A Warm Morning

Morning moon in B&W

On an initially cold morning (32F, felt like 25F) we did a normal hike up to First Arroyo.  Upon entering the arroyo the wind died down and the day began to warm.  Off came the ear coverings and gloves.  We drank some water, took a few photos, and then headed back.

As we neared the Tellbrook Arroyo we saw a person hesitate at the top of LDR, decide to hike east on the upper flatland road, and then descend LDR-A thereby avoiding us.  We passed heading in opposite directions, the ample space between the two dirt roads separating us.  I waved at him, but he didn't wave back; either he didn't notice my greeting or he wasn't very friendly.

We saw nobody else during our trek, and there were no vehicles parked in the Tellbrook/Sonoma Ranch lot when we got back to the waiting CR-V.

Intersections again

Dr. K with the Heelers

Organs

Frio and Willow

Frio

Willow

Yuccas with shadows and a tiny moon

Moon over desert hill

Soaptree Yucca leaves

Looking southwest across the Mesilla Valley

Heelers

Desert moon again

The Dave Clark Five

 

A Desert Jaunt

Two fangs past Wolf

The weather was pleasant for our trek up to Second Arroyo and back this morning; the cold front that blew in overnight didn't seem to lower the temperatures at all.  So we had few breezes and bright sunshine for the duration of our outing.

Although there were quite a few vehicles parked at the Tellbrook/Sonoma Ranch lot, the desert we chose to hike in was nearly unpopulated.  The only people we saw were climbing into a white pickup parked in the Tellbrook Arroyo; and all four of us watched as their vehicle drove up LDR ahead of us.

It was a beautiful day for a hike in our section of the northern Chihuahuan Desert.

Distant yucca (right) is probably as big as this one

New Mexico vista with moon

Intersections

Tortugas and the Organs

All Heeler photos:  Willow and Frio or Frio and Willow

This and the next 6:  Organ Mountains

That's one small step for a man

Ocotillos

 

 

 

 

Drizzle to Rain

Upper flatland road

On a cloudy and relatively cold (42F) morning the four of us hiked up to First Arroyo and back.  We got sprinkled upon at the start of the trek and sprinkled on again at the very end.  During the drive back home the rain picked up significantly, but never poured down.

Looks to be a cloudy and rainy day here in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, and we're under a wind advisory beginning tonight at 10 p.m. through 8 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Clouds over the Organs

This and the next:  odd clouds over LDR

View to the southwest

This and the next:  south on LDR

This and the next:  entering First Arroyo

Potrillo Mountains on the horizon

This and the next 2:  how big is this Soaptree Yucca?

Heelers and human added for scale

The rest:  virga to the southwest