Chilly Morn

It was actually chilly this morning on the trail, and that was a refreshing change of pace: 59 degrees with a stiff wind. What a difference from the hot, humid, windless days of summer. A strange bank of clouds hung over the Organ Mountains, which you can barely make out in this photo.
The clouds made for some interesting light effects, evident in this shot of the flank of Tortugas Mountain.

We came across this Pinacate Beetle on the trail back to the parking lot, and Research Associate Becca had to stick her snooty nose right up to the insect's rear end, which is a bad idea because the Pinacate (aka "stinkbug") squirts a foul-smelling liquid as a form of self-defense. Fortunately, Becca escaped unscathed.