A Close Encounter of the 4th Kind

Sky at start

Windy and chilly when I set off west of Tortugas Mountain this morning, but a dynamic sky alive with clouds and light ameliorated the bad weather conditions.  I followed the upper foothills trail to its crest and then dropped down into the lower desert.  At the intersection with the road around the mountain I headed northwest, and right before reaching the junction with the road leading west I had an encounter with two desert denizens that scared the crap out of all of us.  My sudden appearance above a small rise startled them, and their mad dash through the desert surprised me.

I caught sight of the larger of two Javelinas no more than ten feet to my left, and it immediately bolted away, quickly putting distance between us.  The baby--on my right side and just beyond the road--hesitated long enough for me to grab for my camera, but just as I pulled it out the little bugger took off like a shot.  You'd be surprised at how fast Javelinas can run.  Although today is the morning I make my weekly pilgrimage to Target and Albertsons to grocery shop, I decided to bushwhack after the Collared Peccaries in hopes I might spot them again and take a few photos.  Despite tracking their obvious hoof prints for a mile or so I never saw the critters again.

The effort was worth it, though, as I was able to capture a couple of nice images of the mountains from a great distance.

Single-track along the western flank

Clouds over Tortugas

This and the next:  across the Mesilla Valley otra vez

Site of my encounter with two Javelinas

Organ Mountains in partial sunlight

Big dog

Franklin Mountains on the horizon

This and the next 7:  long views of Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Closer view of the mountains

Arroyo (center) I often explore

Cactus Wren in the wind