Onto the Less-Beaten Path

Headed for the sunshine

Dr. K, Becca and I headed up to Soledad Canyon to hike part of the Bar Canyon loop trail this morning.  We decided not to do the loop, though, choosing instead to head south along the trail that ends up beside Chimney Rock.  We went all the way to the missile range boundary sign before turning back and trekking the way we came in.  When we first started off there were four hikers ahead of us--a man and woman with two dogs--but we never ran into them.  We did encounter a man and woman on our way out, and further along the final leg of the trail a man hiking alone.  There were four or five vehicles in the parking lot when we got back to Whitey, and a black pickup was just pulling in as we were leaving.  As we drove home we noticed that the Sunset Area entrance road and parking lot were jam-packed with vehicles, and we figured everyone was taking advantage of the gorgeous weather.

First sighting of old Sol

From the Bar Canyon Loop Trail

Organ Mountains

To the southwest

Sotol and Becca

Multiform Organ Mountains

This and the next 5:  shapes and shadows in the Organs

Jet and contrail

Contrail

Love the juniper and grassland terrain

Junipers in the grassland

Distant look at the Organs

Chimney Rock

Decorations still up on the wilderness Christmas Tree

Interesting land forms

Progressively closer views of the Chimney

Danger zone

Back the way we came

Two last looks at the Chimney

Heading out

Further along on our exit plan

Grass/juniper/Organs/clouds/sky

Becca leading the way

Dark-Eyed Junco