Battered by Cold Wind

West of the mountain, early

I thought I had dressed appropriately for an early morning hike today--long trousers, long-sleeve shirt, Polartech coat, Marmot PreCip jacket, ear band, hat and gloves--but I still froze my butt off due to a cold, brutal wind.  Within the first quarter mile I had to put the hood of the PreCip jacket up to help block the strong gusts of frigid air.  I didn't remove any items of clothing until I had nearly reached Whitey the CR-V at hike's end.

There was only one vehicle in the Sunset Area parking lot when I arrived at around 7:20, and there were only four or so in the lot when I finished up.  I did see a couple of runners on the mountain road, one of them radically under-dressed in my opinion:  long-sleeve shirt, shorts and calf-length socks.  I know you warm up when you're running, but no way you can block the wind in an outfit like that.

On the final leg of my trek, just when I reached the junction with the single-track where Shaq's memorial is, I said hello to two guys who were just setting off on their hike.  I was grateful mine was nearly over.

Sunlight breaking across the desert floor

Desert Cottontail enjoying the first rays of winter sunshine

Trail between two dirt roads

Ocotillo and sinuous Tortugas Mountain

Probably a Red-tailed Hawk

Far west of the mountains

Closer in

This and the next 2:  might be the same Red-tailed Hawk I saw yesterday

This and the next:  views of Tortugas and the Organs

Can you guess which type of Barrel Cactus this is?

Soaptree Yuccas

Soaptree Yucca crown growing out of fallen trunk

A different perspective of the fallen trunk

Barrel Cacti and a huge Torrey Yucca

Trekking past that huge Torrey Yucca