Snowy Rim Trail

View from the High Desert Research Institute

We had a slight dusting of snow in High Rolls yesterday, so we weren't surprised to find snow on the Rim Trail this morning; that's what happens when the trail elevation is 9,000 feet.  We did a good, long hike today because we had to abort yesterday's hike because of sleet and heavy rain.  Nothing to do now but kick back and relax before heading to the low desert tomorrow.

Becca loves snow

A slight accumulation

Becca and Packrat



Always forging ahead



Mile Post 1

White Sands National Monument in the distance

Threatening to snow again

Becca and Dr. K

What We Got Caught In

We had to abort our hike less than midway today because we got caught in a driving rainstorm.  Dr. K, Becca and I were completely soaked by the time we got back to Commander.  It took us an hour to clean ourselves up here at the High Desert Research Institute.  Right now it looks as if the rain is turning to snow.  Snow levels down to 7,000 feet will find us right at that lower level.

High Country Thanksgiving

The rolling mountains near High Rolls, New Mexico

Dr. K, Becca, George and I are thankful for the yet-untrammeled natural areas we are fortunate enough to visit.

Becca and Dr. K

Little-Leaf Sumac

Dr. K on the gazebo

Becca, Dr K and Packrat along the Grandview Trail

A happy duo

Becca at work

White Sands Natonal Monument from the Grandview Trail

At the trail head

Low Country Morning

We started out in the low country yesterday morning, and ended up in the high country by lunchtime.

Meet Mr. Trickster

Smoke from a fire near Mesquite, New Mexico

We had an encounter with a Coyote in the Tortugas Mountain foothills this morning--commonly referred to as "the Trickster" in many Native American myths because of its uncanny intelligence.  We were about fifty yards away from this one when Becca spotted him.  Of course, the Coyote had spotted us already.  At that distance he was totally unperturbed by our presence, walking away at a slow, steady pace.

Mr. Coyote could use a good brushing

The Trickster saunters away after seeing us



One guess what Becca's looking at



Something Rainy This Way Comes

The old observatory atop Tortugas Mountain

It was primarily sunny when we hit the trail this morning, but things soon clouded up.  We could literally feel the humidity rise as a cold front blew in a mass of moist air.  By the time we got home it had begun to rain.  It's rained on and off ever since.  We never complain about getting rain in the desert, although the floods of 2006 were a skosh too much.

Leader of the pack

Dark skies on the western horizon

Changing cloud pattern above Tortugas

Dark skies over a desert oasis

Bar Canyon Trail

Soledad Canyon

Soledad Canyon is a twenty-minute drive from our place; it's often a very popular weekend hike.  We were fortunate that only a few cars occupied the parking lot when we arrived, and we only encountered two other hikers:  a woman with two well-trained dogs, and a man who was birdwatching.  The weather was outstanding for a late-November morning, and we had to take our windbreakers off after a short stint on the trail.  Becca, of course, took nothing off.

Counter-clockwise on the loop trail

Back toward Las Cruces.  Tortugas Mountain near the horizon line

Section of the loop trail

I call it Casita Grande (after Big Bend's Casa Grande)

The old rock house homestead in Soledad Canyon

Another view of Casita Grande

Adrift in a sea of grass

Sotol (aka Desert Spoon) in the foreground

Move it, people!

Ancient windmill

Trusty Commander waits patiently