Potrillo Mountains Wilderness - Sue Ann Canyon, Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument

The last day of June is not the time to be visiting the Potrillo Mountains Wilderness. But, we did. It wasn't too bad as it turns out. Temps were only in the 80s, humidity was low  and there was a nice breeze blowing for most of the morning.
Getting to the start near Sue Ann Tank  was more of an adventure than the hike. The last leg of the most direct route was on a " road" that barely exists anymore. This seems to be getting to regular feature of my exploring this year. but this time I was glad to have friend David ( in his own truck) along for the trip to help navigate  with On-X .  It's always best to have a friend with you when the going gets doubtful.
 I'd been wanting to explore this canyon since we visited the West Tub Arroyos and the Potrillo Highpoint four years ago. Looking down from its upper most branch on the northeast slope of the Highpoint on that windy January day, I got the notion to look at this arroyo, certainly one of the largest coming out of east side of the range.
There's enough subsurface water here to support large hackberries, desert willows, a thick growth of skunkbush  and even a few struggling soapberries along the banks. On the benches and hills above, it's much more sparse, with widely spaced cholla and mesquite mixed in with the grasses, weeds and creosote.  As it snakes through the cinder cones, the canyon sports 25 foot cliffs of basalt in its deepest sections.





 We saw deer, roadrunners, lizards, hawks, vultures, barn owls and heard what must've been javelina rustling in the brush. Even in this heat, you will see wildlife in the remote Potrillos. We walked  a mostly easy 5 or 6 miles, at times in the thick gravels of the arroyo, then on the lava and cinders,  and mercifully on the windblown sand as well.
The driest time of the years, as well as the hottest time of year is not optimal for scenery here, especially with the vast amount of dried wildflower and weed vegetation from the Spring. I can imagine a hike after a good monsoon, perhaps a cooler day in October, before things dry out again as the best.  Early Spring if there is wildflowers ( like there was this year ), or Winter  would both be good too.