Hello Fall!

Becca really likes to hike

A blast of cold air swept in on strong winds late yesterday afternoon and into the early evening, leaving behind heavily overcast skies and chilly temperatures.  It was in the mid-50s when the Beckster and I set off for Tortugas Mountain this morning.  There were plenty of people out today, and we had several encounters with hikers and joggers.  The encounter that was the most gratifying, though, was with the enormous Chihuahuan Raven pictured here, who we heard squawking during most of our trek.  He paused long enough for me to get one picture.

Dropping out of the foothills into the lower desert

This is the weather that greeted us this morning

Small arroyo that flows westward out of Tortugas Mountain

A larger arroyo out of the mountain

A separate small arroyo (aka "wash")

Franklin Mountains next to El Paso

On the road leading back to Tortugas

The beautiful and rugged Organ Mountains

Clouds made for a chilly hike

Yellow Chinchweed flowers are beginning to wilt

Sad to see these yellow carpets disappear

Becca spots two hikers coming up behind us

She seems very concerned about the hikers, though our paths never crossed

Which fork to take?

End of the Rocky Mountains (the Franklins)

Paso del Norte (Franklin Mts. left, Sierra Juarenses right)

A large Chihuahuan Raven with a morning snack