Christmas in Catalina State Park was on our agenda, so we eagerly left Las Cruces and headed west. We left early enough to miss the predicted high winds and dust storms, and had a pleasant drive across I-10, with minor wind gusts.
We managed to score 2 weeks in Catalina by booking 4 different sites. We settled in to enjoy a peaceful Christmas and New Years. Many campers put up holiday decorations; we particularly enjoyed this southwest themed display.
As usual, the scenery was fantastic and the weather reasonably warm. We hiked in the park most days.
Then it rained. Sutherland wash went from this…..
to this….
and the exit from the park was looking mighty damp. A ranger was posted outside the campground to discourage any folks who thought about running the rapids. We wondered what would prevent intrepid souls from making an attempt overnight. The question was answered later in the day when a ranger in a front end loader built a 5 foot wall of sand and mud across the road. This both channeled the flow into the lower part of the wash and discouraged premature departure. The road was closed for 2 days, but it was fine with us – we had plenty of food and no place to be.
The park has several education programs including bird walks and ranger talks. We participated in one of each. The bird walk started at 8 am in very cold conditions. The birds (sensible creatures!) didn’t begin to appear until 9, when the sun crested the hills and conditions warmed up considerably. We saw lots of different birds, but highlights were a Harris hawk and a long look at a green towhee preening itself in a sunny spot.
The ranger talk was on raptors of the Southwest. Ranger Eric is a licensed falconer with several birds. He introduced Virgil, a Harris hawk. Virgil happily demonstrated flying (and also projectile pooping!). Eric explained the behavior of the Harris hawk and described several different jobs he’s undertaken, including scaring gulls away from a landfill and ravens from a golf course restaurant patio.
We had a wonderful, relaxing 2 weeks at the park, then left for Phoenix.
Previous Visit: ooo