Better Morning

Great-tailed Grackle and doves at the waterhole

It felt cooler this morning when Becca and I hit the trail, and a persistent wind kept the temperature down through our entire trek.  Becca seemed much more inclined to do a longer hike, and her reward was an encounter with our pal Jimmy just as we were finishing up.  After initially greeting him Becca lay in the shade of his truck while he and I talked for about twenty minutes.  Not surprisingly there were far fewer outdoor enthusiasts on or about the mountain than there were yesterday, but both Jimmy and I commented on how much more crowded it's been out there of late.

Abundance

Headed up on a cooler morning

Allthorn will have berries soon

A much happier hiker today

View across the Chihuahuan Desert to the Organ Mountains

Western flank of Tortugas and the Organ Mountains