Another Lonely Hike

Layers

Had one of those long, lonesome treks where I was missing Becca profoundly; only natural, I guess, when you've hiked with a dog nearly every morning for close to thirteen years.  That leaves a pronounced groove in your psyche that can't be easily filled.

I was mildly annoyed today at the number of people climbing the mountain who felt obliged to yell to one another at (or near) the top of their lungs.  I understand that people don't realize how sound carries in the desert, especially sound magnified by a mountainous backdrop, but they are yelling, nonetheless.

I only encountered one couple out west of Tortugas, a man and woman hiking with a small dog on a lead; the dog was wearing a brightly colored sweater. :)

Levels

Far west of Tortugas

This and the next:  2 lousy shots of an American Kestrel

Soaptree Yucca

Torrey Yucca

The crowns of the above yucca

Another Soaptree

This and the next:  desert greenery

This and the next:  desert flora flourishes where the water flows