Church-going

Clouds over Tortugas

We spend our day of worship in the church of the Chihuahuan Desert, where we can get close to the Great Spirit.  It's hard not to believe in something greater than yourself when you behold the glory of the natural world.


The huntress




Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain




Mule Deer in arroyo



A perfect Chihuahuan Desert day

Friday Fun

Soaptree Yuccas and Tortugas Mountain

A Friday frolic in the Chihuahuan Desert proved much more enjoyable than yesterday's hike.  Even though it was colder (41 degrees F), it felt warmer because there was no wind. I almost overdressed, but decided to go with just the Speedo and boots.  (Kidding.)  We heard the Snow Geese honking before actually seeing them.


A look down the trail leading back toward the mountain




A desert grassland



Desert scout

Snow Geese heading for Bosque del Apache

Cold Desert Wind

A biting wind in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Very Cold Morning

Torrey Yucca on Tortugas's west side

The temperature was in the low 40s when Becca and I started off this morning, and a strong wind added to the chill factor.  I'd say it felt like the low 30s for much of the hike.  The video in the post above this one shows how foreceful the wind was.


The mountain still very much in shadow




Over hill over dale



Perfect Weather

The sinuous foothills of Tortugas Mountain

The weather this morning was perfect for a hike around Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain:  temps in the low-50s, a slight breeze, and brilliant sunshine.  Hiking apparel:  shorts, a short-sleeve shirt, and a light windbreaker--and a healthy coat of white fur with black circles.


Early-morning clouds over Tortugas




Scouting the trail ahead




Ligh and shadow on the mountain's west side




Tortugas and the Organ Mountains




Curvaceous clouds over the Organs



A dirt road leads south toward the mountains



Torrey Yucca blocks the sun



Monday Hike

Old Torrey Yucca

We got out on the trail this morning before the coming windstorm.  It's supposed to get bad this afternoon.  Wind in the desert is the enemy of allergy sufferers.  45 mph sustained winds with gusts to 60 mph will pollute the air with sand and dust.  But our hike was pleasant, mostly overcast at the start, but clearing up later.  Becca, not surprisingly, thoroughly enjoyed herself.


Ocotillo in Autumn



Dog on alert



Dog at work



Torrey Yucca against a threatening sky

Monte Vista Hike

Full moon over desert boulder

Research Associate Becca, Dr. K and I got an early start on the east side of Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain this morning.  We wore jackets because the temperature was in the mid-40s, and there was a slight wind.  The season has definitely changed here in the Chihuahuan Desert, with highs in the high 60s and lows in the low- to mid-40s.  Personally, I like this kind of weather; there's much less sweating on long desert hikes.


The Beckster leads the way around Tortugas



Looking back the way we came



A lush arroyo




A dirt road leads over a hill toward the Organ Mountains



Saturday at Tortugas

Nebulous cloud over Tortugas Mountain

We ran into a few joggers in the desert this morning, but the area around Tortugas Mountain was relatively people free.  Toward the end of the hike we encountered two women hiking with their dog.  Becca felt it incumbent upon her to play with the male dog, who didn't seem particularly interested in her.  We also found a string of helium-filled balloons that had somehow come to rest on a creosote bush.


Best hiking companion ever




Tortugas (left) and the Organ Mountains




The Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas




The dirt road around Tortugas Mountain




Listening to a coyote in the distance




Balloons in the desert



The Spectacular Chihuahuan Desert

Typical Chihuahuan Desert vegetation

Vistas like this force us to hike as often as possible in the Chihuahuan Desert.  The Chihuahuan is a high desert, extending from northern Mexico into the mid-regions of the state of New Mexico and west to the Texas Canyon area of southern Arizona.  Hot in the summer and cold in the winter it is a land of many contrasts.

Bishops Cap (left) and the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas




Porpoise clouds




Clouds ride over the Organ Mountains




The trail around Tortugas, heading toward the Organs




The flank of Tortugas Mountain (left) and the Organ Mountains




This photo appears next to the word "intensity" in the dictionary




The Potrillo Mountains, southern New Mexico




The long view across the desert




A glorious desert sky



Adolescent Trickster



A young coyote licking its chops

This youngster was hunting on the grounds of the Chihuahuan Observation Center yesterday at noon.

After the Downpour

Heavy foilage on Tortugas's west side

There were surprisingly few signs that we'd had a big rain last night.  It's possible that the precipitation fell lightly here.

The sun shines through yellowing Ocotillo leaves




Robust Barrel Cactus




Barrel Cactus fruit




This is not Annette Funicello on the beach