Desert Packrat

Monday, June 27, 2016

Swarming Bugs and a Roadrunner

Not an exorcism

Yesterday's rain gave us cool temperatures for our morning hike, though the humidity was pretty high. With a nice breeze, though, Becca and I felt quite comfortable. About midway through our trek we came upon a Roadrunner who was so busy hunting his breakfast he seemed unconcerned about our presence. He got so close to me at one point I thought I could reach out and shake his wing. He was always on the move, though, as Roadrunners frequently are. I had hoped for a better photo-op, but he was in a hurry to go on his way.

Down the bobsled run

On the flank of Tortugas

This guy was hunting incredibly close to us

He kept an eye on us, but not a wary one

Being a Roadrunner, though . . .

. . . he had to take off ("Meep Meep")

Slight humidity haze at the base of the Organs

Lemon-yellow butterfly

Ocotillo prison

Western flank of Tortugas and the Organ Mountains

Becca at the Ocotillo Forest

Two Ladderback Woodpeckers

Ocotillos are blooming again

Yesterday's rain has the Ocotillos looking green

Cholla getting ready to blossom again

Our neighbor's giant Century Plant in full bloom

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Storm Time

3300 feet lower than our hike yesterday

When we started our hike on the Grand View Trail this morning both Dr. K and I commented on how much hotter it felt at 6200 feet versus the 9500-foot trek we took yesterday in Cathey Canyon. Imagine our dismay knowing we had to return to our lower desert home at 4200 feet later in the morning. Nature granted us a respite on the return leg of our hike when the sun was obscured by heavy cloud cover. However, by the time we got packed and ready to leave the High Rolls/Mountain Park area a heavy thunderstorm had blown in. We were forced to load the Jeep in heavy rain. I felt certain that by the time we'd driven to the base of the Sacramento Mountains the storm would have abated, and I was right; only light showers were evident around Alamogordo. But a severe storm greeted us upon arrival in Las Cruces, and highway driving was treacherous. It was still storming when we got home, and we had to let Becca out in the downpour before herding her quickly into the garage, where we were able to unpack our belongings in a protected environment.

High humidity made for hazy conditions

Juniper/pinyon pine territory

Shade break at the halfway ramada

Looking toward the Tularosa Basin

Down the Grand View Trail

Juniper-studded hills

Dr. K reads about wildlife while . . .

. . . Becca takes another shade break

Can't decide which bird that is

Scrub Jay

Clouds over the mountains . . .

. . . are building quickly

White Sands National Monument in the distance

Cloud shadows rolling through

Cumulus accumulating

Buffalo Gourd

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Natty Bumppo et al.

Just off our road in the Sacramento Mountains

We drove forty minutes from our place in High Rolls to the Cathey Vista parking lot off the Sunspot Highway (a two-lane road) in order to hike the Cathey Canyon Trail, which we hadn't done in some time. What we didn't know was that the area had been hard hit by heavy wind from storms (and there was some evidence of lightning-caused fire). I didn't realize I'd have to play Pathfinder for a good portion of the way due to downed trees and debris that occasionally obscured the trail, at times forcing us to make wide detours in search of where the path picked up again. Most of the way, too, we hiked under the threat of rain while listening to thunder clapping overhead. Fortunately we didn't get wet. But the Forest Service managed to add to our confusion about the trail we were following by replacing an old sign that had marked the junction of the Cathey Vista Trail and T-105, the Rim Trail, an ancient marker that always reassured us we had taken the right turn. All worked out fine in the end, though, and we didn't make any wrong trail choices despite our uncertainty.