Rain and Snow

Monte Vista side of Tortugas Mountain

Becca and I got a bit later start on our daily trek because it was pouring rain for hours this morning.  When we finally got to head out to Tortugas Mountain we saw that snow had fallen in the higher elevations of the Organ Mountains.  I decided then that we should do a hike out of the Monte Vista area in order to get some images of the Organs.  The cloud cover over the mountains was so heavy, though, that I could only get a few halfway decent shots of the white stuff.  Although conditions were wet and muddy, Becca and I were able to get in a moderately long trek before returning home.

It rained steadily for hours this morning

The rain turned to snow in the upper elevations

Becca getting ahead of the game

There's that boulder

Clouds and snow on the Organ Mountains

Demarcation line between rain and snow

Back behind the mountain

Franklin Mountains near El Paso blanketed in clouds

There's the happy hiker

Northern section of the Organ Mountains

Surprised to find two flowers in bloom (#1)

#2

I did a double-take when I examined this Torrey Yucca

Like one on the other side of the mountain this one is blooming, too

This one is in even fuller blossom

And it's got two heads flowering

Hard to imagine it blooming this late in the year

Wonderful to see it, nonetheless

Closeup of some of the Torrey Yucca blossoms

Becca is ready to scale the mountain (but we're not going that way)

Coming back around the mountain

She intimated that somebody was headed our way (there was nobody)

On the north side now

Passing the house-size boulders

Snow in the Organs