A Thursday Morning Trek

Lone Ocotillo

Becca and I started out early on this Thursday morning unsure of how far we intended to trek.  When we started up the section of the narrow trail to the upper foothills I decided to take the new trail across to the single-track and descend into the lower desert.  Becca had no complaints.  We reached the dirt road that crossed through a wide arroyo to the north, opting to head east along the arroyo bank to the road behind the lineworker program grounds.  We saw a few distant hikers and one mountain biker who seemed in no hurry to get anywhere.  Who could blame him?--the weather was perfect for a morning hike.  In fact, midway through our outing I had to stop to remove my vest from beneath my Marmot PreCip jacket.  There was one, small perturbation that upset the normal progress of our journey.  When Becca decided to have a bowel movement she boxed herself into an area that restricted easy turnaround, and when she jockeyed to get out of her predicament she stepped directly into her deposit with the left rear foot.  I had to use most of my drinking water to wash off her paw, which I then dried with a paper towel I carry in a plastic baggie meant for just such emergencies.  I was a little put out with her, though; in the vast, wide-open spaces of the desert you'd think she could avoid places that restrict movement. :)

Early start just west of the mountain

The Magi (actually a single Torrey Yucca)

Long view of the Chihuahuan Desert east of the Rio Grande

Allthorn with sun coming through

Allthorn

Leader of the pack

Anybody else out here?

There must be other outdoor enthusiasts here

Rocky desert in the high foothills

Approaching the end of the new trail

Long single-track

Chihuahuan Desert flora

Two Barrel Cacti

Creosote/tree/Tortugas/Organ Mountains

Mountain biking in the desert

Poor-to-lousy long-distance shot of a Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana)