Shopping Day Trek

Hiking along in the shadow of Tortugas Mountain

Becca and I did a slightly abbreviated hike west of the mountain this morning so I could fulfill my weekly shopping responsibilities early in the day.  The area around Tortugas was sparsely populated with outdoor enthusiasts even though the weather was perfect.  I was a tad overdressed because the local meteorologists had predicted a colder start, a problem easily solved by removing my Nike warmup jacket at the midway point.  Becca kept her coat on for the entire trek.

Spiny things

Deep arroyo on the mountain's west side

Lower desert trekking

Getting further away

Looking south, but heading north on the road west of the mountain

Ocotillos and the Organ Mountains

Still some Desert Marigolds hanging on

That sloped green line (center) is a forest of Ocotillos

Cactus Wren on a yucca

What are you staring at, Bub?

From several football fields distant I'd say a young Red-tailed Hawk