Into Another Arroyo

Becca at work

For the third time in as many days Becca and I hiked into an arroyo we'd not been in for quite some time. I expected the arroyo floor to be hard--"crusty" is the word I'd use--like the other two, but this one was very sandy, and I'm at a loss to explain why.  Obviously it's further along in the drying-out process, but I'm not sure how that works.  This is a north/south trending arroyo, so maybe the answer lies in the predominant direction of the wind.  I'm certain somebody knows the answer.

Heavily populated with native plants

From a distance this looked like a bird of prey, possibly an owl

My zoom lens proved otherwise

Becca on an overgrown trail

Pointing south toward El Paso's Franklin Mountains

Weed-infested trail to the arroyo

The view to Becca's left

Entering a broad arroyo

The arroyo bifurcates here

One way out of the arroyo

Looking down at the arroyo, which runs through the center of this image

I've noticed that Barrel Cactus fruit grows toward the setting sun

Somebody's primitive trail marker