Starting the Week

Where shadow meets light

There was a thin coating of ice on the car windows when Becca and I left the ranch this morning.  Later, as we were hiking west of Tortugas Mountain I could feel the humidity in the air.  It wasn't uncomfortable, though, because the temperature was 28 F.  There weren't too many people around the mountain, but we did hike the last half of the inner loop trail with JC and Shaque.  It's a real pleasure to see Shaque (all 15 years 10 months of him) bounding around the desert like a guy half his age.

Curve-billed Thrasher

I'm not sure why anyone would leave a U.S. Air Force flag here

Flag detail

The best hiking companion

Looking a little hazy toward the Organ Mountains

Deep (8' to 10') arroyo on Tortugas's western slope

Starting on the Other Side

Near the Monte Vista parking lot

The weather was perfect for a morning hike, sunny and cool with a slight breeze to keep our body temperatures down.  Dr. K, Becca and I appreciated the ideal conditions.  We trekked about two-thirds of the way around Tortugas Mountain starting from the east side, then retraced our steps.  We saw nobody in the far outback, and only one hiker on the trail nearest the parking area.  What a difference from yesterday when the mountain was loaded with outdoor enthusiasts.  Perhaps everybody else was in church this morning.

Massive boulders on the east side of the mountain

More big boulders

Becca always sees something

The road behind the Tortoise

Where the trail bends around in the mountain foothills

The Organ Mountains from the southwest side of Tortugas

A very tall Torrey Yucca on the northern slope

Clouds over the Organ peaks

Many on the Mountain

Four hikers struggling up the west face of Tortugas Mountain

I'm not sure why, but the mountain was very crowded with people this morning.  I've got no problem with that, but I wish people were more cognizant about how much their voices carry in the desert's arid air.  Also, they don't realize that the mountain itself amplifies decibel levels.  When JC, Shaque, Becca and I were hiking back to our waiting cars we couldn't believe how many vehicles were parked in the Sunset lot.  We were out there early enough to avoid the wind, but it's supposed to pick up again this afternoon; only gusting to 35 mph, though.

Heading into the outback

Ominous skies

Shaque and Becca

Shaque had a bath yesterday

Comes the Wind--Again

Sunrise at the ranch

Becca and I were out to the mountain before the worst of the wind picked up; but it started worsening when we were hiking with JC and Shaque on the inner loop trail.  It's supposed to get even worse than yesterday, 25- to 35-mile-per-hour sustained winds with gusts to 45 mph and 50 mph.  When the wind blows that powerfully in the desert there's always dust in the sky--as there was yesterday.  And it's looking like it will be even dustier today.  Yuck.

A particularly interesting Creosote Bush

Up the western slope of Tortugas Mountain

Trail through the arroyo

Higher in the foothills

Clouds come and go

Sunny in the west

Pausing for a look at Tortoise Mountain

Prickly Pear (foreground), Franklin Mountains on the horizon

Clouds return over Tortugas Mountain and the Organ Mountains

Big Warm Up

Large Prickly Pear Cactus

40 degrees when we hit the trail.  Since we're warming up to 74 today it was hard to know how to dress.  It was a tad too chilly to go with shorts, so I opted for light weight Ex Officio pants, short-sleeve shirt and an anorak.  By the time we bumped into JC and Shaque I was already feeling a little overdressed.  Since Shaque is a Fairbanks, Alaska resident he seems to mind the heat a little more than Becca, who's a desert dog through-and-through.

Loving the desert

Blue skies

Loggerhead Shrike

Pointer Sisters Yuccas

Looking like spring

This tall Torrey Yucca looks like an inverted cowboy spur

JC and Shaque on the inner loop trail

Mr. Shaque

Dromedary Day

A Packrat and his dog (or, at least, their shadows)

No, we didn't see any camels on our hike this morning; it's just a silly way of saying "hump day."  It was quite cold when we started out:  18 degrees Fahrenheit.  The one really good thing was that there was no wind.  Even a moderate wind would have made it feel much worse.  We ran into JC and Shaque and hiked with them on about two-thirds of the inner loop trail.  Then JC and I stood shooting the breeze back at the trailhead while Becca and Shaque waited patiently in their respective vehicles.

Glad to reach the sun on a cold morning

Looking back at the mountain's edge

Looking for friendly faces:  canine and human alike

White-winged dove on a Torrey Yucca

Dynamic Clouds

There was a thin coating of ice on the car when Becca and I headed out this morning, so I knew the atmosphere contained some moisture.  This was confirmed on the trail when we examined the clouds in the sky, many of which looked to have ice crystals in them.  Whether they did or not, though, they sure put on a fine display.  The last image here is of Becca and Shaque greeting each other for the first time near the inner loop trail.  They really get along well, so it's a pleasure to watch them interact.

Dos amigos (due amici)