Nobody But Us on the Grand View

Roof work on a Sunday morning

Dr. K, Becca and I had a wonderful--though slightly hot--trek on the Grand View Trail early this morning.  The sun beat down on us pretty good, and the humidity was high.  Cumulus clouds were building all during our hike, promising rain in the near future.  We ran into nobody on our near-ninety-minute outing, and not long after we got back the clouds delivered on their promise of precipitation despite a weather forecast of rain not starting until late afternoon.  One thing we love about the mountains:  it may be hot in the mornings and early afternoons, but at this time of year the cooling rains that fall always cause the temperatures to plummet.

Somebody is going to have a nice view

White Sands from the Grand View Trail

Midway ramada

Another cactus-bearing rock

A look into the Tularosa Basin

Quite a bit of shade in sections of the Grand View

Vultures spiraling

Area of large boulders

Clouds billowing for an early morning rain

Closer look

My hiking companions sticking to the shade

White Sands is a fabric pencil line on the horizon

Dr. K and Becca at the ramada

Another view of White Sands

Doing some stretching

Resting in the shade

Inside the ramada

Steep Hill Road

A closer look at Steep Hill Road

La Luz, New Mexico?

Nearly two-thirds of the way back

Mountain Mahogany leaves

Coyote Melon (Curcurbita palmata)

Coyote Melon

Three-leaf Sumac leaves