Slithery Encounter

Devil's Head

The Beckster and I were on the trail at 6:45 a.m. and the early start really paid off; we were able to avoid much of the morning heat even though it was quite sunny with little breeze.  We made our way to the secluded spot where a Nipple Beehive Cactus is starting to bloom, hoping to find fully-opened flowers; but no such luck.  After a long hike we then came back the same way to see if the flowers had opened.  No.  Both going and coming, though, we encountered a handsome young Gopher Snake who wasn't too distracted by our presence.

Headed for the sun

Desert Cottontail

Ocotillos and the Organ Mountains

Gopher Snake

Beautiful markings

Becca walked nonchalantly past this beauty

It was a young Gopher Sanke, about two feet in length

Notice how the snake's colors function as camouflage

Blackfoot Daisy

Blackfoot Daisies

More Blackfoot Daisies

Ground-eye view in an arroyo

Ocotillo and the Organs

Hiking inside an arroyo

Tortugas (left) and the Organ Mountains

Happy hiker

Walking sticks?

Ocotillo flowers

Another view across the Chihuahuan Desert

Ocotillo buds

Encountering the same snake on our inbound leg

Doing a little hunting for lizards

I was disappointed that the Nipple Beehive blossoms weren't fully open

Back up the mountain