Trek Sans Camera

A few miles west of the Organ Mountains

It was raining hard enough at the trailhead this morning to necessitate leaving my camera and daypack in the car when Becca and I started off on our morning trek.  The rain stopped about a quarter of the way in, so we did our usual long hike west of Tortugas.  Afterwards, because I wasn't able to take any photos, the Beckster and I drove out to the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument to see if there were any outstanding views.  We were not disappointed.  It did, however, rain sporadically on the drive.  Now that the road is paved all the way out there it's an easy ride from Tortugas to the Organs.  The trip used to be much different when the dirt road was a washboard surface most of the way, and if you drove over 25 mph all the bolts in your vehicle would be loose by the time you reached the tall mountains.

Glad we're not hiking up there this morning

I don't care if it is raining, let me out

Becca is tired of waiting for the photographer

Looking pretty bleak over the mountains

The mass of the Organs is obscured by the heavy clouds

Still a mile or so away

Drawing nearer

The road is paved all the way from Las Cruces to Dripping Springs now

You can just see La Cueva Rocks at lower left

With proximity the Organs become more visible

You might almost mistake this for a scene from Hawaii

Somewhere on the Big Island?

Clouds blowing through

Getting close to La Cueva picnic area

Raining quite hard near the mountains

La Cueva Rocks

Looking pretty lush out here

La Cueva ("The Cave") is at the base of the huge outcropping at left

I like the composition of this image

There's a nice trail that circumnavigates La Cueva Rocks

The rugged Organ Mountains, southern section of the Rockies