Morning Has Broken

Picacho bathed in early-morning light.

Ocotillos catching the first light.

The new observatory atop Tortugas gets the earliest of the sun's rays.

Ocotillos along the trail called Ocotillo Loop.

North and South

New flower and old Prickly Pear.

Desert camouflage.

Turkey Vulture eating road kill.

Vulture startled by oncoming car.

Vulture leaving with road kill.

Cool Mountain Shadow

Flowers still bloom on the mountain's west side.

Flora on Tortugas's steep western flank.

On the cool side of the mountain.

Chihuahuan Sage in bloom.

Part of the steep trail up.

Howdy From HIDRI

We're in the process of opening the High Desert Research Institute (HIDRI), and today's photos come from our research outing on the Grandview Trail. Juniper and Pinyon Pine punctuate this section of the trail.

The high rolls that give High Rolls, New Mexico its name.

Morning on the Sunset Side

Hiking in the shadow of Tortugas early in the morning.

The sunshine breaks over the mountain shadow below.
The sun bathes almost every section of the mountain's western face.

Ocotillos are still leafy.

Desert Marigolds still in bloom.

Surprisingly Hot Day

It was pretty hot when Research Associate Becca, Dr. K and I hiked the Monte Vista side of Tortugas Mountain this morning--surprisingly so for this late in September. But we saw some local color.

We took a shade break (at least Becca did) in a small arroyo.

Dr. K was extremely chipper--almost chipmunkisly so.

More local color.

Along the North Face

A giant Yucca stands on the steep north face of Tortugas Mountain.

Trailing Four O'clock still bloom on the mountain's flank.

Blooming, too, a beautiful Desert Poppy.

But the true flower of the desert is . . .

The jagged Organ Mountains on the eastern horizon.