Long Thursday Hike

The high life in southern New Mexico

Becca and I got a very early start this morning west of Tortugas, and, as a result, we had to hike a mile or so in the shadow of the mountain before breaking into the sunlight; and it was pretty chilly out there:  34F.  Nevertheless, by the time we reached the sun we had warmed up sufficiently.  The weather conditions became so pleasant (we're headed for a high of 65F) I decided to extend our trek significantly, and Becca seemed to hold up well despite the added distance.  By the time we were headed back to Whitey the CR-V I was considering removing the lightweight vest I was wearing under my Marmot PreCip jacket.  I didn't, though, but it never felt overly warm for me.  Becca seemed pretty comfortable as well, and her comfort is always the most important issue on my mind.

The rugged west side of Tortugas Mountain

Closer look at the deep gully cut by runoff

A section of the road leading up (top left)

Lone yucca and Becca

Same yucca

Odd contrail

Road west of the mountain

Becca at the side of the road

Soaptree Yucca at the side of a different road

Now Becca's on that road

Looking back at the way we just came

No, we're not going that way

The vast Chihuahuan Desert

The long stare

Far Tortugas Mountain

Interesting cloud swirl

Densely populated section of desert

Soaptree Yucca and Creosote Bush

Yet another dirt road