Monday, Jan. 10

We left the museum and traveled a short distance to Brawley, CA. There is an olive farm that we will be staying at tonight. A long driveway, lined with pomegranate scrubs, agave and olive trees, emptied out into a large area. The host’s house was surrounded by palm trees, gardens, sculptures and more olive trees. Beside the house were a football-field-size lawn and a pavilion where they hosted weddings and other special occasions. We parked in a grass/gravel lot, overlooking green fields. It was a very pretty setting. After playing in the field with the dogs, we joined the host for some olive oil and balsamic tasting. Carol bought a couple of bottles of each and we enjoyed them with our supper.

Tuesday, Jan. 11

Before we return to Organ Pipe, we had to overnight at an RV park and recharge. We’ll be dry-camping there and need full batteries and water. 

Supper always seems to be right at sunset these days. When we started eating, a red glow could be seen from outside. I ended up eating late tonight.

Wednesday, Jan 12

The beauty, quiet, sunsets and warmth are what keeps bringing us back here. We arrived in time for a walk, supper, a sunset and an evening of electronic device activities. It’s so quiet here at night that you can hear the cactus growing.

After lunch, I hiked to an abandoned mine. Because it was a desert trail, I figured it would be relatively flat. Boy, was I wrong. In and out of dried riverbed after riverbed. The closer I got to the mountain mine, the riverbeds got bigger and deeper. The mine wasn’t anything special, but the hike was a good workout.

Click on this link to take my hike: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gB9HfZTb2n7SzyN58

Thursday, Jan. 13

A day of rest before my big adventure the next day.

Friday, Jan. 14 

The park has a 21-mile scenic, mountain loop for vehicles under 25 feet. The Ham is too big, so we’ve never gone. I had thought about doing it on my bike before, but the length and the 1315-foot climb have kept me in the campground looking at the distant mountains. Today, that was going to change.

The first two miles to the trail were, luckily, all downhill. In and out of a few riverbeds, then the climb started. The first three miles went well, so I kept pedaling. The nine-mile marker was at the top of the loop, so only six miles to go. At marker 6, my thighs were starting to feel tired, but it was only three more miles to the top and the closeness of the mountains was motivating me to continue. At marker 7, the road became steep. I pedaled when I could and walked when I couldn’t. My thighs were very tired, so I started walking more. The mountains kept getting closer and more beautiful. Near the top, I went around a sharp curve and there it was. One of the most spectacular mountain views I had ever seen – the side of a mountain with “The Arch” on top. This is when I knew the effort to get here was worth it. On the way down, I started realizing how tired I was. I wanted to be back in the campground, but I still had miles to go. Back in the Ham, Lois offered me her walker – I guess I wasn’t walking quite right.

Click on this link to view the trip. https://photos.app.goo.gl/yp4288xSFvbwb7g5A

Saturday, Jan. 15

Today is a perfect weather day, so we all sat outside and listened to the cactus wrens, did some sunbathing, read a book and, one of us, napped.