 |
| Just starting out on the Monte Vista side of the mountain |
Becca and I waited a little this morning before heading out to the Monte Vista side of Tortugas Mountain to take full advantage of the sun. Of course the east side gets the early sunshine so we were pleased to bask in its warmth. As it turned out, though, it didn't feel nearly as cold as it has the past few mornings. Only one vehicle was parked in the lot when we got there, and that same vehicle was still there when we got back; this time, though, the driver was just climbing inside, starting the black SUV and pulling out. We saw nobody else during our trek, and on the way home we noticed only a few vehicles in the Sunset Area parking lot when we drove by. One of the reasons it's not crowded is the absence of students from our local university, who are still on holiday break.
 |
| Can't tell you how many times I've photographed these house-size boulders |
 |
| Lots of jet activity this Saturday morning |
 |
| Closer view |
 |
| The happy hiker on a favorite trail |
 |
| Saw this raptor, which I took to be a Red-tailed Hawk |
 |
| The hawk landed on rocks way up on the mountain |
 |
| It took off after a short while (pretty sure it's a Red-tailed Hawk) |
 |
| Torrey Yuccas up on the plateau |
 |
| Checking to see who else is out here |
 |
| Better check this way, too |
 |
| What is it about yuccas? |
 |
| Organ Mountains |
 |
| High wind messing the contrail clouds about |
 |
| Barrel Cactus |
 |
| The accordion-like pleats allow the cactus to expand with water |
 |
| Probably the nest of a Cactus Wren |
 |
| What the wind does |
 |
| Sun through a Torrey Yucca crown |
 |
Contrail sky
|
1 comment:
I wonder if that cactus wren nest has been occupied on and off for several years. It's been a beautiful winter day in the desert.
Post a Comment