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Sun doing funny stuff behind the clouds |
I started off fairly early on a cloudy, humid morning here in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, and I got sprinkled on briefly as soon as I began hiking. The precipitation didn't last, though, and I never felt a drop the rest of the way.
I ran into a friend, Pete, who was running with a full pack sporting a ground pad and using two spring-loaded hiking sticks for support. When he stopped to talk he told me he was training for an end-of-October run on the Monumental Loop. If you don't know what that is check it out here:
https://bikepacking.com/routes/monumental-loop/
Later in the trek, when I was headed back on the mountain road near the old white shack, I encountered Renee and his dog, Rayo, who were headed east on Geothermal Road. Renee suggested we hike back to the Sunset Area together. It was very kind of him to let me spend extra time with Rayo, suggesting it was my "dog fix" for the day. And, indeed, it was just what I needed this morning.
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Across the Mesilla Valley |
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This and the next: Br'er Rabbit |
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High altitude cactus garden |
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Plumed Crinklemat |
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Ocotillos on the edge of a deep chasm-like arroyo |
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Long view |
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Plumed Crinklemat (aka Tiquilia greggii) |
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West of Tortugas |
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This and the next 2: on the outer loop road |
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Amarillo |
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The yellow flowers are Chinchweed |
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Further west of the mountain |
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Flank of Tortugas and the Organ Mountains |
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Southeast of Picacho Peak |
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Our Lady mountains |
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Soaptree Yucca and the mountains |
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This and the next 7: Desert Marigolds in an arroyo west of Tortugas |
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Looking east up the arroyo toward the mountains |
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This and the next: flora in the mountain foothills |
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American Kestrel (aka "Sparrow Hawk") is actually a small falcon |
1 comment:
The desert marigolds are so pretty--the rains have treated them well. I like the photo of the American Kestral.
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