Sunday afternoon, November 13, 2022, Sean and I continued our day in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Time was growing short as the sun traced its short November path across the wide-open sky. Our next stop was Senita Basin for our second hike of the day. But to get there, we had to drive down and along the border, wedged between Wilderness and a wall.

It was past 1pm as we pulled out of the Twin Peaks Campground area and headed south down Highway 85 toward Lukeville. Before getting to the tiny town and border crossing, though, our route took us onto a dirt road, Puerto Blanco Drive, that wound west toward the southernmost hills of the Sonoyta Mountains.

We felt surveiled. And we were doubly cautious to make sure we weren’t accidentally driving somewhere we shouldn’t.

Ahead of us, the border fence dramatically crested the ridge of the Sonoyta Mountains.

Sean and I had been to the southern border in Texas both when we’d been rowed across the Rio Grande at Big Bend National Park and in El Paso. And I’d been to the southern border in California, capturing photos and video for a Bold Bison assignment in San Diego. But we’d never been to the border in Arizona.

“Very interesting,” remarked Sean.

We passed through a gap in the hills, and the road turned to run parallel to the border, where we got to see things up close, including Mexico’s Highway 2 just on the other side. It all felt very different from our experience of the border in Big Bend, where there was no barrier, just the river.

The border with its lights and barriers is immediately adjacent to federally designated Wilderness, just on the other side of the dirt road.

We turned north off of Puerto Blanco Drive and headed toward Senita Basin.

The road dead-ended at the trailhead for the Senita Basin Loop. The Senita Basin Loop Trail is 3.1 miles and circumnavigates a small valley nestled between the northern edge of the Sonoyta Mountains and the southwestern edge of the Puerto Blanco Mountains. Although we had to drive a fair way around to get to the basin, we were actually close to the Visitor Center, just on the other side of the Puerto Blancos.

We started our hike at ten minutes to two.

From the start, it was clear that this would be a richer hike than the one to the Sonoyta Mountains saddle that we’d done that morning. The plant life was far richer in this basin than it had been out on the broad expanse east of the Sonoytas.

We did the triangular loop clockwise.

While we were keeping an eye out for Javelinas, we spotted our first Tarantula of the day.

We also stopped to contemplate a toppled Saguaro.

The area nearer the Sonoyta Mountains had a few remaining glory holes from the Martinez Mine, which once produced silver.

Near the end of the loop, we spotted Javelina tracks in the wash, but again, we saw no Javelinas.

“I feel like they’re following us,” Sean observed.

Very near the end we actually lost the trail as it crossed a wash, and we suddenly found ourselves in a thick tangle of vegetation. It reinforced that Javelinas range far to the south and live in Mesoamerican jungles in addition to washes in the Sonoran Desert. It also was a reminder that the Sonoran is a semi-tropical desert.

The basin is named for the Senita Cactus. Right at the absolute northernmost extent of its range, here is one of only a few spots that the species appears in the United States.

It’s sort of like an Organ Pipe Cactus gone droopy and shaggy.

Back at the car before 3:15pm, it was time to head back toward the Visitor Center area to see some other parts of the Monument before the sun set at 5:30pm.

As we headed back toward the border, the El Pinacate volcano in Mexico, rising 3,881 feet above the desert floor, was more dramatically lit than it had been that morning. El Pinacate and its surrounding area are protected in the El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s another example, as at Big Bend, where there could be spectacular joint Park areas on the US/Mexico border, like Glacier/Waterton Lakes on the US/Canada border, but we can’t have nice things.

At Puerto Blanco Drive we retraced our route back along the big fence.

Back at Highway 85, we headed north to the Visitor Center area. Puerto Blanco Drive is actually a very long loop, parts of which are only accessible with a high clearance vehicle. The portion we’d been on down along the border is smooth and graded, as is the first portion north of the Visitor Center.

That part of the road is where we were headed next in search of views.

There really are times (like in the picture above) when it is clear why the Tohono O’odham people say that Saguaros are people too.

We stopped at the parking area where the road transitions from graded to primitive. The views, particularly of the Ajo Range to the east, were stupid.

At a quarter after four, it was one of those late afternoons in the desert when the light is absolutely magical. The rapidly moving, low lying clouds added the drama of light and shadow to the vista.

Nearer at hand stood Pinkley Peak (3,146 feet).

Sean spotted our second Tarantula of the day.

The crest of the Ajo Range is the eastern boundary of Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. On the other side of the crest is the Tohono O’odham Nation.

After I’d gotten my fill of photos, we climbed into the car and started back the way we’d come, pulling over occasionally to grab some more nice shots.

Back on Highway 85, we passed the entrance to the Ajo Mountain Drive, which was closed. I definitely want to return someday and see those gorgeous mountains up close. On a return trip, I’d also want to cross into Mexico and check out El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, but that might require a multi-day visit to Organ Pipe Cactus.

As we headed north, we pulled over one last time, close to the Ajo Range, for a few more late afternoon photos.

Then it was time to say goodbye for now to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Twilight was coming on as we started the two-hour drive across the Tohono O’odham Nation back to Tucson. Sean turned on our podcasts and then promptly dozed off.

It was quite dark when we pulled up and into the interior border checkpoint, which felt bizarrely far from the border.

Back in Tucson, the Sonoran Dog place Sean had read about was closed, so we opted for another, less highly regarded place—BK’s—to try this desert hot dog. It was fine. Next time, we’d definitely opt for the recommended place.

Back in our hotel room, Sean was sad while he packed. In addition to the sadness of leaving, he had a busy week at work ahead of him and was moving out of vacation mode and into work anticipation mode.

Black Panther was on TBS, so we watched that until it was time for sleep.