Time Well Spent

Lots of dust from last night's wind still in the air

Dr. K, Becca and I spent about two hours trekking in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument this Sunday morning, and though we were not alone in the vast monument we ran into only two mountain bikers--one on the trail and one just starting off from the campground.  There were plenty of RVs parked in camping spaces, their occupants from California, Arizona, Texas and Ontario, Canada to name a few.  We exchanged greetings with one of the Canadians, a guy who owned the rig closest to the trailhead.  Our long hike was rewarding in many ways, including help in burning off breakfast calories.

On the first plateau

Sliver of blue sandwiched between clouds and the Organ Mountains

Sunlight on dust

Headed for the mystic mountains

Northern section of the range

Taking the single-track east

Getting closer

Different clouds all around

Fendler's Bladderpod

Sky

Becca and Dr. K

A very content hiker

Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)

Not sure why the national monument has closed certain bike trails

Still headed for the mountains

Healthy young Fishhook Barrel Cactus (boot for comparison)

Tortugas Mountain (elevation 4,931 feet) from the Organ Mts. foothills

Blue sky between the Organ Mountain peaks

You'll soon see what Becca is staring at

This (Mule Deer doe)

Even more Mule Deer

Check out those ears

Mother and child reunion

There they go

Flora got in the way

Fendler's Bladderpod (Physaria fendleri)

Three-headed Fishhook Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni)