Radical Change

Getting started from the Monte Vista side of Tortugas

The local meteorologists were predicting a change of weather:  winds gusting to 50 mph beginning at 10:00 a.m., blowing dust and a 30% chance of rain.  They said the wind would last from ten in the morning until nine at night.  When Dr. K, Becca and I rounded the mountain at 9:30 headed back for the car the wind picked up incredibly, blowing dust and light rain.  Not only that, but the temperature dropped precipitously, plummeting ten or fifteen degrees.  We hiked a little over a mile in surprisingly adverse conditions, all of us (even Becca) anxious to get back to the warmth of our vehicle.

Dynamic clouds greet us as we circle around the mountain

Heading west just south of the Tortoise

Prickly Pear Cactus flowers

Prickly Pear blossoms

Striking south before bending west again

Getting dark back to the east

To the east the sky threatens rain

More promising skies to the west

Yucca and Ocotillos

Will we get wet?

Devil's Heads were beginning to bloom all over the mountain foothills

As far as we got today

Dr. K and Becca heading back

Becca and Packrat

Patch of blue

On the loop road headed east

One happy hiker

The rain finally falls