Up in the High Country Now

We're up in High Rolls now, but Becca and I did a morning hike in the lower desert--a moderate trek.  Then we went home, packed up for a weekend in the mountains, and skedaddled.  The guy who's doing tree removal up here has got me worried; he's piled quite a bit of debris on one area of the property and--discernible from the ash left behind--has been burning wood.  He was supposed to chip trees, not burn them.  Perhaps he'll burn the place down, and then I won't have to worry about it any longer. 

Back Behind the Mountain Again

On the dirt road behind Tortugas

Since we weren't meeting anyone for the final quarter of our hike, Becca and I headed around Tortugas Mountain from the Sunset Parking area.  We did about three-fourths of the hike circumnavigating the mountain, but decided to double back for several reasons:  it added extra distance to the hike (and I felt like being out there longer), and we avoided the Dripping Springs Road leg of the hike, which often has significant traffic traveling east/west along the route.  We saw nobody in the outback during our extended trek.

Wind-caused haze around the Organ Mountains

Moon over Tortugas's southwestern flank

Heading down a steep trail east of the Tortoise

This bird nest resembled an American football, and was as large as one

JC's Last Day

Torrey Yuccas on the mountain's western slope

Sorry to have to say so long to our good friend JC who is heading out with his wife tomorrow morning.  After a few days in northern New Mexico and a few more in the Phoenix area they're heading back to Fairbanks.  Sure hope they'll be around here next year.

The weather has been nice enough for me to take Becca on a short hike each of the previous two afternoons, but it's supposed to get really windy beginning about noon today.  We'll see how it goes.

The Cottontail Becca kicked up this morning

Scouting the trail ahead

Hope this doesn't give me a kink

Blues and greys

Fabulous clouds over Tortugas Mountain

Peregrination

I'm not sure why I've always liked the word "peregrination," but it seems apt for the pilgrimages that Becca and I make to the desert everyday.  Perhaps it's because there are two grins and an entire country in the word.  "Pair" of "grin(s)" "nation."

The music that denotes a bad pun should be playing now.

Shaque (1998-2014)

Sad Day

It was very sad running into our friend JC without his best friend, Shaque, this morning.  JC and his wife made the hardest decision true dog lovers ever have to make this past Friday, and now their lives have changed forever with the absence of their very good friend.  This is something you never really get over.  You can only try to get used to the hollow feeling during the coming years--until it's your own time to cross over.  And you hope there's an afterlife so you can meet up with your long-time companion once again.

Sunday on the East Side

Dr. K, Becca and I parked near the ramada at the Monte Vista lot on the east side of Tortugas Mountain this morning before setting off on a long hike two-thirds of the way around the Tortoise and back.  Because of soaring temperatures it wasn't long before we removed our light windbreakers.  We hit 83 F yesterday, and we're headed for similar temps today.  Surprisingly we only saw one mountain biker in the outback during our trek, and when we returned to the parking lot there was only one other car there.  Curious considering how beautiful the weather was.