Another Far Side Saturday

Behind Tortugas Mountain looking up

As expected the Sunset side of Tortugas Mountain was already fairly crowded when Becca and I passed by early this morning heading for the Monte Vista area for our daily trek.  We did cross paths with several runners and a mountain biker during a 90-minute hike--all very pleasant encounters.  Although we saw several rabbits scrambling to stay out of our path the only one I got a photo of was quite a bit off the trail eyeing us nonchalantly.  When we reached the far west side of Tortugas we heard kids at a great distance yelling at one another on the road to the mountaintop, and both Becca and I were grateful we weren't any closer to the crowd.

Desert Cottontail

Boulder and the Organ Mountains

The long view to Bishop Cap (left) and the Franklin Mountains (El Paso)

Headed around the mountain

Looking back from the other side

Scurrying ahead

Across the Mesilla Valley to the Potrillos

A look up the rugged south side of Tortugas Mountain

Rock shelter

Round mounds of Strawberry Hedgehog all over the mountain

Closer look at the Strawberry Hedgehog

An even closer look

Southwest side of the mountain

Southeast side of Tortugas

The one at left is about the size of a small house, the other nearly 5,000 feet

The Prickly Pear at left is growing in rock