Saturday 25Jan20 Organ Pipe National Park

Day 9

Woke at 7. Had the usual breakfast. Elderly man came to my campsite right at 9 saying I didn't have a voucher on my site post. Of course I didn't because I came in late and as per their own posted instructions, late arrivals are to pay the following morning between 9-10. There was a lady with him that was friendlier. After paying the young tattooed attendant at the kiosk I drove to the visitors center. A nice elderly man welcomed me outside the door and got me signed up for a ranger led exertion to a line cabin of a reminick ranch. Then I watched a informational video. After that I took a short hike around the visitors center. I met a young lady from Vermont that was full-timing with her husband. She worked remotely doing something concerning the environment. Her husband currently wasn't working. She had an elderly black lab named Jake with her. She and Jake had walked the 1.5 miles from the campground but Jake let it be known that he wasn't interested in hiking back to the campground. Her husband was on the way to pick them up. She informed me that they had a truck and camper and had been full-timers for about 3 months. A very nice young lady.

As I was heading back to the RT I saw a ranger giving a talk just outside the visitors center. The talk was on poisonous and venomous critters. It was the same ranger that conducted the star party the night before. She did an outstanding job with this talk and I learned several things.

After the talk I drove to the campground which was the pick up point for the excursion to the line camp. The same attendant at the kiosk informed me that I wouldn't be able to take the excursion since there was a policy that dogs can't be left unattended. The time period was not specified but regardless I couldn't leave the RT with the dogs in it at the campground. I resolved this by driving the RT to the line camp. While I waited for the ranger I checked out the border wall that was being errected.

The same ranger gave the talk about the ranch and line cabin and once again did a very good job. Her name was Lisa Johnston.

After the talk I drove back to a pull-out just before the hi-way and fired up the generator to nuke a couple of bratwurst for lunch.. After lunch I took a 17 mile scenic drive on a one way loop gravel road. I stopped several times, for photos.

The last stop was for over an hour to watch the sun set and do some star gazing.

After that I drove back to the campground and camped in spot 131 once again. I heated up a bag of Indian lentils and served them over chips. I watched the movie Perfect Pitch.