Out for a stroll

On a sunny day not too long ago, I headed out to Bulldog Canyon mainly because I needed to get some exercise and didn't want to drive very far. I headed for a hill I hadn't climbed for a few years. I had been looking at that area in Google Earth and it looked like there was a prospect just north of the hill.

I saw my first Mexican gold poppy of the season on this hike.

The hill to be climbed is in the foreground on the left; not very big.

On the way up the hill I came across a Gila monster. This is about the fifth one I've seen in the past 11 years. I vividly remember 4 of them and I think there must be a fifth that I'm forgetting right now.

I was trying to get a picture when it had its tongue out. Missed it in most of the pictures.

Google made an animated GIF of the pictures.

I could see the prospect from the top of the hill, which was close enough for me. I think I was at that prospect about 7 years ago.

The prospect. Just another shallow hole in the ground.

This looks tame, but it's exhausting to walk across.

Somebody made a large pile of large rocks near the top of the hill. Then somebody else scattered a few of the rocks.

The usual parade of WWII planes flew over.

I decided to go down to the wash on the south side of the hill and then go upstream. I had seen a desert tortoise there a few years ago so I thought I would try my luck again. When the wash got too bouldery and overgrown to continue, I continued uphill on its left bank. Oh, no desert tortoise this time.

Cholla skeletons are beautiful.

It was a beautiful day, so I just kept walking and taking pictures. It eventually got too steep and rocky for easy walking. It looked like somebody might have marked a trail there. Maybe there's a route to the top. I'll have to go back another day to check that out, though. I didn't have enough water, food, or daylight to do it on this day.

The hill I came out here to climb is that little bump down there on the right.

Click below for all of the pictures.

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