Mid-May Chill

A surprisingly cool start

Although it was 55 degrees Fahrenheit when Becca and I set off on the trail around Tortugas Mountain it felt much cooler than that.  A persistent breeze that transitioned into a wind on occasion made it surprisingly chilly at the start.  I was wearing a short-sleeve shirt and shorts so I actually felt cold.  Add the absence of sun during the first half of the trek and it seemed more like early March than the middle of May.  Eventually, though, the sun made an appearance, and the humidity in the air from last night's showers warmed things up significantly for us.

Heading up into the foothills

Soaptree Yucca flowers

Prickly Pear "rose"

Devil's Heads (probably clones)

Bushwhacking in an area we've never hiked before

Somebody's been enjoying this flower too much

Back down into the lower desert

Looking back up Tortugas Mountain

What color?

Soaptree Yucca on the mountain's western flank

Just finished bushwhacking through here

You can see Becca's "smarts"

Cholla (choy-ya) blossom

Spotting a Jackrabbit

Small Barrel Cactus

Soaptree Yucca flower

Somebody's campsite

Amazing how different colored flowers bloom on the same plant

Almost back to the trailhead

The process of blooming

Mockingbird