Miserable Trek

Early on:  just sprinkling

This morning's hike was one of the worst we've done in ages:  winds gusting to 60 mph, driving rain that felt like needles on the raw skin of my face, intermittent, heavy wet snow that pelted down.  Becca got thoroughly soaked.  I was smart enough to wear a rain anorak, but my Ex Officio pants (from thighs to ankles) couldn't have been wetter, and the wind made my legs as cold as they've ever been.  We cut the hike short, but not short enough to keep from feeling absolutely miserable.  The first thing I did when we got home was take a fluffy towel and completely dry my hiking companion.

Large, lenticular cloud

Ominous sky over the Organ Mountains

Bishop Cap (left) and the Franklin Mountains near El Paso