February 4: Alamogordo too!

Today is the kind of day I long for when we are traveling - a day when we sit still for a while, with no big plans. I read The Unquiet Dead for a couple hours, my bare feet up on a bench, while Glen and the dogs hung out. We did a little hand washing of clothes, and Glen hung an improvised clothes line, where the clothes dried relatively quickly, given how warm and dry it is here.

We watched people come and go, though for a Saturday, it was very quiet. Some folks who were in a site near us were heading out, having been on the road for two months. They are planning on traveling for an additional ten months, ending up eventually in Alaska!

Very cool rock formations, plunge pools and vegetation in Dog Canyon wash.

We wanted to explore Dog Canyon a bit more, walking up the canyon wash (rather than up the cliffs). We found lovely pools of water and green ferns, along with what we think are cottonwood trees - or at least trees in the Populus genus. We didn't end up making it very far up the wash - seems our rock climbing enthusiasm is not quite as great as it was a few years.

It's like herding....dogs!

Our turnaround point was a little waterfall, surrounded by ferns. It was a lovely oasis, providing us some cooling after hiking in the sun.

We also discovered a modest trail that leads from the campgground through the desert to some springs. That was a delightly surprise and a nice end to the afternoon.

Glen took this wonderful photo looking south along the Sacremento Mountains, in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Don't want to trip and fall near this cactus! Nor near this plunge pool!

Enjoying the beauty of the winter Chihuahuan Desert.