Neuvo Mexico Uno

Post 46

New Mexico is located in a part of the country that is completely out of the way from anywhere we would normally visit. In our lives, for all intense purposes it occupies a blank spot on the map that for us was itching to be explored. The Land of Enchantment is a great way to describe this state with it’s mix of rich Native American Pueblo culture and diverse alluring scenery. I’ve never heard a bad word uttered about this state, in fact I’ve never heard much about it at all. It exists as a place that 

remains in obscurity. And similar to other large western states that lack significant populations, it’s residents probably prefer it this way.
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We very much looked forward to having an extended amount of time to travel through this foreign land. And with such an array of territory to cover we were torn by where to spend our week. Years earlier on a road trip we had the opportunity to quickly pass through the southern portion of the state where we briefly visited White Sand Dunes National Monument and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Side note, Edward Abbey’s novel, Fire on the Mountain is a great fictional account of a man’s struggle against the government and quest to maintain the right to remain on his ranch located adjacent to the White Sands Missile Range. Through an attempt to exercise imminent domain the government threatens to take the land by force if necessary and all hell breaks loose in the barren rural country side of Souther New Mexico. For a quick entertaining read I highly recommend the book.

Millennial ago a fiery volcanic event buried the site in meter upon meter of ash and debris. Throughout the following eons erosional forces have worked their wonders resulting in the mesmerizing rock formations located within the park and surrounding area. On the three mile short out and back trail we found ourselves along with numerous other astonished sightseers in a wonderland of seemingly gravity defying rock formations that indeed resembled tents. An erosion resistant capstone at the top of the structures shielded the softer stone beneath, resulting in the unique landscape. For a good portion of the hike a narrow, flash flood prone slot canyon was our path, before we climbed to the precipice of the trail and gazed down upon the Dr. Seuss evoking topography.

Our tour date in Albuquerque brought us to the northern section of this expansive state. Originally the plan was to explore both the northern and southern parts of the state before having to book it to Fort Worth Texas for a tour date. However, we quickly realized that this route would spread us too thin, and since we’d already visited the parks down south it would be more productive to concentrate our efforts on seeing the sites in the north. Looking over our 100 Hikes in New Mexico guide book, one hike stood out over the rest. A written description of a hike or particular area is great, but seeing a stunning photo of an awe-inspiring vista easily seals the deal. I don’t always agree with the saying that a photo is worth a thousand words but in this case it most definitely was. A single black and white photo of the unique rock hoodoos of Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument captivated me and I knew that a visit was in order.