After Mexico, Abbey and I had planned to go back to Phoenix (we left the bike rack, bike, and some camping gear there) before heading up to Utah.

While we were in Mexico there was no noticeable panic surrounding Covid-19, but when we crossed back into California we were stunned at the state of the grocery stores. The psychology behind panic-buying is curious.

Our first stop after leaving San Diego was Salvation Mountain and Slab City. After reading/watching Into the Wild I knew the places existed and was excited to check them out. It’s a bunch of government-owned land full of squatters, some of whom salvage things from dumps and make art. Salvation Mountain is all about God and was the work of one man and occasional helpers over the course of decades.

We took a different route back to Phoenix, staying as far South as we could. The border with Mexico and the wall were frequently in view. I was surprised by how strong our Border Patrol presence was and the number of checkpoints we had to go through.

Abbey and I spent three days in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and we could have stayed even longer. Spring in the Sonoran Desert is a beautiful thing. The first campground we stayed at was primitive, with only four campsites and a pit toilet. It was wonderfully remote and quiet, with great hiking trails around it.

I’ve startled several rattlesnakes in my life (or rather, they’ve startled me), and the instinctual response is always the same. Nothing will stop you in your tracks and make you jump backwards faster. I wonder how old that instinct is. Probably well older than humans. And even primates.

Organ Pipe Cacti are intolerant of frost; this is the very Northern reaches of their range. They only grow on South-facing slopes and where there are large rocks nearby that retain heat through the cool nights.

Cactus Wrens and Curved-Beak Thrashers frequently nest in Cholla, which provide ample protection. Cholla are seriously nasty and even a gentle touch will cause serious agony.

We saw a coyote at dusk. We were actually pretty close – the wind was providing both auditory and olfactory cover for us.

One morning, we drove down a dirt road to get out to a small 5 mile hike to Bull Pasture. The drive was incredible, but the hike was even more beautiful.

The Bull Pasture trail climbed about 1,000 feet. As we ascended, the Desert landscape changed – gone were the Organ Pipe Cacti and in their place were Agave and other more frost-tolerant plants.

A gentle rain started to fall as we were hiking, which actually turned out to be really nice. It was very peaceful.

Brittlebush (the yellow flowers in all these pictures) was in bloom everywhere. I have never been in a desert in Spring before, and I was just overwhelmed with all the unexpected life.

Ironwood Forest National Monument is another gorgeous area. Abbey and I drove down some very remote roads and then onto a pipeline track to find our next dispersed campsite. I continue to be impressed by how well Evelyn does on these rough roads – the high clearance and mushy suspension really help. Having the weight of the engine right over the rear wheels helps too. There wasn’t another soul around, and we had gorgeous views of the desert floor and Ragged Top Mountain. This is how you practice social distancing.

We saw lots of jackrabbits, but they were pretty good at not letting me get a decent picture. Their ears are so big they look fake. Not just for hearing, the large ears are used as cooling fins to keep the rabbit cool.

Red-Tailed Hawks are highly adaptable and can be found all across America. I was still impressed by the lovely nest built in this Saguaro, though.

So where are Abbey and I headed next? It’s difficult to say. After leaving Ironwood Forest we were met with a closed National Monument and closed visitor’s centers before reaching Phoenix. Now we’re staying with Chris and Kelley and helping to watch their kids. We want to go to the Utah National Parks next, but we’ve read that they are being overrun at the moment and many of the services have been shuttered. We’re in a holding pattern now and doing the whole social-distancing thing, just like everyone else. I’m excited to play a bunch of video games in the interim.

Cheers!