Just Vistas

It was a little hot on the trail this morning, but Research Associate Becca and I trekked on, taking note of these beautiful views along the way. This shot looks back (to the north) on the Tortugas Mountain trail.
The trail ahead, looking toward the southeast.
Clinchweed flowers, Prickly Pear cactus, Little-leaf Sumac and Ocotillo with the Organ Mountains in the background.
Another lush area with part of Tortugas in the background.

The setting moon over a high ridge on Tortugas Mountain.

Yuccas-R-Us

This late-blooming yucca caught our eyes this morning on the Tortugas Mountain trail. It was a pretty big specimen, standing, I'd guess, at about eight feet tall.
Closeup of the yucca flowers with the mountaintop in the background.
At left, an interesting large yucca with an inverted-cowboy-spur appearance.
Closeup of the flowers atop a soaptree yucca, the old observatory in the background.

The kind of flower planter you don't want to encounter in the desert.

Tuesday Morning Hike

Research Associate Becca couldn't wait to get on the trail this morning, so we headed to the Monte Vista side of Tortugas Mountain for our daily research. The first thing we saw was this moonset over the mountain saddle.
We came upon this rock that had obviously been drilled by a human being in the past, probably during mining operations in the mountain.
This discovery kind of established a "mining" theme for the morning, and we found a rock structure that we had probably passed a dozen or more times before without really seeing it. It seems to have been built (by a miner?) to protect against the elements.
Directly across the trail from the structure was a semi-deep pit that had been partially obscured by vegetation.

On the way back to the COCmobile after the hike, I couldn't resist taking this photo of a sacred datura flower with beetles inside.

Rattler!

Out on the trail early this morning, Research Associate Becca and I were trudging along sweating in the high humidity, slapping and snapping at bugs that were bugging us when we happened upon a snake's track in the damp desert sand. Stopping to see if the snake was near, I got a surprise to find this rattler parked only a few feet away. It had the tail markings of a Diamondback, a very venomous viper. We moved away to a safe distance so that I could get my camera to take a photo.

The snake became slightly aggitated at our presence and began a slow coil, and gave a half-hearted shake or two of its rattle to remind us of its potential bad temperament. We showed it great respect, thanked it for the photo op, and moved along on our separate ways.

Sunday Sights

Dr. K, Research Associate Becca and I were out on the trail early today in search of noteworthy sights. These two Devil's heads (aka horse cripplers) were growing nearly side by side.
Beautiful yellow flowers (Sunflower family?) were made to be photographed.
We got a lot of rain last night, and the arroyos showed evidence of it.
The arroyo bottoms were filled with wet, muddy sand.

These yellow flowers appear to be zinnias, though they might be paperflower.

A View Everyone Wants (to ruin)

Who wouldn't want to live in a spectacular house with gorgeous views of the Organ Mountains here in southern New Mexico? Look at this awesome vista, for instance.
Or this one.
And yet another.

But scope out this monstrosity erupting on the desert floor. I'm sure that the people who are having this mansion built are proud of its expansive square footage, its many amenities, its Tower of London. A tower? Who the hell needs a tower on their home? People who MUST have houses like this contribute in so many ways to the destruction of the desert and to global warming; and yet, they really could give a crap about preserving anything but their little piece of the pie.

Exploring the Outback

We spent a lot of time south of Tortugas Mountain this morning doing field research. Wasn't it Thoreau who dubbed himself the "self-appointed inspector of snowstorms and rainstorms"? Well, Research Associate Becca and I are self-appointed inspectors of dust storms and desert flowers. The one at left is, I believe, Desert Bahia, though I'm just an inspector, not an expert.
We came across this soft and cuddly mass of hedgehog cactus on the mountain's flank.
The dirt road looks as if it may go all the way down to the area between Bishop's Cap and the Franklin Mountains, but it doesn't.
This bird was enjoying a moment of relaxation on the dagger-like leaf of a yucca.

Looking northeast at the trail that wraps around Tortugas Mountain.