In the Cool Pines

Federal Highway Administration marker on section one of the Rim Trail

Even though it was cool on the Rim Trail this morning, it was slightly humid from last night's rain.  Nevertheless, it felt great to get in a long hike.  One section of this part of the trail runs pretty close alongside the Sunspot Highway, but I am at a loss to explain what the old Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration marker is doing on the trail.  We crossed paths with a small family--father, mother and young daughter--who said Becca looked just like their dog, only bigger.

Between the tall pines

This girl loves being in the mountains

Mexican Silene

Mexican Silene

Silene laciniata (rear view)

Indian Paintbrush

Is this a Widemeyer's Admiral?

Bluebird feather

White butterfly and friend on Nodding Onion

12,000-foot-high Sierra Blanca

Dr. K and Becca

The rare Penstemon neomexicanus (New Mexico beardtongue)

Heading back

To Bridal Veil Falls and Back

Down canyon on the Bridal Veil Falls Trail

At the beginning of our hike we ran into Phil and his black Lab, Murphy,  Becca and Murphy played while we chatted.  After that we saw nobody else on our long trek.  It was a little hot in spots, but an obliging wind cooled us down at just the right times.  The falls was running a little harder because of recent rains, as attested to by the video below.  We were a little tired when we got back to the Jeep, but we felt well-rewarded by the beautiful things we saw along the way.

We'll be down in that chasm in no time

The millipedes in the mountains are a different color than in the desert

The Beckster and the Packster

Sacramento Prickly Poppies

The Sacramento Prickly Poppy is an endangered species

Apache Plume flowers

Bridal Veil Falls

An old realty sign near the abandoned ranch across from the falls

The creek

The top part of this cairn reminded me of Wile E. Coyote

Swallowtail Butterfly

Working a thistle

Grass near the creek

Sharing the Trail

Getting started on the Osha Trail at 9,000 feet

It was a slightly busy morning on the Osha Trail.  We ran into an elderly gentleman and his dog, Molly, a woman having an engaging conversation on her cell phone, and a young couple and their five dogs, two of whom were handsome German Shorthair Pointers.  All five dogs were really well behaved, and Becca enjoyed very much meeting them.  Only drawback to a beautiful hike:  it was slightly muddy after last night's rain.

Dr. K taking an iPhone picture of me

35% of a dog's brain is reserved for the olfactory sense

Nodding Onion

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Dr. K and Becca forging ahead

Almost at the midway point



Day Flower

Inquisitive red squirrel

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The Mexican Canyon Trestle vista off Highway 82

Champ comes to visit

Three-dog night

Becca and two Lab bums (Champ's and Hoss's)

Resident lizard at the ranch

Lower/Upper

Desert Cottontail with part of its left ear missing

Becca and I did an early-morning hike in the lower Chihuahuan Desert before returning home to collect Dr. K for a trip up into the Sacramento Mountains.  There's been a lot of rain here in the past month, as evidenced by the amount of grass I have to WeedEat in our yard.  The nice thing, of course, is that everything is verdant here.  I'd say chances are good for more precip this afternoon.  The clouds have that look to them, and the air has that feel.  Can't say I'd be heartbroken to see a shower.

Whole-earred cottontail

Jogger's coming down the mountain

High Rolls/Mountain Park, New Mexico

Storm clouds building over the Sacramento Mountains

Railroad tie guardrail in our driveway

A little Chinese Elm I've been protecting from browsing deer

A look up Haynes Canyon