It got rather cold overnight, so I didn't sleep well, but as soon as the sun hit my tent this morning, it was intensely hot!

I'm awake for good just after 8h and have my usual camp breakfast of vitamin C drink, cold instant Starbucks coffee, granola, almonds and a bit of dried fruit. A slight breeze drifts through the tent.

I encounter a barbed-wire fence shortly after I start today's hike toward Woods Wash; I find a spot where I can crawl under it

I'm going to hike a bit up into the Woods Mountains after the hike down Woods Wash, not exactly sure where yet. I marked a few possible good spots on my GPS.

I'm mostly hiking cross-country, but I walk briefly on a segment of Woods Wash Road and spot a lizard

There are lots of these out here, but it's not always easy to catch them on camera!

I stop to take a look at an old corral in Woods Wash

I arrive at the Woods Wash trailhead and find that someone else, in a Jeep, is also doing the hike down the wash

I saw that Jeep drive down the road past my tent earlier. I start my hike down the wash and meet the folks with the Jeep, on their way back. We have a good chat. They've been coming here for years.

Hiking down Woods Wash, I take a look around the historic site and start hiking up an unnamed side canyon

I come across an animal trail, and follow it when possible for the best route up the canyon. Due to obstructions here and there, it's easy to lose it occasionally, only to find it again shortly thereafter. There's Tortoise Shell Mountain in the background

At a bend in the canyon, I decide to climb up the hill where it's not too steep to get some views of the area

I realize that Tortoise Shell Mountain, fairly low at just under 4600 feet elevation, is just ahead, so I'll continue upwards and check it out. It's getting rather warm in this canyon. A yellowjacket wasp chases me up the hill.

I reach the plateau below Tortoise Shell Mountain and spot a deer in the distance on the hillside

S/he sees me and darts off. This seems like bighorn sheep country, but I think it's a deer, which are more common out here.

I arrive at the top of little Tortoise Shell Mountain and notice there's a rarely used register here for me to sign

I take a 30-minute break up here to enjoy the landscape. Expecting a cool breeze up on this exposed hill, I find it's actually rather hot up here from all the volcanic rock soaking up the heat.

Sitting up on Tortoise Shell Mountain for half an hour, I enjoy views toward Wild Horse Mesa and the Providence Mountains

The Cave Spring area that I hope to visit before I go back to San José is just off to the left.

I also enjoy views across the Lanfair Valley while sitting up on Tortoise Shell Mountain

I had planned to head over that way, to the Piute Range, during this trip, but the hot-weather system that moved in changed those plans. Next time!

After a break to enjoy the summit of Tortoise Shell Mountain, I start my way back down to Woods Wash

On my way down, I'm serenaded by the electrical sound of some kind of desert cicada. I consider a side hike up adjacent Burro Canyon, but the mid-afternoon heat is starting to get to me, and my drinking water is getting really warm.

An hour later, I'm back down in the Woods Wash area

I'll check out the historic site during the hike back to my tent.

Scribbles

Crescent moon and etchings