Desert Packrat

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Friendly Butterfly

Sacramento Mountains near High Rolls/Mountain Park

We headed down to the Bridal Veil Falls trailhead for a trek this morning, but parking areas at the side of the road were inaccessible even with our Jeep Commander because heavy rainwater pouroff had deeply scoured the shoulders. We've had 4.38 inches of rain since we were here less than a month ago. So we did the Grand View Trail instead. On said trail we encountered an Arizona Sister butterfly that was intent on flying around us at close range and even landing on my daypack and Becca's drinking cup several times. After ten minutes of photographing it and interacting with it I felt it was time to move along, especially because Becca had snapped at it once in an attempt to catch the beautiful creature. That seemed a horrible fate for such a friendly butterfly.

Worms? No--Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) seeds

Ancient Juniper

Ancient Juniper in black-and-white

What's down there?

Spotted Towhee in a Mountain Mahogany

The depth of this drop off never shows well

Happy hiker on the Grand View Trail

Looking this way and that

Hedgehog Cactus (front) and Prickly Pear Cactus growing in rock

Heading back

Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia)

Arizona Sister

Juniper elevation

At first I though "hueco," but it's an odd shape

White Sands on the horizon

Hedgehog Cactus growing in rock

Same Hedgehog

Halfway back

Friday, October 27, 2017

Up, Up and Away

Hiking alongside the old single-track

The Beckster and I did a quick hike in the lower desert before returning home to finish packing for a trip to the high country. We got up here by 12:30, unpacked, ate lunch and did a few chores before I settled down to do this blog. When Dr. K and I were loading and unloading the Jeep it seemed like we had enough stuff for several weeks here in High Rolls. Unfortunately we can only stay through Monday. We'll get a nice taste of the mountain climate, though; it's supposed to drop below freezing tonight.

Back on the old single-track

New Soaptree Yucca growth out of a passel of dead ones

Heading back toward Tortugas

Waiting for the slow-poke photographer

Nearing the intersection with the trail that leads to the upper foothills

A forest of Ocotillo losing leaves

Up in the high country

A look up Haynes Canyon

A closer look at Haynes Canyon

Dr. K coming up the drive to join us

Our place in the Sacramentos

The Becca two-step

Partially swirled clouds

Thursday, October 26, 2017

A Thursday Trek

Head west young man

Becca and I took a slightly longer trek west of Tortugas Mountain this morning, extending the middle portion by several miles in order to explore a bit of the outback. We didn't see anybody during our hike until we ran into our pal Jimmy on the way in. As usual, Becca was ecstatic to see him. He and I talked for what seemed like half an hour before parting ways. It's always great to run into Jimmy because we usually find interesting things to talk about.

Funky Soaptree and its buddy the Ocotillo

Becca is happy to be out hiking

Follow the bend

How'd she get in this photo?

Yucca peacock

Closeup of a Soatree Yucca

Cutting across the Cross Cut Trail

Can Lucky Stones be this color?

Not all the way back up there?

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

Meep Meep or Beep Beep?

There's a rabbit down in that gully

It was a bit chilly this morning when Becca and I hit the trail west of Tortugas Mountain: 38F. Fortunately there was no breeze to create a wind chill factor. Nevertheless, I wore lightweight gloves for a short while in order to keep my digits warm. Had to remove the gloves, though, as soon as I started taking photos. The most interesting subject out there today was the Greater Roadrunner who Becca and I watched at close range for ten minutes while it hunted for breakfast, unperturbed by our presence and proximity.