My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Arjan.....thanks.....



We awoke the next morning to a beautiful sky. I began to brew my coffee as I do every morning, and then took the dogs out as I do every morning. We walked up this small hillside to gather in the countryside and then we heard the barks and the howls of the coyotes. It was like nothing I had ever heard before.....the sheer volume of the sounds was overwhelming. I've heard plenty of morning barks and howls of the coyotes over the years, but I'd never heard anything like this before.....had I witnessed something extraordinary ? Or was it typical for where we were ? Travelers really never know the answers to this question.....

Still to this day I can hear those coyotes in my head.....just last night as I lay in bed I swore that I heard them. I opened the skylight and there was nothing.....just the sounds of a quiet desert campsite at the base of yet one more mountain.....there was nothing.....



I grabbed my map and once I knew where we were, I made plans for the day. We passed through the small town of Arivaca, Arizona (population 524).....there was nothing to see here.....




We drove west out of town and we happened upon a trailhead that led into the eastern boundaries of the Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge.....



This place turned out to be phenomenal. And since it was still early morning.....the air was cool, actually downright chilly. The birds.....so many birds.....I forgot how much I missed the singing of the birds.....




We spent the entire morning walking the trails here.....




I'm not sure what I photographed here.....maybe the remains of a homestead abandoned long ago.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

We continued driving west.....I couldn't help but admire Baboquivari Peak (7,730') as we looked to the west into the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation.....



We connected with Highway 286 and took it due south.....now headed back towards the border wall (again).....

Our plan was stop at the Visitors Center for the Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge.....a short drive south down the highway.....



Here I met a volunteer that was spending her 5th winter volunteering at the place.....she absolutely loved it here. I watched a 20 minute video but before I did she warned me that the video was old and everywhere that it showed water flowing, it was no longer there.....climate change appears to be destroying (changing ?) the local habitat.....



The Visitors Center was located in an old homestead and it was surrounded by well groomed trails lined with small stones which of course we walked along.....




I admired the ancient fencing and the resourcefulness of man.....




I saw this sign posted on the barn.....never seen that one before.....



I saw enough now to know that we wanted to spend a few days here.....



So we drove down one of the lonely roads to find ourselves a campsite where I knew that we'd hear more of the barks and howls of the coyotes.....