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Sunday, November 17, 2013

High Desert Hiking

Starting out on the Sierra Vista Trail (south)
The weather was beautiful this morning for a long hike on the Sierra Vista Trail outside the village of Talavera in the Organ Mountains.  Dr. K, Becca and I enjoyed the variable conditions:  sunny, party cloudy, windy, breezy, calm.  The temperature was just right for a semi-strenuous hike--high 50s, low 60s.  We encountered no other hikers or bikers on our expedition, and when we returned to the parking area off Soledad Canyon Road ours was the only car in the lot.  A good Sunday morning in the Church of Nature.
Not as flat as it looks

When is a dog an eager beaver?

Stingleaf flower

Clouds blanket the Organ Mountains

In a steep, overgrown arroyo

Western Soapberry Trees along an arroyo bank

On the high desert trail just west of the Organ Mountains

Blue sky, clouds, mountains and grassland

A Barrel Cactus seems to shed its old self

Whitest rock in the territory

This chapulĂ­n (Sp. "grasshopper") looks outfitted for battle

2 comments:

Dr. K said...

I especially like the photo with the western chokeberry trees.

Scott said...

I like the chokeberry tree image, too, Dr. K. And I appreciate your armored orthoperan comment, Packrat--really handsome (the grasshopper :) .)

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