1500 Feet, 10 Degrees

During Becca's morning constitutional on our property

Today's high where we hiked yesterday:  72F.  The high where we hiked today:  82F.  1500 feet down the mountain and the temperature is 10 degrees hotter.  It didn't feel too bad, though, because Dr. K, Becca and I hit the Grand View Trail at 8:10 a.m.

We didn't see anybody else during our entire trek, and we managed to finish up and drive down to the Salado Canyon trailhead and back in search of the new trail the Rails-to-Trails crew is finishing up before we saw a guy standing behind a pickup truck staring at his mobile at the lower Grand View trailhead.

It was a beautiful morning for an early trek, and we three enjoyed it thoroughly.

Just another look up Haynes Canyon

Becca on our road

Morning in the Sacramentos

This and the next:  Bear Grass (Nolina microcarpa) putting up a flower stalk

View into the Tularosa Basin

Spotted Towhee

Apache Plume along the Grand View Trail

Sotol

Dr. K and Becca

Prickly Pear on the rocks

Odd-shaped Sotol

This and the next 2:  Sotols blooming everywhere

The payoff for bushwhacking in the high country

Sotols, Becca and the moon

Same as the previous

This and the next 2:  more Sotols

My two favorite hiking companions

Long view to White Sands

White Sands

Ancient juniper

Becca on break

Midway ramada

Becca and Dr. K

Sotol with White Sands in the distance

Part of La Luz?

Sotol flowers

Hiking through the cut

Cactus and Sotols

Crumbling cliff

And finally:  more Sotols