Summer in the Desert

Just starting off at the north end of the Sierra Vista Trail in OMDP

Dr. K, Becca and I went out to Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument this morning in order to hike the Sierra Vista Trail beginning at its north end.  It felt a bit cool when we first started off, but that changed pretty quickly as the sun beat down and the humidity helped to broil us.  Needless to say we took plenty of shade and water breaks both going and coming.  We ran into only a few people:  a mountain biker who we encountered twice and a man and woman hiking with a standard poodle who we crossed paths with on the way out.  The poodle barked at Becca, but Becca just scoffed at the posh poodle hiking in the outback.

Ocotillos have loved recent rains

A very large Ocotillo

Buds are becoming flowers on all the Barrel Cacti

Headed south

Odd-looking cloud capturing the sun

A large forest of Ocotillos west of the Organ Mountains

Ooops or Poops?

The culprit

Fairly large Barrel Cactus west of the mountains

Becca and me

Is this the Chihuahuan Desert?  Yes.

Desert Willow flowers and friend

Hey, where'd you go?

Dr. K and Becca taking a shade break

An arroyo that has probably run heavily in recent rains

Pretty lush around the arroyo

Organ Mountains

Organs again

Another respite from the heat

Mountain biking in the vast Chihuahuan Desert

The biker went that-a-way

Tortugas (Turtle) Mountain where Becca and I often hike

Barrel Cactus flower and bud

Another Barrel Cactus flower

Clouds suddenly appear near the mountains

A little closer look at those clouds

Where we did our long hike today

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Same hummer