Weekend Heat

A small herd of Mule Deer in the Tortugas foothills

It was brutally hot when Becca and I hiked around Tortugas Mountain this morning.  About a mile in to the hike we were surprised to see a small herd of Mule Deer.  We have had such a prolonged drought in the desert it's really hard to understand how large mammals can survive in this arid land.  That's why we have a permanently-running waterhole at the Chihuahuan Observation Center.

A large doe



Mule Deer camouflage




One-spot profile



A thorny matter

The distant Franklin Mountains near El Paso, Texas

Need some shade

Fry Day

Check out this Horned Lizard's camouflage

It was pretty hot this morning--not brutally hot, but really toasty.  We did a fairly long hike, but saw only one other hiker and her dog.  We didn't get close enough for an encounter, but we did have an uncomfortably close encounter (of the 3rd kind) with an adolescent Rattler.  Becca almost stepped on it, and when the snake started rattling both of us jumped out of our skin.  Damned snakes and their camouflage.

I spy another dog in the desert

Ocotillos

Dry desert wash

Leader of the Pack

Hot!

A break before the roller coaster

Very hot out this morning.  Because of the heat and errand responsibilities we cut the hike a  little short.

The section of the foothills trail that I call the roller coaster is a place where Becca likes to get up a full head of steam before taking the ride.  It's really quite hilarious the way she goes at top speed over the middle section, so that her legs seem to barely touch ground.

The roller coaster

Scary Dry

The distant Organ Mountains

I've been a desert observer for decades, and I've never seen things this dry; and there are no rain clouds on the horizon.  Becca and I were surprised to encounter several hikers this morning, a woman with a Chocolate Lab who told me they had just seen three coyotes over a ridge, and a lanky man who said to me, "We sure need rain."  Seven states in the Southwest have at least several big fires burning in them, and it almost seems as if the whole region is ablaze.  We NEED precipitation.

Eager to lead the way



Hot and dry



Which of the three to choose?

An extra dry wash

Heating up

First of the Week

Becca relaxing on the loop trail

Becca and I did an extra long hike this morning around Tortugas Mountain.  We made a minor detour to avoid a group of hikers with dogs.  It's surprising to see a group of people out hiking on the first day of the week.  We put some mileage on our boots/paws, and we never felt too hot because of a stiff breeze.  The breeze is supposed to turn into an ugly wind this afternoon, just like it did yesterday afternoon.

Westernmost section of the outer loop

Parched Mesquite in an arroyo

Early Monday morning hikers on the foothills trail

Blossoming Cholla Flower at the Chihuahuan Observation Center

Sunday Trek

Dog's-eye view

We got in a long hike around Tortugas Mountain this morning, but we ran into quite a few other people:  two mountain bikers we encounter twice, a male jogger, another solo mountain biker, and a female jogger whose sunblock was so strong we could smell it for a few minutes after she passed us.  Becca was on her best behavior today, and I have absolutely no idea why.

Mesquite bottomland

Smoke from the Arizona and Mexico fires still visible

Road around Tortugas Mountain