Beep Beep or Meep Meep?

Paralleling the west side of the mountain

Got a fairly early start on the long trek west of Tortugas Mountain this morning.  While it felt a bit chilly at start, the temperature rose quickly.  Never wore ear protection or gloves, and I removed my Polartec jacket slightly before the midpoint of the hike.

I was feeling a little down about Becca while hiking, but that was remedied, in part, by encountering four dogs.  The first two were running ahead of a man jogging, and the second two were trekking ahead of two women hikers.  The most satisfying encounter was with one of the latter pups who licked my hand while I petted him.

There seemed to be quite a few outdoor enthusiasts on and about the mountain, as indicated by the large number of vehicles in the Sunset Area parking lot, but the above-mentioned humans and canines were the only ones I bumped into.

Light and shadow

Tortugas and the Organs

Under the star:  fleeing peccary butt

An arroyo runs through it

This and the next:  scenes while bushwhacking

Soaptree Yucca stalk with a curve

This and the next 2:  Roadrunner running around on our property