New Year's Eve Trek

Becca sees somebody approaching on the trail

Not long after starting off this morning Becca and I ran into Tracey (not sure of the spelling) and her beautiful dog, George.  (We once had a cat, George, who we named after the old mountain lion at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.) Becca and George have met a few times in the past, but they are more acquaintances than friends.  They greet each other then ignore each other.  Becca does the same thing with her buds in High Rolls; she's eager for them to show up at our place, but then ignores them after a short interaction.  Not long after parting ways with George, Becca spotted two mountain bikers enjoying a morning ride in the northern Chihuahuan Desert.  We saw other people after that:  two runners on the mountain road, a small group of hikers heading up the trail that parallels the arroyo on the mountain's west side, and a single hiker who greeted us on the final leg of our trek.  There were quite a few vehicles in the Sunset Area parking lot by the time we got back to Whitey the CR-V.  It was chilly during our hike, but the abundant sunshine helped ameliorate the cold.

It's George

They greet each other briefly

This is the extent of Becca and George's relationship

Allthorn growing along the foothills trail

What does Becca see?

Mountain biking in the high desert

Quite a different view from yesterday's

Bushwhacking not recommended through here

Prickly Pear Cactus turning purple

Becca being vigilant

Squiggly trail

West side of Tortugas Mountain