High Altitude Trek

Clouds over the Sacramento Mountains

Dr. K, Becca and I got an early start on the Osha Trail this morning, and even though the Cloudcroft area got a lot of rain yesterday the trail wasn't as muddy as we thought it would be.  Since it's summer vacation season, and everybody wants to spend time in the high country, we did see ten or twelve people at various spots in the forest, but the few encounters we had were all pleasant.  After our trek it was off to Cloudcroft to dump garbage and to hit Family Dollar for supplies.

Our driveway, pumphouse in background

Opposite view of our driveway, pumphouse shadow

Waiting for her buddies to show up this morning

So that's where I am

On the Osha Trail

Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum)

White Sands National Monument from the Osha Trail

Dr. K and Becca

Indian Paintbrush

Bowed by heavy snows

White Admiral

Same White Admiral

I've looked at this White Admiral from three sides now

Becca and Dr. K

Becca and Dr. K

Tree canopy with sun

Lots of Sunflowers

Helianthus?

Cone Flowers

Another tree canopy

A pair of Fritillaires

Looks like Parry's Bellflower, but not exactly

Is this a Dandelion?

More trees with sun

Aspens near the head of the Osha Trail

Village of Cloudcroft, New Mexico

Cloudcroft

High Country Rain

New construction in the Sacramento Mountains (not ours)

The morning thunder and lightning storm started between 4 and 5 a.m. and lasted for about an hour.  It flashed and rumbled around here in the high country long enough to get Becca pretty scared.  After I took her out on our property for her morning constitutional we had to clear her feet thoroughly because of mud.  We had to do that again after an hour-and-a-half trek on the Grand View Trail, which was plenty muddy in places because of the storm.  It's supposed to rain again this afternoon, and we have little doubt it will owing to high humidity boiled up by the sun.

When I shot this I thought it was Rabbitbrush, now I'm not so sure

Mexican Barberry (Berberis haematocarpa)

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)

Sacramentos from the Grand View Trail

Water on rock

Multiple puddles

Becca and Dr. K

Midway ramada

Looking across the Tularosa Basin

White Sands on a cloudy day

Hedgehog Cactus growing on a cliff

Aforementioned Hedgehog

Cloudy like this for the entire hike

Becca headed down the Grand View

Mountain Mahogany

This and the next two:  Allthorn

New growth on a Juniper

Trees reflected in a large puddle on the trail

Apache Plume flower and friend

Wild Rose Hip

Headed back

A last look at White Sands from the Grand View Trail