Why

Sunset over the Tohono O'odham Nation

Ok, if you read my last post you know I was undecided where I was going and actually I didn't know myself until I got out of the Casino del Sol parking lot. I headed for Why to catch up with my friends Casey and Kim who winter for several months every year at Hickiwan RV park. I really like this little park because it is small and I can walk out on the desert from my Born Free. There are hookups and laundry facilities and for those that need a gambling fix there is a small Indian Casino. Its only 12 miles south of Ajo but feels like you out in the middle of know where. Organ Pipe National Park is only about 30 miles south.

This is the view out my window in the morning.

Casey and Kim love to hike and bike and Casey loves to mountain bike as do I. So my few days spent at Hickiwan were busily filled with hiking and a riding.

One of Casey's favorite things to do is to hike out into the desert a look for crested cactus. A crested cactus has a weird growth on it, often at the top, which may or may not look like a crest. However, these growths can be found on different types of cactus..both saguaro and organ pipe, and can be found anywhere on the cactus. You might say they could be a cactus beauty mark as each is unique.

I'm only 5'2 so this saguaro must be at least 20 feet tall! Note the crest on top.

This is an organ pipe cactus.

This crest was inside of it.

As you can see the "beauty mark" was pretty big.

Often the park has four legged visitors in the evening. They usually come looking for water and their thievery got so bad at one time that the park had to take all the handles off the faucets. This year, so far, due to an abundance of rain,the 4 legged visitors have not been sneaking in to steal water. I did see them out in the desert during one of my hikes.

Casey, Kim and I headed out for a nice leisurely bike ride on the dirt roads through the Tohono O'odham Nation which is part of the Hickiwan campground. The dirt roads provided some challenge negotiating through the sandy washes. Some of the washes were pretty rutted due to the recent rain. During our ride we were stopped by a undercover border patrol. We thought it was one of the nation members barreling down the road in a pickup until he stopped and introduced himself.(I didn't even think twice about asking him if I could take his picture! Anyway he was probably checking US out!) He informed us that the US government has the right to patrol the Indian nations, although the nation members really don't like them to. Because they are so close to the Mexican border they patrol the nation land for illegals. Our tax dollars at work.

I headed out for Gila Bend yesterday so I could be "indoctrinated and initiated" in the Elks Club. Afterwards I'll head up to Glendale to get some water leaks in the Born Free fixed at D & R. I sure hope Ron can get the problem taken care of. I also want to get two more batteries. I have plenty of solar power but not enough storage for all of the power they generate. I'll then head back to the Ajo/Why area and maybe join up with the WINs again before going to Rocky Point, Mexico.