Badlands

The distant Organ Mountains obscured by low clouds

This section of the northern expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert lies in the southern part of The Land of Enchantment (New Mexico).  It's a rugged area of high desert bifurcated by the Rio Grande river.  A little to the north of Las Cruces is the ribbon of desert called by the Spanish the Jornada del Muerto (Journey of the Dead), a 100-mile stretch of arid land where many Spaniard colonists died on their way to Santa Fe.

Every hike requires a trusty companion

Clouds lift over the Organs



The gnarly Chihuahuan Desert



A view of Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain

Sun over clouds