Snowy Desert

A frosty Prickly Pear Cactus

Snow in the northern Chihuahuan Desert is not a rarity, and is often a welcome event.  It brings much-needed precipitation to an arid region, moisture that leaches into the underground aquifer after being slowly absorbed by native flora. Snow days also create a welcome aesthetic contrast to the generally sunny disposition of the desert landscape.  I must add, too, that it's great fun to get out into a snowy desert with a good dog who likes nothing better than to romp around in the white stuff.

Torrey Yuccas wearing a thin mantle of white

Yuccas and Tortugas Mountain

A promise of even more snow

Eager to reach the lower desert

A nose for snow

Soaptree Yuccas and Tortoise Mountain

Bishop Cap

The Organ Mountains

Under the snow a Barrel Cactus

Across the white expanse of Chihuahuan Desert

Soaptree Yucca

White-winged Dove on a snowy Ocotillo branch

More Lousy Weather

A pause before heading down to the lower desert

The redeeming factor on our trek today was the absence of wind; had it been windy it would have been pretty raw out there.  We did a moderately-long hike before heading back.  Along the way we ran into JC and Shaque and hiked to the parking area with them.  There we met a man who had a Black Lab, Sugar, who was the younger spit-and-image of Shaque.  Sugar was 8--half of Shaque's age.  The two Labs went round and round, perhaps each thinking it was looking into a mirror.  I left Becca in the car because she thought she was having double vision.

Locked on and tracking a rapidly-departing Jackrabbit

On the nearer loop road

Not quite as cold as it looks, but cold nonetheless

ConfLABeration (Sugar, front, Shaque, rear)

Now which is which?

Sugar retrieving her owner's glove

Nasty Conditions

Just getting started

About the midpoint of our hike, while we stuck close to the trail around the mountain, we encountered a mountain biker.  Because of the nasty wind and blowing dust, I said to him, "You're as crazy as we are."  He said, "Yeah, I guess so."  Turns out there were other crazy hikers out there, too; several cars were in the parking lot when we got back to the trailhead.  And our friend Jimmy was just pulling in as we were pulling out.  Good to know Becca and I aren't the only nuts hiking in lousy weather.

Clouds sinking down over the Organs

Long haul to the mountains

Clouds stuck on the mountains

A real blanket of clouds

Sticking close to Tortugas

A hint of blue sky

Heading home after our hike

Extremely Lengthy Hike

Centennial High School and the Doña Ana Mountains

I woke up really early this morning, started thinking about things and couldn't get back to sleep.  So Becca and I were on the trail by 7:00, and we did twice the hike we usually do--the weather was that beautiful.  Things are changing later today, though, as a cold front blows through carrying the promise of low-desert snow.  Just as we got back to the trailhead JC and Shaque drove up, so Becca and I did a short hike with them.  We sure put some miles on our paws and feet today.

Along a high ridge

One way down to the desert floor

This very tall Yucca looked like a Saguaro Cactus from a distance

High above the desert floor

One Barrel Cactus dies (front right) and another grows (front left)

Lenticular cloud over the Organ Peaks

Torrey Yuccas and the Organ Mountains

Sandy break

Active day for flyovers

JC and Shaque

Changing Weather

Picacho (Sp. = "peak") Peak

The thickening clouds made it apparent that we're heading for a significant meteorological change; and it was quite humid out in the desert.  Becca and I had a nice long hike into the outback.  The very best thing about today's outing was running into JC and his beautiful dog, Shaque, who are down from Alaska to spend the winter in the northern Chihuahuan Desert.  Shaque, a black Lab, is now fifteen years old.  Wow!

Feeling chipper

Clouds portend a weather change

On a hill west of Tortugas Mountain

This is a rock, not a cookie, and I didn't take a bite of it

Tortoise Mountain from a long way off

The storm's coming in from the northwest

Barrel Cactus

Pastel mountains beyond Las Cruces

Abbreviated Hike on Errand Day

Hills and Dales

Cut the hike short this morning because I had some errands to run.  Nevertheless it was still a two-BM trek for Becca.  That's how I measure the success of our hikes.  I wasn't really in the mood to snap photos out there, and nothing interesting caught my eye.  Sometimes when I'm uninspired I'll see something worth photographing, and then it's an onslaught of images.  If I'm in a scenic location and the light is good I can easily shoot 60 to 70 pics.

Time for a relaxing break

Spiky prison bars

The inside of a Hedgehog Cactus