Walking in Beauty

Wild sky at start

Dr. K, Becca and I hit the Sierra Vista Trail north at about 7:30 this morning and had a wonderful hike of nearly two hours during which we ran into only one other outdoor enthusiast, a woman mountain biker who passed us both coming and going.  The desert was as green as we've ever seen it owing to the abundant rainfall we've had of late, and both Dr. K and I agreed we had never before seen so many Barrel Cacti in bloom--neither here nor in the Sonoran Desert where we once lived.  It truly was an experience of walking in beauty.

Kind of waiting for us

Cloudy and blue over the Organs

We saw a wide variety of colors on Barrel Cactus flowers and buds

Tangerine-colored eggs

This sky or . . .

. . . this one

The rugged Organ Mountains

Barrel Cacti were budding and blooming all over the high desert

A veritable Barrel Cactus garden

These babies are plump with rainwater

Here's a happy hiker

Amazing colors

Somewhere between tangerine and orange

Substantial overcast above the Organ Mountains

High-desert living

Becca exploring an arroyo

Returning from her exploration

Pretty lush for a desert

Becca spots a mountain biker

At the horizon line:  Tortugas Mountain, 4,931 feet

More Barrels

A Barrel Cactus and Becca

Interesting blooming progress

Dr. K photographing a Barrel Cactus

Chubby Barrel

Same Barrel, different perspective

I count 8 Barrels at the side of the trail

Dr. K is a barrel of laughs

Apache Plume flowers

A look back

At the Sierra Vista north trailhead

The rare "Lagarto plástico"

How green is our desert?

Dr. K and Becca back at the Jeep

Bee and flowers