![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bv1TfLIwf3bUk7AUCEXjFKNtJvnDwzETor-FbbyQ1TOfmpvYvp9rqSvrG-QwSddplEplh8i4L4ZNZK6uegiRiZDILNNZ7Xlwmu2XxXywDo8lTLgadpATP-jKV2g4b-_E8gifN6qA814m/s400/Cloudy+Day+003.JPG) |
This kind of day so far (2:05 p.m.) in the Chihuahuan Desert |
Becca and I got an early start on our morning hike, and the weather was fairly warm for mid-February: 46F when we headed out. The cloud cover, no doubt, kept the temperature up, and the skies remained cloudy all day (so far). We had a nice, somewhat shorter trek because I thought I detected a slight hitch in Becca's giddyup. She was good throughout the outing, though, and she seems all right here at home. We saw a few other enthusiasts on and about the mountain, but the Sunset Parking lot was sparsely populated with vehicles when we got back to Whitey the CR-V. I did take my Garmin GPS unit with me and used it to mark a track during our trek, but I didn't feel compelled to do a screenshot of the Google Earth satellite image.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOs_6Qamn4yDeK2i1BT0MlCmpVuucDysZAbfh-1gXX5AyU7O4LopxitDgch2otHcSlflTR2p9wX8PlEHybxcYWP5Id4bcQDZGZ8rACJMFGpxa0Ek9da_XbgjSUEwihMXNIAfVVucphNx9O/s400/Cloudy+Day+005.JPG) |
Same scene as yesterday, different weather conditions |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBsYndtCOnWZVKNlJ2AZXOjWJAJL0-WR7fHOKrwjt7oHWHjwxY_r9XhAQiL9LmhuLwVKROgMVETU63p6TC6R7OqRJRXaialUtdqz3LxlEvQPnXS2g_UBc0i8K8D52msXaMktIMUbgTVeI/s400/Cloudy+Day+008.JPG) |
Hiking along the ridge west of Tortugas Mountain |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWKc2uDkAsmEfoKZvMXcUJAM5o8_k86LQ-jPZ37lZFg9r0XLcj88CqFNbBrzfnMFWCjPvDKwX1E3qu-qCojxxsH01S6Igfj98dCtD5ERcIsuq_zvgIbZmKamOjXE4mdLG1oAW0qTytwNkY/s400/Cloudy+Day+009.JPG) |
Becca on the ridge line |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM96Nx6jQHKj3HPF37z7fC8FqpEDyUOAHLvUZtEt-BdAn2FUBLru8F3Dz0NZ67SBTwsJTkr0JoUBzC6V6dViDCEu3KET8BvjzrJ2JO1_0d6GeweFHFSNSgvJRxrDnJhKLfBcXJwV908XDh/s400/Cloudy+Day+011.JPG) |
This and the next 2: Lyreleaf Jewelflowers |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjukq7Bo1PjTkYmwNx7bjYMU9DroYW_2bR1WI8iK8-2bmyBMRp4HDDcv5u_WBGLKl7mjR_zPm-9NHM_aBC3ML-8vosehQk-OH2qi3PFN1SNIa51-zqYnwyIjArltk_owaecGsNx5qgg6TK9/s400/Cloudy+Day+018.JPG) |
Having a blast in the cloudy weather |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd_FPV9OH3QRuwqjkihExh_GUFi0HCWcTlAaWWEtwYUj82lcNLtlmAvZxC3d1egUcl5h1r0586_Ls9bHrrJTzPiDzQnabtZs6qgWPEx2Y-APKa80yoKKn0vGLzE8e3Z-XAxxEn4NB_ddaB/s400/Cloudy+Day+020.JPG) |
Sandy section of the desert west of the mountain |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6HRcco51GPqeCAeG8RD53PLEkGHfQW8rUm-PJZeMLlGd8RHHxdjU5Uo6Eyb5c1NoUc865gUOGfOG2Jrs6WXFWLZJhyphenhyphen6SARho8PcYMjwbmPRd0ZQ6NwL7kW4THdE3eghPf0ri3wWvQTqh/s400/Cloudy+Day+021.JPG) |
Nerisyrenia Camporum |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oK7qb8gkDmO6bfZhnB4EXYm1__XIuBSFC75ZtAindkeDqwby3fKeRfQCXCrrGvV8np53cllUyi_ymfXwQhY8ARk7OfB7H9YBadxB5RCHi5eRQ5tH-fYNhu8iVxjKPBZwweVlhb6BTIPf/s400/Cloudy+Day+025.JPG) |
Bushwhacking Becca |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ZA-DIooVepp41xRIWMUM_xP2QBciAeSejinsh2oQXr2D8Z5eRaBvtxcij4kT109UZU97z9O5kQgzFn3OJaXhhmhR3gx1VBUKNr6Fe5h_eK7jxOBwJFDHlzMmQdDCw7EzDFlJIUPREuJY/s400/Cloudy+Day+026.JPG) |
Checking out the area |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscPJap9Og1Pue5-jgV3tKVqd4nN2OjW0l10SCSBoVOVyJI_8o0SQRIRq9_sJUZ9EkhLgDiYhD163P0vtHmptMG2mKoWDv7z-hdnMWso3TvpTZi15YHWNGI-P5XB5-_PIWxSL4QZJCkdms/s400/Cloudy+Day+028.JPG) |
Scouting around |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdJPbQBrDyPEFSOWnquoe1sVBfQ1HLqfVqYGIktPnezH4b7ZZESiYyXiHCMpjN06VFOsz3RbadL4IKYu13JDt189mL5idd1AqVtKNFFM4cnnyn1uzz_gyfeSyexziZYJ2-8Ej6NvwVog-/s400/Cloudy+Day+031.JPG) |
White-winged Dove |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWHQWmEXscc1Ij-N2yqiH7k0P_xgNP7CPnW9dKHqCFHMBNYf0_IfuRFVmTg-boFrfxTN7ud22K_TeOWuRONSC0YJ85xdx49iVvN9T5UOuEeRtQoL6mXqYLfv-D9KKo4HvTokDNwfHvvgb/s400/Cloudy+Day+032.JPG) |
The same White-winged Dove |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfX3EWvJhdPMiidtgqOc7zjkS-uZbRlVofrBLsZ9QACYhLrpaLJjS6X_uQFdR2dRYDUUlZB5BQXoohOO95aJ8vX7PNYeT4zfsqN_gez_wamdqXP-eIzlm29ABJgGVkgkzTxjR0Xjfl20nR/s400/Cloudy+Day+034.JPG) |
Soaptree Yucca and the Franklin Mountains |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZ2shiNq6Ke7AEkTEoJ1Lf7oXIi2TP_KWEKwKTbonsTzBFg0ChwZ4prBh6v5ZdoEDi7YN85wVjkXRdNZc3hW2Nog6tu7ctQ3TjvYtO1-OYAQk2ZVDRpvixwBE2z_w2E62vC5OqT9USd6l/s400/Cloudy+Day+036.JPG) |
Soaptree Yuccas and the Franklin Mountains |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwxqeGW2wRCa5dfKFaXTwvPKCQlOKitc8oeax-XuuAciCSQ1XhZeCKGb7swHAQ08wzBkvNPsmoFqNVHZFtogLiO8047OT5BhBXXwOOBsWz-xdKNFOwyilVbKzxnhZ7TCgjY7AmpAs6M3e/s400/Cloudy+Day+038.JPG) |
Bicolor Fanmustard |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqh0UOoW5FWMlZk5oppOEromWHiC9mx5I2ixRg6l7jcGEHslWRsPktQ1xUUcvhMuATVCQhyhyphenhyphenpxRryi6Mnrvfo7WC3oL0l-DLLxVVVcmivvEtQ_VDXbzfAC7yISF3dKDD_Mn4iHaUdEM1/s400/Cloudy+Day+039.JPG) |
More mustards |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23XCxHIlLIOJGSr2w3NNUw7qITDGDplo6AVmMpg4pZ42VGFNn2E6UzaKkFRR3FEaZn7qWBCj6Q0U1jmjjvbBFgfdFlUI3WN-XuNYKCz0LVtdjRvDIfwoILU148FdmrLZyO2ZPY8m1_0qF/s400/Cloudy+Day+042.JPG) |
This and the next: Lyreleaf Jewelflowers |