Cloudcroft Day 8

We hiked the Trestle Trail out of Cloudcroft this morning to see the large trestle that was built in the late 1890s over Mexican Canyon for the Alamogordo/Cloudcroft railroad.











This wooden trestle--fashioned from local lumber--allowed trains to span the deep Mexican Canyon chasm.
A view of White Sands from the Trestle Trail.
An interesting dead tree along the trail.

Dr. K and Becca enjoy the outing.

Cloudcroft Day 7(a)

Natty Bumpo clears a trail with a deft karate chop.















Will have to identify these red bell flowers later.
Indian Paintbrush.
Packrat and Becca take a break.

No wonder they're called Monarchs.

Cloudcroft Day 7

We found this shell on T 234, the Road Canyon Trail.
Dr. K and Research Associate Becca take a much-needed rest.
Becca thinks she's Rin Tin Tin leaping over logs.
A Monarch butterfly samples the nectar of a thistle.


A wild animal grazing in the forest.

Cloudcroft Day 6

We hiked the Rim Trail (T 105) off of the Apache Point road this morning, passing through many broad meadows like this one.










Dr. K loves meadows.


A view of White Sands from the Rim Trail.
A Fendler Rose we discovered on the Rim Trail.

A Lady Bug is a Lady Bug everywhere.

Cloudcroft Day 5(a)

Intredpid hiking dog, Becca.

A beautiful, pale pale violet flower.

What are these orange and red gems called?

A meadow near Nelson Canyon.

Wow!

Cloudcroft Day 5

We hiked the Rim Trail (T 105) this morning near Upper Karr Canyon, and the scenery was spectacular=deep woods with occasional panoramas.

One of the vistas of the Tularosa Basin.

This sign explains how logging was conducted in the area.

Becca found a hollow log to explore.

There were countless aspens in the forest.

Cloudcroft Day 4(a)

What's a photo without Becca in it?

Closeup shot of a New Mexico Thistle.

A Thistle bud about to blossom.

A real nature lover, Becca is out of her mind up here.

I'm not sure which flower this is.