This is gonna be a tough one……..tough to hold down to manageable size.  This was one of the most enjoyable hikes I’ve ever been on, and I’ll prob’ly go back for more……..after the weather warms up next spring.  Took over 200 pics this day.
 
Last Saturday, after attending to chores, (laundry) I jumped into Der Bug and ran the 25 miles south to the turnoff to Lake Cochiti, about 1/3 of the way to Albuquerque.  After a few miles, just before the lake, I was treated to a preview of what was coming.  These bluffs are about 600 feet high…………

 
 
I was mildly surprised at the number of people there, (little did I know) but took off up the trail anyway.  Sign says it’s 1.3 miles to the end, and 1.1 miles for the “Cave Loop,” which I found to meet the main trail farther up.  Going along, the number of these “hoodoos” increased rapidly.  Never seen any quite like this before………..
 
 
As you progress, the trail narrows……….

 
 
Shades of Ladder Canyon, eh ??  Only MUCH more so.  This is really something………….

 
 
In some places, even skinny (??) Lar had to turn sideways to get thru.  This was fun……..

 
 
Signs repeatedly warn you to Get Out Fast if a thunderstorm comes along.  Flash flood danger is very real here.  Then, come around one more corner, and there’s the Tent Rocks……………

 
Around the next corner, probably my favorite view in the canyon………….

 

And, about 200 yards farther along, as you climb a steep, very rough ascent, an entirely different view.  Looks something like that village in Turkey, doesn’t it ??  Cappadoccio ??  (sp ??)………

 
 
These spires are weathered out of the volcanic tuff blown out of Vallez Caldera 1.6 & 1.2 million years ago.  It just keeps on getting better, except for the crowds.  On the narrow trail, this got to be a real pain, in places the dust was choking, and the early teen kids have absolutely no manners………….

 
 
Even little kids and old farts like me enjoy this hike.  The surprising crowds on Mt. San Jacinto last August didn’t even come close to this……and it was like this the whole way.  Never mind, as I climbed the perspective changed.  These spires are about 90 feet high……………

 
 
Continual new angles, and different lighting kept the camera busy, and soon, a look down showed the trail I’d just come along - way below…………

 
 
The trail is a “J” shape, doubling back along a ridge after you climb out of the canyon.  Here, from the end, is the parking lot and beginning of the trail at center right.  I would guess about ¾ of a mile away and 600 ft lower.  The dust trails give an idea of the steady traffic on the dirt road.  Amazing………..

 
 A closer look shows the faithful “Der Bug” waiting patiently for me to return……….
 
 
Returning to the bottom, I took the right fork to the Cave trail and soon saw the signature cave………..

 
 
A closer look surprised me (it shouldn’t have) with the trademark smokey ceiling that I’d last seen at Bandelier National Monument last weekend.  100’s of years ago, this was a family’s home…………

 
 
Signs prohibit taking anything from the area.  A joke.  The big thing is “Apache Tears,” little polished chunks of obsidian - volcanic glass - that are found in the sandy washes.  Whole familys were more focused on the ground in front of them than the wonders above them.  Not a tear to be found.   However, ol’ Lar found a side canyon hidden in the brush and explored.  By the time they get this far, the kids are worn out, and most of the parents, too, so there were many Apache Tears to be found.  Here’s a good example……….

 
 
Farther up this side canyon, I came to a 6 ft high barrier.  Being stub-bourne and all, I climbed it, expecting another slot canyon…………Nope.  It made a sharp left just above my head and ended, so I climbed back down, set the camera on a rock, set the self timer and took a self portrait of the ol’ Lar at the end of this trail….but not yet his own…………….
 
 
When I came back toward the main trail, I could see other people heading back to the parking lot.  Out of 20 or 30 people, not one looked up or around to see me approaching.  Sad.  Back out to the parking lot now, and a look back at the top of the cliff I’d looked down from so recently.  Tent Rock Canyon (??) to the right……….

 
 
A closer look (aren’t 10X zoom lenses fun ??) shows the people still up there enjoying the view………..
 

 
  Many families go up there frequently and have picnics at the top.  What a great way to spend just ½ day, eh ??  I would guess the total length of the combined hike to be a little over 3 miles.
 
I’ve gotten so much into this story-telling mindset that on recent hikes, and especially this hike, I found myself formulating the story, taking pictures to match, and a grin on my face as I went along.  It certainly gives a different perspective, and I believe I see far more than if I was just walking without purpose.
 
Sorry for the length of this one, but shortening it was more than I could do.  It could easily have been 3 times as long.  This was one of the favorite hikes of my career.  I marveled all the way up & back.  What Fun ! ! !                         Lar.
 
Larry Bourne
Santa Fe, NM
www.gogittum.com
 

Posted: August 31st, 2009 under 06 New Mexico, 06-11-25 Tent Rocks.
Comments: 1

A lady friend in Palm Springs requested that I look for some statuary she’d seen on a recent trip to Santa Fe with her daughter. Small world - she’d stayed at La Posada just 2 or 3 weeks before I moved over here. The statues are “across from the big church.” Yah, shore, after 400 years of heavy Catholicism in this country, there’s a surfeit of “big churches,” so I went a lookin’. Just down the way about 3 or 4 blocks is the big “Loretto” hotel. Fancy place, and I really like the “Pueblo” style architecture…….

Next door to it, to the north, is the 2nd largest church around, and sure enuf, across from that church, there’s a big art gallery specializing in statuary……and what statuary ! ! ! Across the corner from them is a shop with a bronze of an Old Western frontiersman looking out for trouble…………..

With 1 exception, all the statues in these pictures are life size or larger. All, I think, are bronze. This Bighorn Sheep is about 3½ feet high at the shoulder………..

And here’s the exception. This one’s only about 2 ft tall……….

This is a stylized, over-muscled Indian warrior with a wolf head cape fighting or capturing an eagle…….

OK, without further B.S., here’s a selection of terrific work………….

These Elk, especially, are enormous. They must be 8 or 10 ft high. Magnificent………..

The lighting made it almost impossible to get this Cougar attacking a warrior……….

There are statues on the street corners here, much like murals on building walls in other cities. Here’s one from a couple of blocks away from the gallery……….

Santa Fe is a neat place to visit - let alone being lucky enuf to live here………..

Larry Bourne
Santa Fe, NM
www.gogittum.com

Posted: December 16th, 2007 under 06-12-23 Santa Fe Statuary, 08 New Mexico.
Comments: none

Today, Dec. 17, 2006, I just took a walk downtown (all these pics are within 4 blocks of the hotel) and snapped pics as I went. The pictures of the Indians with their wares, I asked permission before shooting, and even then 1 person hid her face. It was cool - in the mid 40’s - which seems warm after the last few weeks, and most snow is gone. Had lunch at the Burrito Co. again, and tried the Green Chili Pork Stew, and it was OK, but I much prefer the Pork & Posole. (hominy) That, 2 weeks ago, was a real tummy warmer for sure.

Along the top edge of buildings you’ll see rows of brown plastic bags, about 2 feet apart. These are luminaria, (loo-mee-NAH-rrria) which represent the tradition of putting a candle in a paper bag to light up the Christmas season. Kinda dangerous, so these are all electric, with a plastic bag over ‘em.

I like the Spanish tradition of having a large public - this one built in 1610 - square full of trees, paths, benches, etc. Nice. The old Governor’s Palace is right here, too, built in (I think) 1688. Lotsa history here.

There’s also a tradition of building around a central plaza, so the doors can be closed and secured against intruders while life goes on inside undisturbed.

An Indian lady who works in our gift shop told me that the best quality and deals are had from these street sellers - if you know what you’re doing. Apparently, the stores can sell whatever they want, from where ever they get it, and if you’re sharp the very best stuff can be had there (at a hell of a price)…….but you can also get took. It’s worth wandering thru some of the shops, just to make your mouth water. Beautiful stuff. I found a big old Colonial Spanish style leather lounge chair with hassock that was super comfy, and I wanted to take it home………till I saw the $4200.00 price tag. They even let me sit in it, and grinned at me. “Dumb Gringos,” they must have thought. The street sellers are required to pass a certification with the tribes, proving that they use only traditional materials and work it themselves in the traditional ways. Then, there are only something like 68 spaces available, and usually over 100 applicants, chosen by lottery only. Seniority or whatever doesn’t count. There’s a lot of pride involved. Most of what I looked at today was very, very fine stuff. Prices were somewhat stiff, but to my eye looked fair enuf…..as if I know anything about it. If you like silver gee-gaws, pottery, etc., this is your place. This is a great place, and I’m enjoying it more all the time.

It’s a nice walk now. I can’t imagine what it must be like in the spring when the leaves come out and everything is green. Santa Fe has a centuries long Catholic Church presence, and there are big, fancy churches and statues everywhere. Makes for a scenic walk, even for non-religious Lar.

I’ve owned that Nikon 8800 camera for just 25 months now, and it turned over picture #20,000 today. Yah, it gets a lot of use. Great toy, but maybe something new in my near future.

Looks like I’ll be married to the hotel for the fore-see-able future. The new job demands me there ALL the time, and that’s not the boss speaking. I can see it for myself. No more long, wonderful vacations.

Posted: October 6th, 2007 under 06-12-9 Santa Fe Downtown, 08 New Mexico.
Comments: none

After coming out of Salt River Canyon, the country flattens out near Springerville, AZ and the run into NM is pretty bland…….until you get to the tiny, dusty, broken down old redneck town of Quemado, NM, which has one of the greatest old time General Stores I’ve seen in many a year. Pics didn’t do it justice - you hadta go inside and see the cluttered shelves and smell the fragrance of the old woodstove, and the coffee the locals were drinking as they warmed up by it. From there you turn north toward Grants, NM, and the huge ancient lava flows at El Malpais (El Mahl-pah-EEs) Nat. Mon. I think that means “bad lands,” or “bad ground,” or some such. It’s certainly true, as the beginning of the trail at Lava Falls shows, complete with cairn markers for the trail………………

I called them “ancient,” tho’ I should qualify that by saying that the most recent flows were only 3,000 or 4,000 years ago. As the lava flowed, gases formed huge blisters, and some collapsed later………

I’m told that in some areas you can hear the hollow spots “ring” under your boots like a big bell, but my vibram soles didn’t work for that. There’s a lot of growth on this lava, which seems to prove the idea that lava flows are very fertile, after erosion has helped make rootholds possible. I was surprised to see 2 brilliant flashes of blue, and got close enuf to see these 2 Pinion Jays……….

They were very shy, however, and I couldn’t get any closer. There’s almost a forest on these flows now, and this tiny Juniper, smaller than the palm of my hand was struggling to make a start……..

In many areas, lichens have gained a hold on the rock, and look almost like an alien growth, or bacteria, or somesuch. They do serve the purpose of beginning to break down the lava into earth that the other plants can use for a toehold………..

Other plants have developed defenses to match the harsh lava they’ve homesteaded……….

Farther on, the ground gets rougher, harsher, and steeper. Types of lava are given Hawaiian names, such as the ropelike strands of pahoehoe, and the knobs of a’a. I saw lots of both, believe me……….

The many cracks and splits go clear out of sight in some areas, and great caution is called for. At this time of year, there are very few visitors, and an icy wind screamed across this desolation. I was prepared, but still had frozen ears when I got back to the truck. Here’s a huge crack that could easily swallow a person……….

Reminds me of the crevasses in glaciers, tho’ these were formed in fire. In many places you can clearly see how the cooling lava began to crystallize into the many sided shapes as at Devil’s Postpile. ( www.webpictures.homestead.com/devil.html ) This cooled too fast for that, tho’, but you can still see how the cooling rock split along jagged lines that show the beginning of symmetry and can be matched at an angle……….

A close look at the rock shows a texture much like the clinkers I dug out of our old coal furnace when I was a kid, those many years ago. It looks like gases in the molten lava were fizzing like soda pop as the stuff solidified, and these rocks used in a cairn really show the result in the “bubbles” of lava……….

One great thing about this is the traction. The edges of the lava bubbles are razor sharp, and you can walk on almost anything without any fear of slipping. The downside is that after running around the hillsides taking pictures and jumping across crevasses, etc., my boots were already showing the wear…….

Now, back to a more civilized landscape. Part way along the lava flow, and only about 10 miles south of Grant’s NM, on Hwy 40, are sandstone cliffs that channeled the lava. In one such area is the great “La Ventana,” or “The Window,” one of many “La Ventanas” thru this whole country……..

From the parking lot, it’s only a couple 100 yards to a viewpoint almost under the arch. It was necessary to - uh - “bypass” the fence at the bottom for this next shot, but so worth it. Fracture patterns in the arch tell me that it won’t last much longer, geologically speaking…………

This arch is about 75 ft high. Then, up onto the bluffs I visited in my 2002 trip here……….

The Malpais is less than 10 miles wide, but about 40 or 50 miles long. Next time, I’ll go down the other side to the cone that spewed this lava out, and visit the ice caves on its’ flanks. When I was here in ‘02, about 4 or 5 weeks earlier in the season, there were pools on top of the bluffs from recent rainfalls that were swarming with big tadpoles. I thought the frogs or toads responsible probably laid their eggs in the mud in the bottom of the pools, to hatch at the next rains like in the National Geographic African documentaries. Nope, the pools were bone dry, and no mud or dirt at all - just solid rock…………

A little farther on, in an alcove more protected from the ceaseless wind, I finally found a pool of water - almost dried up……..

Anything in it ?? Dare I hope ?? Yup, here ‘e is………….

About as big as the tip of my little finger, this one’s well along, with hind legs forming, but it’s November now, and this is at over 7200 ft elevation, less than 20 miles from the Great Divide, where the water on the west side flows to the Pacific Ocean, and that on the east to the Mississippi River system. They’ll probably be OK for water, and there appears to be plenty of algae for them to eat, but can they avoid the many crows that inhabit the area ?? Or will they mature and hibernate somewhere before being frozen by the on-coming winter ?? I mis-doubt I’ll have the chance to go and see, since my new job has me running like crazy, and this will prob’ly continue for the fore-see-able future. Then again, it’s only about 150 miles from Santa Fe - an easy weekend run for the Lar in the mighty Diesel Dodge. Why does such nasty, desolate country attract me so much ?? No idea. Maybe part of becoming a Desert Rat, eh ?? But then again, I still have my boat and run the heck out of it, too, so where does that leave me ??

I hope you don’t mind such a long story, but it was irresistable. Hope you enjoyed it, and there’ll be more coming as I explore my new home. There’s a tremendous amount to see and do here, in this rugged country that’s full of ancient Anasazi Indian ruins, and towns with buildings and streets dating from the 1600’s - such as the street where my hotel is located, in Old Town Santa Fe. What Fun ! ! ! Read more »

Posted: October 6th, 2007 under 06-11-11 El Malpais, 08 New Mexico.
Comments: 1