Sunny Saturday

Organ Mountains

The four of us did a longer hike on this sunny Saturday morning:  up to Second Arroyo and then a bushwhack over to a small single track trail that I used to hike fairly regularly with Becca.

Once we picked up that trail we were able to follow it west and then south, paralleling LDR almost down to the Tellbrook Arroyo.  Once past the arroyo we hiked LDR-A back up into the high flatland.

We saw nobody during our sojourn, and animal sightings were few; the Heelers did act as though they were onto a scent several times, but we weren't sure what they'd picked up.

Soaptree Yuccas

This and the next:  Soaptree Yucca seed pods

Fallen Soaptree Yucca

Heelers

This and the next 3:  Tortugas and the Organs

Soaptree Yuccas

This and the next:  Tortugas and the Organs

Barrel Cactus

This and the next 6:  Tortugas and the Organs

Barrel Cactus fruit

Organ Mountains

Yuccas/contrails

Horsetails from contrails?

 

A Fine Friday

Long view

Dr. K, Willow, Frio and I took a normal hike up to First Arroyo and back this morning.  The weather was pleasant:  40F and headed to a high of 71F.  Plenty of sun and no wind.

The only other person we saw out there today was a runner who passed west of us on LDR; we'd got far enough off the road that he didn't even see us.

Lots of good exercise for us all on this fine Friday in late October.

Long view with yucca

Mountains never meet

Yucca/mountain/observatory

Frio and Willow

Willow and Frio

View from First Arroyo

This and the next:  Soaptree Yuccas

Heelers and Dr. K in First Arroyo

You see what I see?

Birds of a feather?

Organ Mountains

Squiggly cloud at right is probably a missile contrail

 

After the Snow

Tortugas Mountain Observatory

The four of us did a normal hike up to Second Arroyo, crossed over into First Arroyo and then headed back.  We saw no trace of the snow highly visible over the past few days.  The desert sun took care of the white stuff.

No other outdoor enthusiasts were present in our section of the northern Chihuahuan Desert today.  Perhaps it was too cold for them, although the 37F temperature seemed fine because no wind detracted from the pleasantly warm conditions.

Br'er Coyote was in Second Arroyo before us

Frio and Willow

This and the next:  Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Observatory again

No trace of snow

 

Snow Trek

A very muddy long dirt road

After I dug Whitey the CR-V out from under about 6" of snow this morning we four headed out for an early snow trek.  We drove up Tellbrook and parked at the dirt pullout, and then got on the road--a very muddy road I must say.

About two-thirds of the way down LDR-A we heard, and then saw, some people descending LDR with dogs; I believe it was the hikers we've seen on occasion with their overweight Basset Hounds.  The hounds were barking at our dogs, so we decided to do a little bushwhacking away from a potential meet-up, choosing to hike eastward in the Tellbrook Arroyo for fifty yards or so before striking across the desert in a northeasterly direction--a route we've taken before.

Turns out it was a serendipitous choice because I was able to capture some desert scenes we'd not have seen had we done our normal trek.

Clouds blanketing the Organ Mountains

This and the next:  in the high flatland

This and the next 2:  alongside LDR-A

This and the next:  snow on a Soaptree Yucca

Snow scene:  Soaptree Yucca and the Organ Mountains

Tortugas and the Organs

Blanket of clouds over the Organs

Soaptree

Snow melted inside the arroyo

Snow on Mesquite Tree leaves

Soaptree and snow

Snow-covered Mesquite Tree

Tortugas and the Organs again

Snow on Mesquite

Next 2:  snowy scene with the Organs for a background

Willow and Frio

Frio and Willow with Dr. K

Lenticular clouds over the Organs

Next 3:  more snow on desert plants

Rugged Organ Mountains in snow

Snowy scene with Organs for a backdrop

Last 2:  those clouds again