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| The Aguirre Springs unit of the new national monument |
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| On the left the formation called "Sugar Loaf" |
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| Dr. K and Becca in the shade |
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| Becca and Packrat |
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| All bite and very little bark |
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| Another arboreal sculpture |
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| A much-needed break from hiking |
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| Sotol growing at the edge of a cliff |
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| New Mexico Thistle and friend |
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| Mr. Lizard |
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| The formation called "Rabbit Ears" |
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| Changing sun and shadow on the Rabbit Ears |
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| Blooming Cholla (choy-ya) in the national monument |
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| Brilliant Cholla flowers |
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| At the side of the one-way loop road out |
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| Prickly Poppies |
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| Don't know if I've seen this plant before, but . . . |
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| I'm thinking "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" |
3 comments:
You've been here before, Packrat and Dr. K. Now, you've just hiked as visitors to an OFFICIAL National Monument! :)
The humidity must have been low. The contrast of the Organ Mountains with the incredibly deep blue sky is gorgeous.
When Kali and I visited Las Cruces, we hiked the Baylor Pass Trail, too, from Aguirre Springs up to the saddle. I fondly remember a wonderful hike. At the pass, as we stopped for lunch, we ran into a gay couple with their super-friendly dogs and we all had a nice visit.
Speaking of humidity, it's all (sort of) relative (pun intended). I escorted the grown daughter of one of our donors who was visiting from Berkeley, CA on a short bird walk yesterday. I thought that the day was really pleasant, with broken clouds and a nice breeze, but she remarked about how humid it was. I replied that she had forgotten how humid it gets on the East Coast in the summer, and that if she wanted humidity, she should come back in July!
Scott:
I remember you once mentioning that you and Kali had hiked the Baylor Pass Trail; sounds like a wonderful experience.
You made me laugh with your "humidity" story. I remember a time after I had lived in the Southwest for years returning to my hometown of Youngstown, Ohio in August to visit my mother. We walked around the Riverside Gardens in Mill Creek Park, and I literally had perspiration pouring out of my arms--my arms for crying out loud!
:)
(I'm pretty sure I've told you this story before; either that or I'm having an incredible sense of deja vu.)
Packrat, these photos should be on brochures for the national monument.
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