Frigid Friday

In the high foothills

It wasn't really frigid when Becca and I set off for Tortugas Mountain this morning, but at 46 degrees Fahrenheit it was the chilliest it's been in a long while.  A light jacket over a short-sleeve shirt kept me plenty warm for the first quarter of the trek.  As soon as we hit sunlight in the high foothills I removed the outerwear.  Kept the underwear on, for which the desert critters were plenty grateful.  The Beckster and I did a long hike in the pleasant weather, bushwhacking through a sandy arroyo in search of interesting discoveries.  We found some, a few of which are posted here.

A break in the lower desert

A little over an hour into the hike

Devil's Claw (see the fruit that produces it below)

Becca to me:  "You coming?"

Down into a wide arroyo

Wish I knew what this is

Little closer look

Devil's Claw fruit (structure that appears above came out of this)

Shadow river

Up the arroyo

Desert Marigolds are flowering everywhere

More Marigolds

Heading north

Tortugas Mountain and the Organ peaks

Exiting the arroyo here

Living and dead Marigold

Observatory atop Tortugas