Biting Wind

Hiking slightly west of the mountain

Becca and I got an early start on a very chilly desert morning today.  The temperature was in the mid-30s, but a cold, biting wind made it feel like the low-20s.  It's a good thing I had to abbreviate the hike in order to do my weekly shopping tasks because it didn't feel significantly warmer when we were headed back in.  We saw only one other outdoor enthusiast today, not long after we'd begun our trek.  I had just taken that first photo of the mountain's west side when a man rounded a bend headed in our direction.  When I made Becca stand to one side, the man said, "The trail's plenty wide enough for the three of us."  He and I had a good chuckle over that.  Becca didn't find it at all amusing.

Looking at those yuccas a bit closer

A really sandy section of desert

Becca and her shadow

Bend in the desert

On a different road

Tortugas and the distant Organs

One west-side trail up the mountain