Replenishment

Up in the high foothills

I wish I meant by the blog post title the act of recharging; what I'm referring to instead was the resupplying of the ranch I had to do today.  That involved shopping at both Target and Albertsons.  I'm not sure why, but each store was jam-packed with shoppers and their kids (school kids have the rest of the week off, I guess).  The crowds made me wish I was back out in the high desert hiking with my favorite everyday hiking companion Becca.  She never has to do the shopping.  Imagine, if she did, what kind of groceries she'd bring back from the store.

Handle with care

Bosom buddies without the bosoms

West of Tortugas

All things being equal

Banana Yucca

Soaptree Yucca

Torrey Yucca

Marmaduke?

Doña Ana Mountains

Doña Ana Mountains

A "wash" (aka "arroyo")

Last fruit on this Barrel Cactus

Desert dog

Take a bow

Yucca and the Organs (sung to the tune of "Benny and the Jets")

I took this at full 65X zoom handheld (I'm impressed)

High grassland

Snow on the Mountains

The inside of my car windshield this morning

We had quite a rain event yesterday afternoon here in the Las Cruces area, and one result of the precipitation was a light layer of snow on the Organ Mountains this morning.  The Organs always look beautiful even if the layer of white stuff on them is only a dusting.  As you can see from the images here I took far too many photos of the frosted mountains.  My excuse is that I'm still experimenting with my new Canon PowerShot.  Becca and I enjoyed our long trek today even when it felt rather cold in the outback.

Rippled clouds

Two-headed Torrey Yucca

Yuccas and accordion clouds

A look across the Mesilla Valley

Puce Prickly Pear pad perhaps

Watching for other outdoor enthusiasts or . . .

. . . watching for critters

A different two-headed Torrey Yucca

Yesterday's storm produced snow on the Organs

High on the high desert

Five slightly different views of the Organ Mountains

Putting some distance between us and the mountains

Ocotillos

A look down at the side of a Barrel Cactus

The New Canon

Dr. K telling Becca to do her business

Despite an 80% chance of rain we chanced a long hike on the Sierra Vista Trail this morning, and we made it back to the Jeep just as it started to rain lightly.  Today was the second time I've shot photos with the new Canon PowerShot SX60 HS, and so far I've been pretty pleased even though the light has been poor for getting good images.  Perhaps tomorrow we'll have sunshine.  Right now (2:34 pm) it's pouring like crazy.  The predicted thunderstorms have rolled through and dropped a lot of precipitation here in the northern Chihuahuan Desert.

High country grassland

Rugged Organ Mountains

Long way down to Bishop Cap

Becca leading Dr. K

Not sure why I included this image

Sotol (aka "Desert Spoon") in the high desert

The very top of Tortugas Mountain using the 65X zoom on the new Canon

Happy hiker Becca

Not Tibet, but rather the Organ Mountains

Becca always leads the way

This gives you an idea of how well that 65X zoom works

We're wandering in the wilderness

Not sure which plant this is

Sotol

Becca and me on the Sierra Vista Trail (photo courtesy of Dr. K)

Rainbow Cactus

Almost back to the trailhead

Fallen stalk of a Sotol

Soledad Rocks and the Organ Mountains

Tortugas Mountain from the foothills of the Organ Mountains

Looks like a Says Phoebe

Tortugas Mountain

Soledad Rocks and the Organs