Cold Rain Hike

Sprinkling at start

Dr. K and I headed to the Sierra Vista Trail (south) early this morning despite knowing that we'd probably get rained on.  It was sprinkling when we started off, conditions made chilly by a cold eastern wind.  When the rain stopped and the wind seemed to warm a bit we decided to hike several miles to a tree we often use as a halfway mark.

Things started looking bad for us as soon as we turned around; immediately we found ourselves in a sudden squall, needled by cold rain propelled by a stiff, persistent wind.  Within minutes we were both soaked, and in this cold, uncomfortable state we trudged back to the waiting Jeep.

If you want a measure of how long several miles can seem, try trekking through the kind of cold, windy and wet weather that confronted us.  The precipitation finally let up as we approached our waiting SUV.  The only other outdoor enthusiasts we encountered this morning were two women mountain bikers who were properly dressed for the adverse conditions--the kind of attire we failed to don before leaving home.

Looking back at Commander

Old Curved Bill trying to hide his beak

Sierra Vista Trail south

Shafts of rain

Zooming in on those rain shafts

We're still relatively dry here

Looking back

This and the next:  looking down an arroyo that shows a touch of autumn

The wet trail we just came down

This and the next 4:  Organ Mountains under heavy cloud cover

Wet baby Barrel Cactus

Sotol with a fallen flower stalk

A look at the Organs back at the trailhead after a very wet trek

Stopped on the drive home to photograph the Organ Mountains

A last look at the Organs before heading home