High Desert Hike

Looking down at the Tularosa Basin from the High Rolls area

This morning we combined the Grand View Trail hike with part of the Bridal Veil Trail to give us a trek of about two hours twenty minutes in the high desert.  Although there were two cars parked at the trailhead on Fresnal Canyon Road we neither saw nor heard anybody.  Just as we like it.  Fresnal Creek was flowing pretty good from recent rains, and the grasses and flowers at the little oasis around the bridge were astonishing.  On the return leg we sat in the shade at the ramada, reveling in the cool breeze coming in from the north.

Becca inspecting a triangular rock somebody stood on edge

Sand Verbena

Flowers of the Apache Plume

Allthorn flowers

Allthorn shrub in bloom

Remnants of the railroad trestle over Fresnal Creek

A type of poppy?

The stems look wrong for a poppy

Across the basin to the San Andres Mountains

Packrat climbs the stile over the fence on the Grand View Trail

From a distance this looks like Turpentine Bush, but the flowers are different
 

Dr. K climbs the stile on the return trip

Canyon Wren

Rubbing his head and beak on a branch

Puppy love

A much-needed rest