Amelioration

Ramada on the Monte Vista side of Tortugas Mountain

75F when Dr. K, Becca and I left the house this morning headed for the near side of Tortugas Mountain; but the Sunset Area was already filled with cars, a continuation, perhaps, of the event that took place yesterday.  There were only two vehicles in the Monte Vista parking lot near the ramada when we reached the far side.

Not long after we wrapped around the south side of the mountain a woman running with her dog (on lead) appeared.  She stopped to greet us, and Becca and the woman's dog, Tillie, interacted in a friendly manner--Becca wagging her tail.  The two dogs looked similar in some ways, and I said to the woman, "They look like they share some genes."  The woman said, "They do."  A moment later, gently urging her dog to part company with Becca, the woman said, "Come on girl, say goodbye to your cousin."

After that, in the distance, we saw two women hiking on the loop trail nearest the mountain, and, later we crossed paths with two women trekking on the outer loop trail; we were on our way back in when we greeted the latter two.

The morning was very hot, but a breeze that sometimes shaded toward wind helped to ameliorate the heat.  Nevertheless, we all were thankful to get back to Whitey the CR-V, climb inside after a short water break, and crank up the air conditioning for the ride home.

Looking up from the north side of Tortugas

Rock outcrops

View along the east side of the mountain

Sotol and jet

That same Sotol

Two almost identical shots of the trail west

#2 is slightly altered by computer filter

Toward the Franklin Mountains (left) and the Sierra de Juarez

Bishop Cap (left) and the Franklin Mountains near El Paso

Two computer-enhanced photos of the same humming bird

#2

Becca on break

View from the east

Still on break

That trail up the draw leads (eventually) to the mountaintop

Ripe

Computer-enhanced flycatcher

This and the next 2:  Organ Mountains

Becca on the way back

Tortugas from further east

Not long until we finish up

Prickly Pear pears