Into the Outback

Becca sees linemen training in the distance

Becca and I did a long hike into the outback on this cool morning (46F) in hopes of finding interesting things to see.  In truth, we always find interesting things, but the only critters we saw were cottontails and jackrabbits.  We did spot a Roadrunner hunting in the distance; didn't get close enough to take a decent photo of him, though.  Nice thing about being in the outback is that you hardly ever run into anybody else of the human species.  That was the case today.

Just west of Tortugas

Large Soaptree Yucca (about 8 feet tall)

Same Soaptree Yucca

Sunlit desert west of Tortugas Mountain

Torrey Yuccas

Critter spotter

This arroyo comes out of the west side of Tortugas Mountain (left)

Torrey Yucca (right) and Soaptree Yucca

Torrey Yucca blocking the sun

Prickly Pear, Soaptree Yucca, Barrel Cactus and Torrey Yucca

Sparrows on Ocotillos

Scads of yellow flowers in the desert

Nice crop of Barrel Cactus fruit

Different Barrel Cactus (about 3' tall)

Rusty Prickly Pear pad with a hole

Becca finds a large den

Probably Coyote rather than fox