Hunting for a Mouse McMuffin

On the foothills trail west side of the mountain

Becca and I got an earlier start than yesterday on this frigid morning in the northern Chihuahuan Desert.  It was so cold that I never took my gloves off, even when snapping photos.  I kept the hood of my anorak on my head for three-fourths of the hike.  I didn't intend to take many pictures because of the cold--nor did I plan on trekking very far--but the Red-tailed Hawk I spotted changed our plans.  The Beckster and I probably hiked twice as long as we normally would have in order for me to sneak up stealthily on that beautiful raptor to get as many images of it as possible.  I did fairly well until Mr. Hawk decided he'd had enough of the pesky human and its canine companion.

Ocotillo and Prickly Pears

On the new trail

Hope that doesn't kink your neck Bec

Devil's Head fraternal twins

Bushwhacking to reach that tall yucca

Getting there

What at first looked like a small nest . . .

. . . was really a growth on the Ocotillo branch

It's a tall Soaptree Yucca

Becca and the Soaptree

She's curious about somebody jogging up on the foothills trail

Geez--yet another image of the yucca

Looking almost straight up at it

The tallest Soaptree Yucca in our section of desert (I estimate it at 20 feet)

The crown

This is easy bushwhacking

Back on the single-track

This is who forced us to hike a lot longer than planned

A beautiful Red-tailed Hawk hunting for breakfast

I had to really sneak up on him

Intent on catching something

Almost ready to go

Talk about "hawk eyes"

This was going to be the best shot

Wind power/water power/mountain

This is the "Devil's Claw" used by the Unicorn Plant to spread its seeds