Far Side Farce

Early start on the far side of Tortugas Mountain

Becca and I got an early start on our trek out of the Monte Vista side of Tortugas Mountain.  A few vehicles were already in the parking lot when we got there, though we didn't see anybody.  We did a leisurely hike around the east side, looped around behind the mountain and followed a seldom-used trail south to the lower loop road.  We saw one runner we know, a guy named Pete, who either didn't see us or chose to ignore us despite my calling out and waving to him.  He was listening to music and concentrating on his steps, I guess.  The only other people we saw were back at the parking lot--a guy who drove down toward the ramada in his white Jeep, but turned around and left when Becca and I were piling back into Whitey, and a woman who was just finishing up her hike and heading to her car in the parking lot.  The area was sparsely populated on the far side of the mountain--just the way Becca and I like it.

Pastel clouds

The desert wakes

Half rock/half sky

Moseying along

Trail behind the mountain

Quotation-mark clouds

Looking up behind Tortugas

A bit closer in

High wind starting to mess things about

Crack in the boulder

Long view to the southwest

The distant Organs

Closing in on the mountains

How steep is Tortugas?

The ramada on the Monte Vista side of the mountain

Shadow and light