0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-MlsRIGF8x2XFAORCdWZM5_Gk3q8K-NW31LqhuMxViLp_4yg1Hvej6pyYTftXXjqXX7C30r1nivdXPZ4FnWunzqP6N_7byVwKUXwzsifAeTS4_50j6u7EECL5rYt41rWsBRFs9S2-pE/s320/DSCF0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-67617059350206919022012-03-12T14:03:00.000-07:002012-03-12T14:03:04.085-07:00MexicoWe headed down to Mexico twice since our last post. On Thursday 3/1 Janet, the manager of the gift shop in the visitor center, invited us to dinner at her house in Sonoyta. Janet and a friend fixed 10 of us sopas, which are english muffin sized corn shells filled with cheese, meat and vegetables in a broth. The food and company were great, but I forgot my camera.<br />
Last Wednesday 3/7, one of the volunteers, Anita, who lives in Ajo took Sherri and I and another couple down to Puerto Penasco. Puerto Penasco on the Sea of Cortez, was a sleepy fishing/tourist town on our last visit 19 years ago. It is now much busier and sports high rise resorts. Many refer to it as Arizona's Beach since it is only a 3 1/2 hour drive from Tucson or Phoenix. Since we went down on a Wednesday we saw fewer crowds. Our first stop was the beach where a shrimp boat was passing by, surrounded by seagulls. The next photo looks north toward the resorts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgXOCLvQYHx7IyhA27g84VbZ6VZOlI_R0N5DYJPB8s-ndPyr6Q3SqaBXrMpgOKHnP4nRKegMmUt5rmrHjlnBifspqIPkIZF9F49bMQhYjn7mp-4utjMFeEOJ1bEOf0Hr6X0aK8v08S78/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXgXOCLvQYHx7IyhA27g84VbZ6VZOlI_R0N5DYJPB8s-ndPyr6Q3SqaBXrMpgOKHnP4nRKegMmUt5rmrHjlnBifspqIPkIZF9F49bMQhYjn7mp-4utjMFeEOJ1bEOf0Hr6X0aK8v08S78/s320/DSCF0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdS9_u4xHS9GvEQVY76BUIwu9WHCDu7vXpJMC1HqYW7ijPziaeRC8fmVVPzJ5HshlzcqI65n4AGE-HvFy1UoUe5ighNOfTYH63H9izwkgJs4MOucZyrtVOqTa7nWeyh5kTJqEKZ_68nI/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFdS9_u4xHS9GvEQVY76BUIwu9WHCDu7vXpJMC1HqYW7ijPziaeRC8fmVVPzJ5HshlzcqI65n4AGE-HvFy1UoUe5ighNOfTYH63H9izwkgJs4MOucZyrtVOqTa7nWeyh5kTJqEKZ_68nI/s320/DSCF0012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7TNugmDBShjFIYdBeVwHyibds2GhzvxaVMpJEmyYLKYOkLKHvsZhWqao1VcGqQmJ1hK82rlJtE08iFB62tZCh2nO0qwQdJcKl6tsEWsYqHjH70dbWCqty8bLCBobzu30lqBKck1mk44/s1600/DSCF0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7TNugmDBShjFIYdBeVwHyibds2GhzvxaVMpJEmyYLKYOkLKHvsZhWqao1VcGqQmJ1hK82rlJtE08iFB62tZCh2nO0qwQdJcKl6tsEWsYqHjH70dbWCqty8bLCBobzu30lqBKck1mk44/s320/DSCF0015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYO2IkopzvW02NzeqDeRof3EbxUmSuOBpMhXFEmopg34C9AHZ3VhuIpG1aAUgI5Uxi7IGPm7xp4N6LTNbF-aWmu4RL8tdDHlb6aqxgF4RrVq6s6cpZ9ASZ1M0FabBHpn5_a4BnXTLn40/s1600/DSCF0019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOYO2IkopzvW02NzeqDeRof3EbxUmSuOBpMhXFEmopg34C9AHZ3VhuIpG1aAUgI5Uxi7IGPm7xp4N6LTNbF-aWmu4RL8tdDHlb6aqxgF4RrVq6s6cpZ9ASZ1M0FabBHpn5_a4BnXTLn40/s320/DSCF0019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The two homes above are in Cholla Bay which has some very nice homes and some very funky homes. The next stop was the shopping area along the sea. Here we bought some shrimp, had lunch, watched a whale swim by, looked at the statues and enjoyed shopping. We didn't "Get Wrecked" I just thought it was an interesting photo.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZbTltOyjiTyeWoWUBCAWQFUe7_SXz74lu5Pu3FVzLr4hMC3x7LCeb0ni1AA_54jHNuQNkBWqK8DSZHFMnMFdT3nuA79yxrpThopjDV-rg0D3f9PgpNpwf1Dx5-gokdZKaE5N8MzmHnU/s1600/DSCF0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfZbTltOyjiTyeWoWUBCAWQFUe7_SXz74lu5Pu3FVzLr4hMC3x7LCeb0ni1AA_54jHNuQNkBWqK8DSZHFMnMFdT3nuA79yxrpThopjDV-rg0D3f9PgpNpwf1Dx5-gokdZKaE5N8MzmHnU/s320/DSCF0023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCosEJ-fsIq2sKIqS0CE700pIvDexpnYuxumlUlySk4po1xur3ENavVfjh3quhubg97p6KJfomtwR-RRPKmz2x6vwdKT3mgu39539m20Trmp68gocPUVlC33J6UrWObc6UzD06ZWeNuZE/s1600/DSCF0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCosEJ-fsIq2sKIqS0CE700pIvDexpnYuxumlUlySk4po1xur3ENavVfjh3quhubg97p6KJfomtwR-RRPKmz2x6vwdKT3mgu39539m20Trmp68gocPUVlC33J6UrWObc6UzD06ZWeNuZE/s320/DSCF0024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcxBmLfZ41DchJtvB-jVqbPnH6CXBfZy3Dt8b8XFwPyUN1Bj3y6hl2-tmtVrDmAEdJjKGn09KdTiHC6B398vHCDAinQ_TuCyn7kourmb4r6hIEqq2FVNQRAecuR4gjVPtxFzs-BkMGMc/s1600/DSCF0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcxBmLfZ41DchJtvB-jVqbPnH6CXBfZy3Dt8b8XFwPyUN1Bj3y6hl2-tmtVrDmAEdJjKGn09KdTiHC6B398vHCDAinQ_TuCyn7kourmb4r6hIEqq2FVNQRAecuR4gjVPtxFzs-BkMGMc/s320/DSCF0026.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Next, we drove up to a bar overlooking the city. The frog on the light is pretty cool and it is a beautiful spot for a beverage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazxVpRCykuxM5sWgRanXpI6yDuLxWurtmROs-M4mp4qdHgUW-erfjw5MkfY5HDpmeUofqM0m198xlFlyn_p8yZ6V1bW0bfyEYqXzRtXXtXdZkaMisEZ3cP3UHiTPURk4_yTonkTM6n7Y/s1600/DSCF0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgazxVpRCykuxM5sWgRanXpI6yDuLxWurtmROs-M4mp4qdHgUW-erfjw5MkfY5HDpmeUofqM0m198xlFlyn_p8yZ6V1bW0bfyEYqXzRtXXtXdZkaMisEZ3cP3UHiTPURk4_yTonkTM6n7Y/s320/DSCF0031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlewpRlAQljVh2X-EyxMY1gvyp52TbSSWHCaIYShGCHyF3q8Q8WwogytYpJy5w5r3t7Mje8yWXS_FLB0iuSt3Lb5KokZbaMe3UCyRUAegF_XOSaC3JnPCW9Tw5i8l03ltUL39tNpCF48/s1600/DSCF0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlewpRlAQljVh2X-EyxMY1gvyp52TbSSWHCaIYShGCHyF3q8Q8WwogytYpJy5w5r3t7Mje8yWXS_FLB0iuSt3Lb5KokZbaMe3UCyRUAegF_XOSaC3JnPCW9Tw5i8l03ltUL39tNpCF48/s320/DSCF0032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We had a wonderful time and Anita is a great tour guide.Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-20127630707894805332012-02-25T16:24:00.000-08:002012-02-25T16:24:50.871-08:00TucsonWe had an enjoyable trip to Tucson this week, got the truck tuned up and did some shopping. Two nights were spent at the Comfort Suites near the Tucson Mall. Monday we drove over from Organ Pipe, took care of the truck, went to the mall and wound up getting lost looking for a pizza dinner.<br />
Tuesday was a great day!! The daylight hours were spent at the fantastic Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum. The private museum is in the foothills just west of Tucson. We were greeted by a docent holding an owl. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7-9wccbBYnnYpqHl8lDg7xZrJVobTjHYAFxizKJW0RLhsheYTzy1IxBlU5iBIXgrvwFBnRMxbpV8In-41XwQLbUC5by5ZOt4HsjED58JNBpNudBbQxCynR-Wq1PbsYVFLjqfL-oZoro/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7-9wccbBYnnYpqHl8lDg7xZrJVobTjHYAFxizKJW0RLhsheYTzy1IxBlU5iBIXgrvwFBnRMxbpV8In-41XwQLbUC5by5ZOt4HsjED58JNBpNudBbQxCynR-Wq1PbsYVFLjqfL-oZoro/s320/DSCF0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Early in the day we were treated to the flying raptors show. The birds fly free and are lured in by the trainers putting pieces of meat in the trees. It is hard to get a good photo of a flying bird at a low level.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwQQtzyNsxWlilmMeWtJItWfM0G-zOXbgXRuSB2DHCYK5pla2PPl6WWHYhPLW1wXeed-IaxYwmvDHQwLrCQ9RUIQ_TinNbMkD4JMAFywceC26kXRY4-sUpvZghBx9fBxSg1hhD5D5lcM/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwQQtzyNsxWlilmMeWtJItWfM0G-zOXbgXRuSB2DHCYK5pla2PPl6WWHYhPLW1wXeed-IaxYwmvDHQwLrCQ9RUIQ_TinNbMkD4JMAFywceC26kXRY4-sUpvZghBx9fBxSg1hhD5D5lcM/s320/DSCF0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEq9Gi7rysO7rTnBq5TXwxpVLLFVKvAD5nQV6zxtJNHEDkwevmMDIogMbsNiJ05l55KqcaFQne5TVvV7s13ziqKAxgUb7tDjJhh7y3N30sIbO7YUbAzj8fXKAxceeBIvCMM2i7roEV-m4/s1600/DSCF0012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEq9Gi7rysO7rTnBq5TXwxpVLLFVKvAD5nQV6zxtJNHEDkwevmMDIogMbsNiJ05l55KqcaFQne5TVvV7s13ziqKAxgUb7tDjJhh7y3N30sIbO7YUbAzj8fXKAxceeBIvCMM2i7roEV-m4/s320/DSCF0012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJCFla9TswSabA8sJDNYk_j77BcIrVAL-l73lkosec2VNSwBYVQtAJoY_y8ahBMLDvSzFTYA-SZk080F_Rn1fVxl5OQUUpP-m6QNskHgQbtYlf2w2FmyAZZLVYM6M7JCZNeljbQfdzxs/s1600/DSCF0015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJCFla9TswSabA8sJDNYk_j77BcIrVAL-l73lkosec2VNSwBYVQtAJoY_y8ahBMLDvSzFTYA-SZk080F_Rn1fVxl5OQUUpP-m6QNskHgQbtYlf2w2FmyAZZLVYM6M7JCZNeljbQfdzxs/s320/DSCF0015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The park overlooks the Tohono O'Odham reservation to the west.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8NtudRmKuZfV6SAjQHkvJ_gjjudzod_Zq1CYNzUFG4fLbDCaN0mwV6GOXEYsRb0-1i_RNEhFeoQHN-SxwJI6g8H8cB90x4U9PuOVFjSTo2ahFr1WSRUCbSeBMR46nu3gfC0uB4wjU14/s1600/DSCF0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8NtudRmKuZfV6SAjQHkvJ_gjjudzod_Zq1CYNzUFG4fLbDCaN0mwV6GOXEYsRb0-1i_RNEhFeoQHN-SxwJI6g8H8cB90x4U9PuOVFjSTo2ahFr1WSRUCbSeBMR46nu3gfC0uB4wjU14/s320/DSCF0026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Well, I could bore everyone with zoo pictures and I don't want to but I do want to post a couple of neat photos of the bobcat and mountain lion. So here:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7mzLevlCAoUE2wYJrV1zIG_HC_Tj7q1H6ZV3F-gqWFhpZmQzZIeIEkgBAqMQdxPNADMCjLgDssbz1ybujoQiWrrfDOazkHzYqLRn5OOr8LwtdhjugqW9Nf7PnQ-d6GESCMd3pGdldsY/s1600/DSCF0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7mzLevlCAoUE2wYJrV1zIG_HC_Tj7q1H6ZV3F-gqWFhpZmQzZIeIEkgBAqMQdxPNADMCjLgDssbz1ybujoQiWrrfDOazkHzYqLRn5OOr8LwtdhjugqW9Nf7PnQ-d6GESCMd3pGdldsY/s320/DSCF0031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR572lYhGC-o6nsbfvZqvCUS2eecIQp_BsdXsh-8P9v-MOZQHDOrroMD-dpdpbOH76ePA0f9879M9aVxVOvTiFYz-5xsQn0kKrFF9u0gt_PkkrDk6L8oZ3hI4AybGOwkAW6wRGCVDiNTE/s1600/DSCF0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR572lYhGC-o6nsbfvZqvCUS2eecIQp_BsdXsh-8P9v-MOZQHDOrroMD-dpdpbOH76ePA0f9879M9aVxVOvTiFYz-5xsQn0kKrFF9u0gt_PkkrDk6L8oZ3hI4AybGOwkAW6wRGCVDiNTE/s320/DSCF0044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Tuesday night we had dinner at the Arizona Inn. A very swanky place which we probably would not have gone to on our own; however we had a gift certificate thanks to some of the Gift Shop employees at the North Rim. The food was a 9.5, unfortunately service was a 3. I think our server was just learning.<br />
Wednesday we drove back to Organ Pipe and stopped at the Desert Rain Cafe in Sells on the Tohono O'Odham reservation. Very good and different food, the O'Odham are trying to get their members to return to native-traditional foods rather than processed foods. 60-70% of the tribal members have diabetes. Sherri and I had the appetizer sampler which had desert hummus, tepary bean dip and cholla bud salsa. For the main course we split a tepary bean chicken quesadilla. We washed it all down with agave ice tea. The lunch was good and very interesting.<br />
Back in Organ Pipe on Thursday, Steve a seasonal ranger, and I combined our programs for the folks in the town of Ajo. 55 people showed up for our mining/ranching program in the plaza. I thought the turnout was small but Sue, the head of interpretation, was pleased with the numbers. Tonight I have my program in the park's amphitheater and 75-100 will be in attendance. <br />
I'll leave this week with a photo of the beautiful Sherri at the museum. Ya'all come back next week.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KPWFWguDuh1AtjPirZ2DpQN3IIOx-Y2-9Tm63lvac_5orB3XGFPWgyXytm7yhnJiUC0WaKt2H6tSEv1iPmpVP2n97_44Jw36XASVcqmlKdD9MPSaxlRlHRdSmTslu7LgcCb6XJRv8k8/s1600/DSCF0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KPWFWguDuh1AtjPirZ2DpQN3IIOx-Y2-9Tm63lvac_5orB3XGFPWgyXytm7yhnJiUC0WaKt2H6tSEv1iPmpVP2n97_44Jw36XASVcqmlKdD9MPSaxlRlHRdSmTslu7LgcCb6XJRv8k8/s320/DSCF0033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-49423798305842189082012-02-18T13:33:00.000-08:002012-02-18T13:33:30.553-08:00Ajo and Grass CanyonTuesday Sherri and I went shopping and for a Valentine's Day lunch in Ajo. I have not posted pictures of the quaint town, there are some very nice areas. Below is a picture of the Catholic Church taken from across the plaza. Looking the other way is the old train station, which is now shops.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBZUr-tBLptuJJAOow7gR2gkg78jLPMT-z6u_WPj2xsGkfcNCgIjL4zigoLNK1auvLq8En-UNvOM6mvYUSnMTwvUmFPgcWWkF4LoXMwwFvcSxT09hXhQwwgracGFZXyWy3XmL8ZjQRl0/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBZUr-tBLptuJJAOow7gR2gkg78jLPMT-z6u_WPj2xsGkfcNCgIjL4zigoLNK1auvLq8En-UNvOM6mvYUSnMTwvUmFPgcWWkF4LoXMwwFvcSxT09hXhQwwgracGFZXyWy3XmL8ZjQRl0/s320/DSCF0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBtrDGN0X_BppYFbrOdaJOFCFbx6o5NhxX57vdZMSIZ20hyphenhyphenwOACA7IEN_S0Ykf-i4oaGkpTcYJ97abWq1-cIFXYxxOlkH_2nIoXuRN1TgK7bvHY21i6j7lsqWMheBVW0AXdBA79ShO-E/s1600/DSCF0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBtrDGN0X_BppYFbrOdaJOFCFbx6o5NhxX57vdZMSIZ20hyphenhyphenwOACA7IEN_S0Ykf-i4oaGkpTcYJ97abWq1-cIFXYxxOlkH_2nIoXuRN1TgK7bvHY21i6j7lsqWMheBVW0AXdBA79ShO-E/s320/DSCF0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The only spot I could get a picture of the old copper mine was into the sun.The copper mine is no longer in operation. Even with the high price of copper the percentage of ore in the rock is not sufficient to reopen the mine, so Ajo is stuck with a large hole. Turning 90 deg. is the Indian Catholic Church, which is now a museum.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzd5721ciWG6s2_CvRP2y-y3y4r3BgBzXewM0vRUWwH4btwpgjwQm21VKVl8Q8DdT1UyqXL_21C7TfBnoypJPdA_XY0EmPdKnakzHtVssV569GpgKc61eASCx_b5XITu5QjGB3YUoj_8/s1600/DSCF0003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzd5721ciWG6s2_CvRP2y-y3y4r3BgBzXewM0vRUWwH4btwpgjwQm21VKVl8Q8DdT1UyqXL_21C7TfBnoypJPdA_XY0EmPdKnakzHtVssV569GpgKc61eASCx_b5XITu5QjGB3YUoj_8/s320/DSCF0003.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgM_J8rpDVoVdCDHNiZXwpy0NBuy987leP5QTBLPmCcwb2X0lWUvVwCm07xmTMR0naM8xK1nYqWe_w8WtL7sfpKWhZP79e5lA_nJW0NY1QaD6dJ5LtJk7LNQfFcQfZtbwnvpVhmduqr3U/s1600/DSCF0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgM_J8rpDVoVdCDHNiZXwpy0NBuy987leP5QTBLPmCcwb2X0lWUvVwCm07xmTMR0naM8xK1nYqWe_w8WtL7sfpKWhZP79e5lA_nJW0NY1QaD6dJ5LtJk7LNQfFcQfZtbwnvpVhmduqr3U/s320/DSCF0004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We had a good lunch at a Mexican restaurant, being from Albuquerque we are rather snobbish about Mexican food. So, lunch was good not great :)<br />
Wednesday was a hike day for the boys. Brian, Jim and I set at 7:30am to hike up and over Grass Canyon, down the north fork of Alamo Canyon.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR6L0t7PPsa8hKvzysL1ofxBfh-jEsICWNTAz1HK6rTgQiPpuqWE89_ciA6ggfTNh54oaaG_d10OBn3AXxck5XNAb3o9cQCMoxU4hSBI5caQn4efrPy6xCB7Iz0rLEcHeGoT4pkanE-s/s1600/DSCF0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR6L0t7PPsa8hKvzysL1ofxBfh-jEsICWNTAz1HK6rTgQiPpuqWE89_ciA6ggfTNh54oaaG_d10OBn3AXxck5XNAb3o9cQCMoxU4hSBI5caQn4efrPy6xCB7Iz0rLEcHeGoT4pkanE-s/s320/DSCF0008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The hike is a loop, to cut off a couple of miles at the end Hilda dropped us off and took the picture. We left my truck at the Alamo Campground. The first picture is Montezuma's Head, where the author Ed Abbey wrote about climbing to the top one drunken evening. The next picture is looking up into Grass Canyon and the saddle, over the top.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7vGyE36-Qtsk3xghcuMOHSMgjyk5l1sP59jWplTTR11tJ-H9LA58jFiSnW6I_05GjKB4FkV40zh0atzPDRhZ2ouxxVAcOXYg8MiSKtyKJXkrA7MnDzBn4cwS4KBPTcXNfx5UU81aYdQ/s1600/DSCF0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE7vGyE36-Qtsk3xghcuMOHSMgjyk5l1sP59jWplTTR11tJ-H9LA58jFiSnW6I_05GjKB4FkV40zh0atzPDRhZ2ouxxVAcOXYg8MiSKtyKJXkrA7MnDzBn4cwS4KBPTcXNfx5UU81aYdQ/s320/DSCF0009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNeg6jET9G0eTqOMIWCD2AIgg9PfWTW9qqiQn0ebToSyb9H6XrLLFBVSDA1nSGn5H-ZjnmEVsYLsX7BUAZyKR9d9-ZFckRbgO5ryLRzIN6VVxqcA12aP7YJ_o7x660-dM-BvFco6or2Q/s1600/DSCF0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheNeg6jET9G0eTqOMIWCD2AIgg9PfWTW9qqiQn0ebToSyb9H6XrLLFBVSDA1nSGn5H-ZjnmEVsYLsX7BUAZyKR9d9-ZFckRbgO5ryLRzIN6VVxqcA12aP7YJ_o7x660-dM-BvFco6or2Q/s320/DSCF0010.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We hiked up and over and the view on the other side was beautiful.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq90o4wpdRB5G2zGESWw6jczTtIydIaigw49cV228CS597Sx-aAn00OUfmn0JwpRW-V_VGUDUwXEh98ZnGgXttFJgowk2oKrlzcOYrcjZNXYSZic4elbfi0uLx5E-Oqzz63DFfqDfumbA/s1600/DSCF0017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq90o4wpdRB5G2zGESWw6jczTtIydIaigw49cV228CS597Sx-aAn00OUfmn0JwpRW-V_VGUDUwXEh98ZnGgXttFJgowk2oKrlzcOYrcjZNXYSZic4elbfi0uLx5E-Oqzz63DFfqDfumbA/s320/DSCF0017.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This entire hike is not on a trail so bushwhacking through the sage and cacti gets mentally tiring. This shows how steep it is to reach the wash. It was nice to reach the wash where climbing up and over boulders was tough but easier than bushwhacking.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNbtKEKagrfZgUOekzKDlfTL8SjM2HrsmOjJv_FQ1fAumJ2q4eSR7Kcoxw_0GR7ewrYt0y6h_rvia7QvafoXxvU2GNhRVLm5oKBFprWNgiZzpZ2f5o21nfKSVySw2SMlF7us0SF0bbO4/s1600/DSCF0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNbtKEKagrfZgUOekzKDlfTL8SjM2HrsmOjJv_FQ1fAumJ2q4eSR7Kcoxw_0GR7ewrYt0y6h_rvia7QvafoXxvU2GNhRVLm5oKBFprWNgiZzpZ2f5o21nfKSVySw2SMlF7us0SF0bbO4/s320/DSCF0022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <br />
It had rained a 1/3 of an inch Tuesday morning so the tinajas are full of water and algae. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh168XvAqlO52IX3eeiZhzGLKPcIQwBelB8ND8L0cqBgxDe8QZmKYvkK2lTybQ0dRIUJE2oY33KbNrWMH0Hn-CJYSWv5BZAhSUNItszD8JCs5kMf966PsDWHFKjP6gwWJEQjR0QGGlHYWI/s1600/DSCF0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh168XvAqlO52IX3eeiZhzGLKPcIQwBelB8ND8L0cqBgxDe8QZmKYvkK2lTybQ0dRIUJE2oY33KbNrWMH0Hn-CJYSWv5BZAhSUNItszD8JCs5kMf966PsDWHFKjP6gwWJEQjR0QGGlHYWI/s320/DSCF0024.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It was a great hike where we didn't see another person all day. After almost eight hours of bushwhacking and climbing over boulders we were glad to reach my truck. We will have to do it again soon.<br />
This week Sherri and I are heading off to Tucson for three days/two nights to shop, eat, service the truck and look for RV parts. I have been asked to give my evening program in the Ajo plaza on Thursday evening, there will be an ad in this weeks Copper Mountain News. I don't know if there will be 25 or 250 people who will come and watch. I am looking forward to giving my program in the historic plaza. <br />
We had more rain on Thursday(rain is always welcome in the desert)and this morning we had fog, which doesn't happen very often. It made for a neat picture.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-Mfw-P7acstvhOruumKbHD5MMDICJP7xBCxpsdls3nVj5OUCoVI1mO8ldMTUI7sv7pyptKwygCxekWeTUpCoF3Hzq8slInadnBJz01EC31LnwKO8KZK_s_TQmUJSw3F7B9DYesze9X8/s1600/DSCF0030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4-Mfw-P7acstvhOruumKbHD5MMDICJP7xBCxpsdls3nVj5OUCoVI1mO8ldMTUI7sv7pyptKwygCxekWeTUpCoF3Hzq8slInadnBJz01EC31LnwKO8KZK_s_TQmUJSw3F7B9DYesze9X8/s320/DSCF0030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-295649553631072093.post-70285672279624073262012-02-12T12:22:00.000-08:002012-02-12T12:22:05.155-08:00Quitobaquito<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This week we had a large group of Escapees RV Club members staying in the campground. The group of 110 was staging here before they headed down to Puerto Penasco. They were going to be here Tuesday - Thursday and we have evening programs scheduled Friday - Sunday. So, I volunteered to present my program on Wednesday night and we wound up with a record crowd of 134. It was fun presenting a program to a large enthusiastic crowd.<br />
Thursday was a special day for the volunteers. Escorted by M-16 carrying law enforcement, we went out to a part of the park closed to the public. The springs at Quitobaquito were made into a pond in the late 1800's and through the efforts of Natural Resources the ponds are doing well. The pond is home to over 10,000 pupfish which are on the endangered species list.<br />
Most of the 15 mile drive is right on the border and is extremely bumpy. In some places Mexican Highway 2 is very close. The fence is the vehicle barrier just inside the border line.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOC7aDbkS0reonVo6tFw0JNJ9Oj1NeLvcILyQFaiIvjbZGoXe_XNGvGqjnuVoQbQOYuUWl722esblWC46Xt7Mcpmd_djXsUblkeKKrOKG68it1L0xK5s9Wvgwgj45eOrxBWjwfPuJ-Ab4/s1600/DSCF0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOC7aDbkS0reonVo6tFw0JNJ9Oj1NeLvcILyQFaiIvjbZGoXe_XNGvGqjnuVoQbQOYuUWl722esblWC46Xt7Mcpmd_djXsUblkeKKrOKG68it1L0xK5s9Wvgwgj45eOrxBWjwfPuJ-Ab4/s320/DSCF0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap6uch4F5xjUchVBbqgXR10R1A7iClkL593IxS-4NDf77CJjcTjdXsRIzLAVNjaVaFF2m4t4xNwu-DuBi_zL9UWDLja5CkoP7PcUvqeFCI2NOuxn2zDaTvezqLER6GeqFqJ2MJ6NOuao/s1600/DSCF0013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiap6uch4F5xjUchVBbqgXR10R1A7iClkL593IxS-4NDf77CJjcTjdXsRIzLAVNjaVaFF2m4t4xNwu-DuBi_zL9UWDLja5CkoP7PcUvqeFCI2NOuxn2zDaTvezqLER6GeqFqJ2MJ6NOuao/s320/DSCF0013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> The group arriving at Quito.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsTYT6F3UuDJoe8Zyb2HW1Q-yIycpZy5nR6fWX5ySvMRxClM2JEw5X6UbVCFTDuRvsP-Zd665a6q60Nb2OZy6pOSPREehnEcFZxxwoycAuatrwT2TBzhRa_71rHfnea3bOwZutTbV4Hs/s1600/DSCF0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsTYT6F3UuDJoe8Zyb2HW1Q-yIycpZy5nR6fWX5ySvMRxClM2JEw5X6UbVCFTDuRvsP-Zd665a6q60Nb2OZy6pOSPREehnEcFZxxwoycAuatrwT2TBzhRa_71rHfnea3bOwZutTbV4Hs/s320/DSCF0001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The pond is unusual in the middle of the desert. It was a very welcome sight to those crossing the desert on their way to California.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgixmIs6LkYsWB7OGO0YI71bBCBCCanCMCz2FuQ3w98ocjT6Lv2c7dmDurrWmhkZzaPVNJtXoyM6ztNXQIcgH9FGFbqv0mWLsuofp7LBfu-ALpAyVSVR6BoSZyY5LHB5qjd5iefVn1OBc/s1600/DSCF0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgixmIs6LkYsWB7OGO0YI71bBCBCCanCMCz2FuQ3w98ocjT6Lv2c7dmDurrWmhkZzaPVNJtXoyM6ztNXQIcgH9FGFbqv0mWLsuofp7LBfu-ALpAyVSVR6BoSZyY5LHB5qjd5iefVn1OBc/s320/DSCF0006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU3mNsVlRzSDU1Ir9dGFihctbgu3FHt5jyXB8hKg7CBIzUvEl1BJmlPF23-IeFTPSdFShL-t3NDgI_H_NhAZE5EtW4r0h7e2IHb87yKVQd99LmwLU1N8n59oPBk7quNLnyMQ_wuZv4-A/s1600/DSCF0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU3mNsVlRzSDU1Ir9dGFihctbgu3FHt5jyXB8hKg7CBIzUvEl1BJmlPF23-IeFTPSdFShL-t3NDgI_H_NhAZE5EtW4r0h7e2IHb87yKVQd99LmwLU1N8n59oPBk7quNLnyMQ_wuZv4-A/s320/DSCF0007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We strolled around the pond and took in as much knowledge as possible from a full-time Interpreter and a biologist from Natural Resources. We are going to have 10 tours open to the public starting in a few weeks, and since I will be leading a couple of them, I need to study and research. I'll leave you this week with a couple more photos of the Quitobaquito area, the grave marker is the only non Native American buried in the area. In the photo immediately below we are looking at the point where the water comes out of the hillside.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4CtFtHHTetCf5oWzw7dTzfWq7Vv92VM0Ff9FQko0zddNKCE9oudTN9OmL8xTq7jMxukKvOC9kVDrd7VP4LLxQ1q7jCJFfRPIxUCCczjvoPeQHMsObDMD-wTe9tkdLj_gRnnjH2BOr7s/s1600/DSCF0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4CtFtHHTetCf5oWzw7dTzfWq7Vv92VM0Ff9FQko0zddNKCE9oudTN9OmL8xTq7jMxukKvOC9kVDrd7VP4LLxQ1q7jCJFfRPIxUCCczjvoPeQHMsObDMD-wTe9tkdLj_gRnnjH2BOr7s/s320/DSCF0011.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<span id="goog_1888757515"></span><span id="goog_1888757516"></span>Rorikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13898656530392185727noreply@blogger.com2