Encounters

Heading down into the lower desert

Because of a stiff wind it was very cold this morning, even in the sun.  We were astonished to see three hot-air balloons plying the sky; I thought it was unsafe to fly in strong winds.  In the outback we bumped into two women who were jogging with their dogs:  a Schnauzer and a young Pit Bull.  Becca and the Pit Bull smelled noses.  Back near the trailhead we passed a high-school kid who was wearing a Centennial Football sweatshirt, had stereo buds plugged into his ears and was staring into his iPhone.  He didn't realize we were near him until the very last moment; then he smiled and nodded.

Looking back at Tortugas in early-morning light

Computer-enhanced image of Becca

Too close for comfort?

Headed back toward Tortoise Mountain

Last of the Week

This 3-foot-tall, 3-foot-diameter Barrel Cactus is collapsing in on itself

Today marks the third or fourth consecutive day that students were attending the lineman school.  They were making a lot of noise when we started off, and from a distance we could see them tossing a ball around--undoubtedly before class began.  We quickly got away from the large group, hiking down into the lower desert, and then taking the furthest outer loop road into the outback.  There was nobody else out there.  Because the weather is warm again we're back to hiking in short-sleeve shirt and shorts.  Well, I am.  Becca never seems to tire of her coat.

The lineman school from a different perspective

Wind power for pumping water

Clouds tell the story of slightly higher humidity

Tortugas Mountain and the Organ Mountains

Textures

The very best hiking companion

The Thing About Pests

Blending in

I don't know if the overabundance of flies we have this season is due to the copious amounts of precipitation we got in September, but the flies are still out and about, pestering the heck out of Becca and me.  She's snapping at them constantly, and I'm swatting at them with both hands.  After they orbit my head several times they stop, and I know they're hitching a ride on my ball cap where I can't feel them.  Every once in a while I'll wave my hand over my hat and they'll start orbiting all over again.  Grrrrr!  By the way, on occasion Becca will catch one and get the "bitter insect" expression on her face.

Layers

Pause for thought

Becca-eye view

On the road around the mountain

Interesting shadow

Two-dome observatory

Reflective Morning Hike

Quick quaff at the waterhole

Lots of activity in the desert this morning.  Before we even left the ranch we saw this coyote drinking at the waterhole.  He had a good long drink before taking off.  Then, just off Geothermal Road out near Tortugas Mountain, we saw students who had gathered for lineman school.  There was a slew of them.  In the outback we saw one jogger at a great distance whose gait seemed to suggest she was a woman.  And there were four or five cars in the parking lot when we got back to the trailhead.  

Spotting breakfast?

Lineman school is in session

Hanging around

Perching at the tips of Ocotillo wands

Bright sun on the grassland

Mountain shadows and light

Becca sees a jogger

Getting a better look

Tortugas from the west

Gorgeous Fall Morning

Scouting the trail ahead

Although it was chilly this morning, it wasn't nearly as cold as yesterday.  Becca and I did a medium hike because I had to run some errands as soon as we got home.  It's now early afternoon, and I'll be taking her out for a ride in the car.  You heard right. After all, she's the star of "Driving Miss Becca."  When it gets colder in the afternoons she'll get a short walk in the desert.  Gotta keep her in good shape.   When we ran into Jimmy toward the end of our hike today, he said of Becca, "She looks fit."  Of course her energy level is way up because of the cold weather.

Distracted by a hare

Hare today gone tomorrow

Vest/Anorak Weather

Can't wait to reach the sunshine

It was cold when Becca and I started hiking in the shadow of Tortugas Mountain this morning.  It was a good mile before we reached the sunlight.  Then--as Dr. K pointed out in her comment yesterday about temperature shifts in the desert--things began to warm up.  The temperature today will range from a low of 37 Fahrenheit to 70 F--a 33-degree swing.  There was a noticeable dearth of other outdoor enthusiasts around the mountain, owing, no doubt, to the cold.

Warming up in a strong desert sun

Road heading directly west

Looking back at Tortugas

Her "I've spotted a jackrabbit" posture

A Long Trek Behind Tortugas Mountain

Almost-full moon over Tortugas Mountain

Dr. K, Becca and I did a really long Sunday-morning hike around Tortugas (Tortoise) Mountain.  Despite the cold (we wore vests under windbreakers) there were scads of people out.  We had an encounter with a mountain biker and a man whose two dogs rushed over to greet Becca and us before the man could manage the situation.  The dogs were friendly, though.  The larger of the two dogs was an Akita/German Shepherd mix, and it was a really beautiful animal.  I've read that Akitas are very protective of people in their families.

Behind the mountain

A mountain biker wends his way counter-clockwise around Tortugas

A real desert grassland

Distant hikers (center) heading west on the mountain loop