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Monday, January 6, 2014

Very Cold Start

Becca at work inspecting a bush
Although the images here may suggest a warm northern Chihuahuan Desert, this morning was anything but warm.  When Becca and I first went out it was 24 F with a windchill of 14.  As we walked along the west side of Tortugas, in the shadow of the mountain, I had to put my gloved hand over my face several times to warm it up and to create air I could breathe without difficulty.  Oddly, though, as soon as we crested out of the valley into the sun the wind died, and the temperature rose significantly.  After our lengthy hike we did the entire inner loop hike with JC and Shaque.
The staunch wind kicks up a cloud of dust

From the high foothills to the lower desert

Shadow in a deep arroyo

Looking back to see someone on the mountain

Straight shot across the desert
Hot-air ballooning on a cold day

Yet another photo of Becca



 Had to add these photos of a Ladderback Woodpecker on our Desert Willow


3 comments:

Dr. K said...

Those photos of the ladderback woodpecker show all of their beautiful markings.

Scott said...

Great photos of the Ladderback Woodpecker--not a new life-lister for Kali and me, but certainly a bird we rarely see when we come out West. Thanks!

It was 0 degrees this morning when I got out of bed at 6:15. The radio reporter said that it was 5 degrees in Philadelphia with a wind chill of -15. So, that means when I went out to Edge Hill Road to gather my newspaper in the howling gale, that it felt much colder than the -15 wind chill reported in comparatively balmy central Philadelphia! "Only" down to 11 tonight, with significant warming hereon out.

packrat said...

Thanks, Scott. That weather you're describing sounds absolutely brutal. I can remember only one time when I had to be out in those conditions: when I was in boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Station in North Chicago. We had to stand outside in the chow line at wind chill -30.

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