Saturday on the Far Side

Cloud

Becca and I went to the Monte Vista side of Tortugas Mountain early this morning because the Sunset Area was already crowded.  There was only a van parked in the lot when we got there, and while we piled out of RAV4 a guy with a mountain bike on the back of his car pulled in.  During our long trek we encountered four mountain bikers, but nobody else; and when we returned to our car we saw that the parking lot was completely empty.  Not bad for a Saturday morning that featured beautiful weather and gorgeous desert vistas.  Driving home past the Sunset Area I noticed that the parking lot there was still completely full.

Yuccas on the north slope

A look up Tortugas from the north side

Slipping around behind the mountain

Becca headed west on the south side trail

Steep

Sisyphus's gift (say that in the persona of Sylvester the Cat)

Around the mountain

Anybody approaching on the trail we just trekked?

New Mexico

Looking down at the lower desert

Yucca and the Organ Mountains

Would you guess 45-degree slope?

Growing on the steep side

Think I'll puff my neck and . . .

. . . cackle a tune

Trail around the mountain

Growing way up on a rocky ledge

I see a Scott's Oriole

Photograph them while you've got them

About to descend into a steep gully

Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus

Closer look at those beauties

A different Claret Cup Cactus

Desert Sumac

Desert Sumac

Why it's called Tortugas (turtle) Mountain

Want to see where this is growing?

It's growing in the exact center of this image

More Torrey Yuccas

Yuccas on the north side of the mountain

A tall Torrey way up

Last look at the yuccas on the north slope