Astounding Beauty

First 9:  Soledad Rocks

Dr. K and I decided to do a hike on the Sierra Vista Trail (Norte) in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, and we got an early start (7:45) this morning.  Before we even got past the Soledad Rocks I had taken way too many photographs because the views were astonishing.

We encountered during our trek two runners, two mountain bikers and a hiker, but, for as far as we traveled, it really was uncrowded out there.  The weather was perfect:  sunny with a slight breeze.  Within a quarter mile of starting we were forced to remove an article of outerwear, though the breeze turned into a chilly light wind not long afterward.

We got in some decent exercise this Sunday morning, so much so that we both felt somewhat tired after our exploration; however, it was a "good" tired.

Backlit Desert Willow

Mountain beside the Sierra Vista Trail

Light and shadow

Fading color

Sotol

Drilling for water

Water well drill from a distance

This and the next:  moon over Black Mountain

Barrel Cacti, Sotol and the Organ Mountains

This and the next:  Sotol and the Organs

Moon over mountain, New Mexico

Heading back

Profile of an ancient one staring at the desert sky

This and the next:  almost identical scenic views