Swainsy's Back

Sky at start

Just Willow and me on the morning hike today; Dr. K had to hang back in order to do part of her fantasy football draft.  Can you believe that?!

I saw Swainsy early on during our trek and realized that Wils and I would have to do some bushwhacking in order to get any decent photos of it.

We exited the left branch arroyo and struck across the desert to the wash west of the saddle north of which sits 4210 hill, where Swainsy was perched on the tallest yucca.  After several photos Willow and I retraced our tracks.

We then finished our hike following the usual route.

Barrel cactus slot machine

Soaptree Yuccas

 

This & next:  ocotillos with greenery still

Wils leading the way

Tortugas and the Organs

Willow taking a break

Swainsy on the yucca atop 4210 hill

Bushwhacking to get this image

Swainsy the Swainson's Hawk

Hill

This & next four:  Swainsy on yucca

Variegated Meadowhawk dragonfly

Say's Phoebe

Rain Deficit

This & next:  view of the Organs from the parking spot

Not quite as hot out there this morning, but bone dry; we haven't received the precipitation that was supposed to come over the past few days.

We followed our normal route, stopping several times for water and shade.  All hiking participants seemed to have a good time.

We have to take Willow to the vet this afternoon to get her rattlesnake vaccination.

Prickly pear pad with fruit and hypodermic needles

 

Barrel cactus

Dr. K looks cute in this photo, Willow not so much

Ocotillos

Hill west of Tortugas and the Organs

Doppler Dave Speelman, KVIA, El Paso with dire stats

Thursday's Usual Trek

Wils at rest

Cool again this morning, but sunny.  Humidity still high.  Dr. K, Willow and I followed our regular route, stopping only once for water; we took three or four shade breaks.

Saw the Basset people and their hounds when we were driving to the trailhead, but the aforementioned had already finished their hike before us.

Took some inferior photos of a jackrabbit alongside the right branch arroyo, and, in truth, I wasn't much in the mood for photography today.

Yucca leaves

This & next:  hill between us and the Organs

 

Last 4:  American Desert Hare (aka "jackrabbit")

Humper

Sky at start of hike

This morning felt even more like the beginning of fall in the northern Chihuahuan Desert; it was cloudy, cool and breezy--almost chilly at times.

Dr. K, Willow and I followed our usual route, and even though we carried water with us we didn't stop for shade or to get a drink.

Came straight home after the outing.  Not long afterwards Dr. K went shopping at Target.

This & next:  two slightly different images

 

This & next:  the middle branch arroyo

Heading toward the Organs on the east/west cross trail

Don't know what causes that light ring near the base

This & next:  same barrel cactus as above

View from the right branch arroyo

Willow looking cute

Last 3:  same Trailing Four O'Clock

Faintest Hint of Autumn

1st 2:  morning sky

It was partly cloudy and cool this morning when Dr. K, Willow and I set off on our daily hike.  Combined with a cool breeze, weather conditions felt almost like the beginning of fall.  It was pleasant relief from recent hot days.

We did our usual trek not needing to stop as many times due to absence of brutal sunshine.  Another factor that kept us moving was the relative abundance of ants; they usually come out after rain, which we had last night.

When we were about to climb the steep hill out of the right branch arroyo Willow picked up a strong scent from over the hilltop.  When we scaled the summit we saw what she had picked up:  a single javelina heading down LDR-A,  I took several photos of it.  Shortly after that we saw another javelina to the south speeding across the desert to get away from us.  It was running full out, and Dr. K said she didn't realize javelina could move so fast.  I had seen them galloping like that in the past.  A little research on my part revealed these startling facts:  a javelina can broad jump six feet from a standstill and can run as fast as 35 mph.

Tortugas and the Organs

 

Arroyos were running last night

New growth from old

Picacho (in shadow) and environs

Loggerhead Shrike

Ridge with yuccas and the Organ Mountains

Desert and sky

This & next:  ocotillos

Picacho (in sunlight) and environs

Whitethorn Acacia flowers

Willow heading up the right branch trail

This & next 3:  prickly pear experiment

View from the right branch arroyo

This & next 2:  same javelina

Different javelina at full gallop