Fillmore Canyon Trail, Organ Mountains/Desert Peaks National Monument

We hiked Fillmore Canyon in the Organs. It was early November and I was still hoping for little more fall color. An early hard freeze and snow meant it was unlikely. As it turned out,most of leaves had fallen off the trees before they had a chance to change, but some years the shrubby ash ,box elder and gambel oak can make nice display. It was a good hike anyway. I explored up Fillmore Canyon proper rather than going through the Narrows. It's a rough little bushwack in there, and really not worth it unless perhaps there's good water running because there's one nice waterfall that I'd like to photograph. I've probably done this hike close to ten times now( not including  the shorter hike to the  first waterfall). It's like taking a trip to the Gila,but with only a 20 minute drive. It's especially nice when water in the creek is flowing, and you feel like  you're somewhere far from the desert, at the same time you're looking at it,  down in the Rio Grande Valley, spread out before you.Update( September,2014): I haven't returned since the Abrams fire a couple of years ago, so I'm not sure what it looks like up there now. Perhaps a fall hike this year is in order.