Bright Angel Hike 1/10/15

Hike down Bright Angel Trail to 6.4 miles and back

or 1650 mile drive to provide a 82 mile shuttle

 I-25 & I-40

 Indian country



Petrified Forest National Monument

 Even though it is about the destination, the trip was pretty good, too.

After the flats, the lava flows and red cliffs of Grants area excepted, the Painted Desert, which is the northern part of Petrified Forest NP, is, thank you Arizona.

 Fine petroglyphs on the way to the forest.

 The petrified forest is revealed in a couple of places--big old logs spread over several acres.

The small museum at the south end of the park is in another forest with a view of a monster stump on the horizon

and interesting, small dinosaur skeleton replicas.

Ravens await tourists at each parking lot -- the chipmunks of the southwest



La Posada, Winslow AZ

La Posada in Winslow AZ is our luxury accommodation of the trip. 

Current design is by Mary Colter, who also created buildings at the Grand Canyon in the early 1900's.

 

 There are earlier elements like this tapered, defense portal in an old wall

 

 

 and more recent--a straw bale maze

 

Art is an important element.

 Gate at the railroad tracks.

 A corn stalk gate.

 Nice roof details.

A message from the reception desk?

 

 As to be expected, a lot of historic information inside--but not the carpet squares

Grand Canyon

 Grand Canyon, here we are.

 Zoom from the rim to Phantom Ranch

 Preview of Bright Angel Trail which goes down the canyons right of the visible Plateau Point Trail.

 Classical sunset

 Looking back at the trail head, in the V of the rim, about 4.5 trail miles back.

 Indian Garden is an oasis at about 3,800' & 3,000' down from the rim.

Not sure about the green shaggy what-the-heck in the middle.

A small, creek canyon leads from Indian Garden to the Colorado.

 

 Main wildlife on this winter day -- a Western Scrub Jay

 

 Top of the Devil's Staircase is the end of my hike down

where I meet the ascending boaters and turn back upward.  Obviously before the rain starts.

Las Vegas NM

 

Best Super 8 ever

Taos 10/25-10/24/14

Road Trip to Taos
10/25-10/26/14
Mid-morning on that perfect Saturday we motor south to Walsenburg, west over La Vita Pass and south, again, at Fort Garland to 
San Luis, Colorado, about 35 miles north of the New Mexico boarder, our transition point into the Southwest

Home of The Stations of the Cross (on the hill) and many outdoor, wall murals

with a diversity of images

An old church, surrounded by golden leaved trees under a perfectly blue sky.
Except for the UFO--typical northern New Mexico

With, maybe a couple of the priests planted on the grounds

a ruin

a mediocre cafe

and numerous stone walls built of volcanic rock.



South on 159/522 sagebrush flats turn into pinion and juniper hills

West at Arroyo Hondo, climbing to the south rim of Arroyo Hondo Canyon which is narrow and full of volcanic boulders and cliffs.

and  the John Dunn Bridge over the Rio Grande where the scenery is beautiful and the photos get crappy

Still a fine, fall afternoon.

Next stop is further south along the Rio Grande and a hike down an old road bed to Stage Coach/Mowbry hot spring
the ghost of van Gogh has taken over my camera

The view up river toward the bridge.

Stage road traversing the opposite side of the canyon.

Evidence of volcanic activity along the Rio Grande

Volcanic rocks along the Rio Grande

Elsewhere, rocks in rocks

Blooming primrose and flies--its really nice weather.

Out of the Rio Grande canyon and we're nearing Taos.
Architecture at the center reminds us we're on our way to...

San Francisco de Asis Mission Church

On the continuum of catholic churches is the manger and the crucifixion--not so much the ascension

Across the street is the ascension

Then there's the destination

the site of the sacrament of the breakfast


and the divine cottonwood

The built environment meets nature

The sacred mountain

 

Even the accessability accomodations are historic

if you can't manage the gnarly ramp there's a set of nice, wide steps

Mable and Tony loved their pigeons--why?

No trip to norther NM is complete without an old truck

and natural cobblestones