Crowded and Noisy

A very deep arroyo at the western base of Tortugas Mountain

There were very few people at the Sunset Area when Becca and I got out to Tortugas Mountain this morning, but on the final leg of our hike we heard a lot of yelling, laughing and whistling coming from the heights.  We saw a large group of hikers heading up the slope, and at first I thought it must be comprised of college students from NMSU.  But one of my photos reveals a lot of young kids in the collection of mountain trekkers.  I wasn't surprised by the number of outdoor enthusiasts on and about the mountain; it was a beautiful morning, and we're headed for a high temperature of 76F today.  Hard to beat that kind of weather.

The deep arroyo (right)

B&W shot

Leading the way

Tortugas Mountain Observatory

What manner of beast is this?

West of the mountains

Looking west toward the Potrillos

Big old Soaptree Yucca at the side of an arroyo

Can a sparrow look pensive?

Find the sparrow game

An easier find

There it is

What?

Two mountain bikers negotiating a difficult part of the trail

Another biker tooling along Geothermal Road

Mormon Tea (Ephedra trifurca) budding out

Ocotillo

Thought this might be Little-leaf Sumac, but I'm not sure

Cactus Wren in B&W

Noisy people climbing a mountain trail

Closeup of noisy people

Cars behind our RAV4

Another B&W of the Cactus Wren