Foggy Start

Fog across the Mesilla Valley

Got a fairly early start on my morning trek west of Tortugas Mountain, and the dewpoint was so high it created patchy fog in our section of the northern Chihuahuan Desert.  The humidity could have been higher, but not by much; when I began the hike it was 62 degrees Fahrenheit with a humidity of 93%.

I stayed on the sunset side of the mountain, and there were a small number of people out and about as early as I was; it got significantly more crowded during my inbound leg.  One of the hikers heading to the mountaintop was my buddy Jimmy, and he and I stood talking for a good long while as several groups of people passed by us.

Four of the trekkers--in two separate groups--each had a dog on a lead, and several of the canines came over to greet Jimmy and me.  Two of them were white poodles I've encountered often west of the mountain, and another of the dogs looked to be a young Malinois.  Not long after the hikers departed from our location Jimmy and I went separate ways.

This and the next 2:  Plumed Crinklemat

A bit of fog west of Tortugas

Upper foothills trail

Foggy all the way to the base of Bishop Cap

This and the next:  both computer-enhanced images

In the upper foothills

On the outer loop road

Bosom buddies

Soaptree Yuccas and Ocotillo

On the road heading west

Somewhere along the road heading west

Tortugas Mountain from a distance

In an arroyo

Devil's Claw sans flowers

Loggerhead Shrike

Heading back

This and the next:  a different Loggerhead Shrike from the one above