Down From the Mountains

Very early look up Haynes Canyon

Dr. K, Becca and I packed up before hitting the Grand View Trail this morning for our traditional hike.  It was a bit hotter than we expected owing to higher humidity and very little wind.  We had a nice trek nonetheless, and then we headed out of the Sacramento Mountains for our trip to the lower desert, where the high today is expected to be 95F.  It was going to be 80F in the High Rolls/Mountain Park region.  Hard to feel good about returning to an area that's 15 degrees hotter than the place you just left behind.

Avian photobomb

On Becca's morning constitutional

This morning's moon

Shinto moon

Moon

Heading back to the cabin

Coming through the cut

This and the next:  Smooth Four O'Clock not yet bloomed out

Smooth Four O'Clock

Crow in flight in this image

Near the midway point

Grand View Trail

Becca and Dr. K on the Grand View

Becca circling for a lay down

Tree of Life

I asked, "What happened to your tail?"  No response

Small Hedgehog in rock (odd illusion here: background trees seem to move)

Same small Hedgehog Cactus

Same Hedgehog from a different perspective

Well-established Hedgehog in rock

Same Hedgehog from a different angle

Long view from the Grand View

Looking down on Dr. K and Becca from the heights

Boulders along the trail

Two views of a lizard hanging on the side of a rock

Used the Dry Brush filter on this image