Even Cooler Monday Morn

Cane Cholla (Cyldropuntia imbricata)

We got quite a bit of rain last night and it cooled things down significantly.  Add a light overcast sky this morning and a steady refreshing breeze, and conditions felt pretty good for hiking.  Becca and I took advantage of it by trekking further than normal on a summer day in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, but not quite as far, say, as we'd go in the fall or winter.  We still took a lot of shade and water breaks, making sure we didn't overheat and that we stayed hydrated.

Cane Cholla

West side of Tortugas Mountain

Happy to climb to higher ground

After a big circuit, heading back toward the mountain

Under the sea

A couple of twenty-foot tall Ocotillos

Ash-throated Flycatcher