Friday Bushwhack

Mickey

Becca and I did a long bushwack west of Tortugas Mountain this morning, and the weather was beautiful.  I had to remove my new L.L. Bean Mountain Classic Jacket just short of a quarter mile into our hike because the temperature was too warm.  We're heading for 80F today, and I'm guessing we'll reach it.  We went looking for our pal, an enormous Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus to monitor the progress of its buds; they're definitely bigger than the last time we checked.  We crossed paths with a mountain biker when we finally decided to rejoin the single-track trail just beneath the area where it begins to climb back into the higher foothills; and on the finally leg of the trek we stood aside for a man and woman who were hiking up the dirt road, and later we stepped off the trail to allow a guy with a hiking stick to go by.  I'm sure it will be pretty crowded on and about the mountain later today as outdoor enthusiasts get ready to enjoy the nice weather.

Becca the merry bushwhacker

Try bushwhacking through here

Trunk of a dead yucca

I fiori

Narrow arroyo west of Tortugas

Barrel Cactus, Soaptree Yucca and Prickly Pear

Checking up on our buds (Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus)

Coming along nicely

Getting bigger

This and the next 4:  Roadrunner on Ocotillo branch