After Easter

Bushwhacking through here

Frio, Willow and I took the long dirt road off of Tellbrook this morning and had to start bushwhacking just past the major east/west arroyo because a guy with several dogs was coming up behind us.  We put distance and rugged desert between us, and we never saw them again.

After we crossed through the hills west of Tortugas Mountain and intersected with the southernmost dirt road we took it back east until reaching the road that heads south.  We followed that dirt road all the way down to a smaller arroyo we frequently explore.  By then I realized we'd come too far to retrace our steps, so I decided to venture down the arroyo all the way to its junction with the east/west arroyo.

I'd never taken that route before, and I was worried that trekking through that particular sandy stretch would be too much of a slog; but it turned out to be an all right decision because it definitely was the shortest way back to the long dirt road and up to our waiting CR-V.

On break in a wash

Desert Zinnia

Ocotillo leafed out

This and the next:  Scott's Oriole

Ocotillo leafing out

This and the next:  Scarlet Hedgehog Cactus

This and the next:  harbinger of high winds

This and the next:  blooming Torrey Yucca

Scarlet Hedgehog

This and the next 4:  Torrey Yuccas in bloom

This and the next 2:  Hedgehog pollinator

Moon

This and the next:  Ocotillo buds

One of my favorite yuccas

Heelers

Headed down this arroyo

Desert Zinnia