Battered By Wind

Just getting started on a very blustery morning

Becca and I got an early start on a very blustery morning.  There was nobody in the Sunset Area when we started out, and only three vehicles in the parking lot when we finished up.  We did encounter one mountain biker as we were climbing the steep west side slope; Becca and I both stood aside the narrow single-track so he could pass; he said, "Good morning" as he did.

We saw nobody else, and it's easy to understand why; only insane beings like Becca and me would venture out on such an unpleasant morning.  The reward was apparent, though, in the many spectacular vistas made dynamic by the cloudy, windy conditions.  The weather has deteriorated radically since our outing, and now it's even more windy than before, the rain falling in waves.  Tomorrow is supposed to be even worse, so we'll have to see if a morning hike will be possible. 

Dynamic clouds

Clouds again

Going up

Why a sky

Pause for the cause

We have to go all the way up there?

Higher and higher

Meh

What blowing dust looks like

The wind only proved to get worse

Reaching an upper level

Three slightly different perspective of the same view #1

#2

#3

You can see the Organ Mountains a bit better from here

Here, too

Slope of Tortugas

Two nearly identical scenes

#2

Look at those clouds rolling over the Organs

I can only guess what's so interesting

Storm's a-coming

Sun breaking over Tortugas Mountain

Not many people out on a windy morning

The Turtle

Sign at the Sunset Area ramada

Male House Finch in a mesquite tree

Male House Finch