Arroyo Exploration Deluxe

They're refurbishing rather than tearing down the observatory

Followed the major east/west arroyo almost to the base of Tortugas Mountain this morning, exiting at the dirt road furthest east, the road behind the line workers grounds.  I hadn't been up that way in ages.

I took that road back up to the northernmost dirt road and hiked it west just south of the major arroyo all the way back to Geothermal Road.

From that location it's just a matter of a half mile or so back to the spot where I'd left the CR-V in the parking lot near the entrance to the NMSU golf course.  There were two guys just starting up Geothermal when I got there, but they were the only other people I saw in the area.

Mesquite beans

Climbing Milkweed seed pods

Climbing Milkweed flowers

Hummer

I'll pretend I'm a thorn

Heading east in the major arroyo

Hairy False Goldenaster

Further up the arroyo

Climbing Milkweed seed disbursement chute

Dayflower

Growing everywhere in the arroyo

This and the next 5:  Goldfinches in Goldenaster

Climbing Milkweed

Way up the arroyo

Zombie yuccas

This and the next:  dead tree

Globemallow

Torrey Yucca