Sunny Saturday

This and the next:  mountain bikers

Hit the trail west of Tortugas Mountain slightly before 8 this morning.  Vehicles were streaming in beside me as I stepped out of Whitey the CR-V at the edge of the entrance road where I parked.  For a moment I wondered if an event had been scheduled for this sunny Saturday morn, but, apparently, it was crowded only because people wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous desert day.

Ran into the mountain bikers pictured here several times during my peregrination; I've encountered them fairly often in the Tortugas Mountain Trails section of the desert before.  I've even seen them heading toward the mountain from our neighborhood early on a Sunday morning.  They're all really friendly guys who are dedicated to their particular sport.

There were other outdoor enthusiasts on and about the mountain, but I didn't run into any.  The Sunset Area parking lot was almost full when I got back to my vehicle.

High-altitude cactus garden

Loggerhead Shrike

High desert plateau

West of Tortugas Mountain

Further west of the mountain

This and the next:  Cactus Wren

Black-throated Sparrow