Hump Day Partial Bushwhack

Willow

Dr. K, Willow and I did our usual hike this morning, but added a bit of bushwhacking out of the upper left branch arroyo just for the heck of it.

Shortly after we set off on the trail at the start we saw the Basset people and their hounds coming down behind us at quite a distance away.  We never got close to running into them.

The weather was very pleasant for the outing, and we enjoyed ourselves a lot; of course we felt badly at times that our boy Frio wasn't along for the fun.  He loved to bushwhack through the desert.

This & next 2:  Soaptree Yuccas in the left branch arroyo

Fish hooks

The Wilster

Rock egg

This & next:  which has the greater depth of field?

Tasajillo

Budless hedgehog

This & next:  yuccas

Soaptree Yucca in the right branch arroyo

The rest:  phone photos of Claret Cups

 

Altered Track Tuesday

Tippy tops

Not far down LDR-A arroyo this morning it became obvious to Dr. K and me that we would have to alter track to avoid the Basset people and their hounds; Willow wanted to forge ahead to meet them.

We bushwhacked eastward crossing both the right branch and left branch arroyos before climbing the flank of a hill and continuing on into the desert in order to make sure we were going as far as we would have normally despite the detour.

In adding an equivalent distance we got the benefit of checking out a part of the desert that contained several fine specimens of Claret Cup Hedgehog Cactus.  The hike turned out to be a good one even though it was slightly chilly at start.

Distant hikers

This & next:  big cloud

Claret Cup

This & next:  Willow and Claret Cups

This & next 2:  Claret Cups

Soaptree Yucca

Upper flatland dirt road and the Potrillos

Tortugas and the Organs

Last 2:  more Claret Cups

 

Blustery Morning

Before hitting the trail

Boy did I misjudge the weather this morning; I was well under dressed for rough conditions.  I wore a vest and my Marmot PreCip, choosing to bring no gloves nor earband along.  It felt freezing out there beneath heavy overcast and powerful wind.

It was just Willow and me hiking today as Dr. K had a meeting to attend.  The Wilster and I did the usual trek, pausing (but not for long) every so often for a photo-op.  For whatever reason the wind never seems as strong in the left branch arroyo, and we took our time heading up it.

When we ascended the right branch arroyo, however, and climbed out over the hill to the west the wind was whipping again.  Both of us were happy to hop inside the CR-V and revel in its wind-sheltering warmth.

Swainson's Hawk flying like a kite

Hint of rainbow (center right_

This & next:  sky to the southwest

This & next 2:  Tortugas and the Organs

This & next:  Picacho

This & next:  Tortugas and the cloudy Organs

Barrel from a distance

Barrel close-up

Mountain tops (Doña Anas)

Pattern on rock

This & next 3:  Claret Cups

Willow

Hill west of the Organs

Claret Cup on the hill east of Right Branch Arroyo