Organ Pipe, Senita Loop Basin hike

Drove up to Senita Basin and hiked the loop trail, with a side trip too the Red Tanks Tinaja, all adding up to 5.5 miles.  The basin is pretty flat so we enjoyed the walking in the wash going to the tinaja and back.  About 2 miles total of soft gravel, kind of like beach sand.  Made it nice to get back out of the wash to where we could see our surroundings better again.  The wash was about 5' deep which limited visibility.

Tonight was a ranger presentation on cacti, their role in desert life, diversity and identity.  We have been wondering about the Senita cactus, the namesake of the basin we hiked today.  It is supposed to be present in the basin and we thought we had seen it.  But after the presentation we know we have not seen it yet.

One of the many old mines

Not what I expected to find in a wash 2 miles from the road

Red Tank Tinaja (pothole)

The wash (streambed)

Carlene's desert icecube (piece of quartz)