Thanksgiving weekend at Yaqui Tanks in the Kofa Mountains of western Arizona with George and Tina Woods, Jerry Schaefer and Bubba, and Pam and I. A tradition that we have been doing for many years. Yaqui Tanks is on the east side of the Kofas. It took us almost three hours over rough dirt roads from I-10 (Exit 45) to reach the tanks this year. Normally it takes around two hours. The Kofas had considerable rain during the summer making the roads tough going. 4WD, high clearance only. We tried going south around the southern end of the mountains via Engesser Pass on the way out. That took almost four hours of 4WD, but was a bit easier going. I would still go in from the north. (Routes 71, 14, 36, 47).

As a result of the summer rains, vegetation was thick and green, particularly in the washes. The weather for the weekend was in the 70's during the day and warm at night. No Big Horns were seen, a first for us in the numerous trips we have done to the Kofas. Apparently there is some disease killing off the sheep. Bird life was the usual wintering and residential birds including Black-throated and White-crowned sparrows, Phainopepla, Red-tailed hawk, Gambel's quail, and others. Small numbers of butterflies inclucing Desert Metalmark, Orange Sulfurs, Cabbage whites, and others.