Happy Surprise

Looking back on the first leg of the Osha Trail

Yesterday afternoon's thunderstorms, which deposited quite a bit of rain here in the High Rolls/Mountain Park area, made us feel certain that our morning hike on the Osha Trail just outside of Cloudcroft would be an especially muddy one.  Surprise, surprise:  they got far less precipitation than we did.  So our trek was mud free.  It was both wonderfully cool in some spots and quite steamy in others depending on whether we were in the shade of the tall pines or in open sunshine.  Back here in High Rolls in the early afternoon now, and it looks as if we're in store for more rain.

Almost to the overlook

Geraniums

New pine cones

Looking toward White Sands across the Mexican Canyon trestle

Hummer

Hummer (with photo-editing changes)

Blazing the trail

Village of Cloudcroft, New Mexico

Drooping Onion

Mountain Rose

Paler Wild Rose

Cresting the trail at another overlook

View of White Sands from the Osha Trail

Elevation at the overlook

Making the bend onto the shady side of the mountain

Dr. K and Becca moving ahead

Becca getting way ahead

Bowing down in obeisance

Becca impatient to keep going while . . .

. . . Dr. K takes an iPhone photo

The way through the Lincoln National Forest

Bark Beetle scrimshaw (tracks) on a dead tree

Narrow track through the forest

Leaves

Stay to the right of the pine trees

Why we love the Osha Trail

This way to the large meadow

Dandelion

Wild Mary Jane?

Tree pattern

There's a metal bench on this side of the large meadow

Sunflowers

The far side of the meadow

New Mexico Locust

4 1/2 foot plant (Blueberry Elder?)

Becca spots something interesting on the side of a tree

This is the small squirrel Becca spotted

Which way do we go?

Not sure if this is a type of Bear Cone

Colorful moth

Colorful moth from a different perspective

Headed back to the parking area

Happiest hiker on the Osha Trail