Rainy Spell

Hiking along the northern side of Tortugas Mountain

We had tremendous storms last night:  tumultuous thunder, lightning strobing the sky, near gale-force winds, and rain.  This morning it was so humid that, despite the overcast and cool temperature, I was perspiring before we'd gone a quarter mile.  We had to go to the midsection parking area of the northern side of the mountain because the Sunset Side was the most crowded I've ever seen it.  I literally couldn't find a place to park, neither in the lot itself nor on either side of the dirt road leading in from Dripping Springs Road.

A cloud blanket carelessly tossed across the Organ Mountains

Trail into the higher reaches

One of many puddles left by the storms

Talk about low-hanging clouds!

A bigger puddle with mountain reflection

Looking up a draw (we've hiked to the top of Tortugas this way)

The eastern flank

Heading down into the lower reaches

The Organ Mountains peeking through a veil of clouds