New Mexico Archives

New Mexico December 2021

My son and I visited New Mexico for our holiday trip to end 2021. We focused on Carlsbad Caverns since my son had never been there. We also made stops at Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge near Roswell, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge near Socorro, and White Sand National Park. The Weather was hit and miss. The wind was terrible most of the time as well. I was still able to get some cool images at White Sands and of course Carlsbad is not weather dependent since it is inside a cave. What a cool spot. I hadn’t been there in 20 years.

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge

Snow geese, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Sandhill cranes, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Snow geese, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Northern Shoveler, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Pintail duck, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Snow geese, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Snow geese, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Snow geese, Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Roswell, NM

Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge

Sandhill crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Javelina, , Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Snow goose, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Sandhill crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Sandhill crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Sandhill crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Snow goose, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Sandhill crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Sandhill crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Sandhill crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Great Blue Heron, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Great Blue Heron, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

White Sands National Park

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

January 2, 2022

Ghost Ranch, NM

Ghost Ranch is an area of red rock formations in northern New Mexico made famous by Georgia O’Keefe. I had been wanting to visit the area since I got a glimpse of it about five years ago in a short visit. This time around, I hiked the Kitchen Mesa trail which features some tough hiking including a 15 foot scramble up a boulder fall. The reward at the end of the 2.5 mile trail is worth it as you get panoramic views of the area and get out on the alkaline flats on Kitchen Mesa. This is an area of finely crushed rock and sand that looks as smooth as a kitchen counter, hence the name.

I love all the many photo opportunities at Ghost Ranch. There are old wagons, gnarled dead trees, and beautiful red rock formations to photograph. I walked the trail opposite the ropes course to catch a glimpse of the sunset. What a gorgeous view! The weather was clear with a sunny day in the high 50s. Perfect hiking weather.

The Kitchen Mesa trail follows the main road past the buildings and Arts Center to the trailhead. It is about a quarter mile hike form the visitor center to the trailhead. The trailhead then climbs past an old Celophysis Quarry where several skeletons were excavated in the 1980s. It comes to a small ridge with a good view and then levels out until it hits the main climb up the rock face in about another 1/2 mile. The trail then ascends steeply up the side of the rock with several sections of loose dirt and rock to cross. Then comes the fun. After ascending about 3/4 of the rock face, you have to shimmy up a very narrow section through a rock fall. Leave the large pack behind and squeeze through. It is fun (scary) coming back down. The trail then tracks about another 1/2 mile along the high ridge before reaching the top. The trail continues along to the top of Kitchen Mesa.

Ghost Ranch, NM

Ghost Ranch, NM

Ghost Ranch, NM

old Cabin, Ghost Ranch, NM

Ghost Ranch, NM, old wagon

Dead tree, Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

November 26, 2021

New Mexico winter trip

I love photographing in winter in New Mexico. The quality of light is warm and inviting and the skies are often colorful. I especially like making black and white images from some of the places I visit there. This trip I focused on White Sands National Monument, Pecos NHP, Abo Ruins, and Fort Union. On the way back, I took the high road to Taos and stopped at the Sanctuary in Chimayo. I also explored the Taos Pueblo.

White Sands

White Sands National Monument is always a great spot for photographs. Located about 50 miles east of Las Cruces, NM, White Sands is one of my favorite spots to go in winter. The temperature was a near perfect 55 degrees and there were few clouds own the sky. The contrast of the stark white sand with deep blue sky makes for some really cool black and white images. On this trip down, there were a lot of visitors os I had to walk about a mile to find some dunes without tons of footprints all over them. I looked for some with animal tracks to make for interesting lead in lines. I tried to also do a couple of panoramic images.

Fort Union

Fort Union was one of the largest forts in the West. It contained a large number of adobe buildings. Today, the ruins of walls are all that is left (after the fort was abandoned, the locals stripped the fort of glass and tin leaving the walls to crumble). However, those ruins make for some very interesting subjects. One has a long row of windows while another has a wagon out front. I just wish the place would’ve been open near sunset which would’ve made for even more dramatic photographs. Fort Union is located near Las Vegas, NM about an hour east of Santa Fe.

Abo Ruins

The ruins of the Salinas Pueblo missions are one of my favorite spots to photograph in New Mexico. There are three separate ruins but this time I stopped at Abo. I have been trying to get good photos of this place near sunset and I finally had the opportunity to do so. The ruins of the church mission glow red near sunset, making for some very interesting compositions. Again, walls and windows are all that is left so this challenges the photographer to come up with interesting angles to shoot from. Abo ruins are located about 30 miles east of I-25 off of Highway 60, about an hour south of Albuquerque.

Pecos NHP

Pesos NHP contains another mission ruin as well as a kiva that you can go down in. The ruin is not as large as the one at Abo but contains some cool doorways and windows to photograph. It is about 20 minutes east of Santa Fe, just off of I-25.

Fort Union jail, NM

Fort Union, NM

Pecos NHP, kiva, NM

Pecos NHP, mission ruin, NM

Pecos NHP, mission ruin, NM

White Sands National Monument, NM

El Sanctuario, Chimayo, NM

Organ Mountains, Las Cruces, NM

Abo ruins, Salinas Pueblo Mission, NM

Abo ruins, Salinas Pueblo Mission, NM

White Sands National Park, NM

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, NM

Ghost Ranch, NM

Ghost Ranch, NM, old wagon

Dead tree, Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa trail, NM

Chaco Canyon window

Chaco Canyon doorway, NM

January 5, 2018

Bosque del Apache

Bosque del Apache NWF

I spent a quick trip in New Mexico over winter break. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to visit in the winter since so many birds spend the cold months there. I also explored some nearby refuges including the Bernardo refuge and Valle de Oro near Albuquerque. All of these were good places for wildlife photography. Bosque features sand hill cranes and thousands of waterfowl, including snow geese and several species of ducks. I witnessed a beautiful mass take off of snow geese the morning I arrived. I also saw several thousand pintail ducks. I even spotted a javelina but it darted into the bushes as soon as I stopped. I only had a 300 mm 2.8 lens with me on the trip so I focused mainly on photographing clumps of birds rather than individual birds. Next time I’ll bring a 600mm lens with me.

Bernardo Wildlife Area

The Bernardo wildlife area contains feeding grounds for sandhill cranes. It is located just north of Bosque. Take the exit for Highway 60 and head east. Take the first left and then head north on the frontage road. Shortly, the road brings you to the access to the Bernardo. There were several hundred cranes clumped together in the fields. There are a couple of elevate viewing decks to explore while you are there.

Valle de Oro NWF

Lastly, I stopped at a brand new wildlife refuge, Valle de Oro. It is located about 5 miles south of the airport in Albuquerque. The refuge is small. It has a couple of roads through feeding fields and you can also walk a short trail along the Rio Grande. I did;t see much while I was there until four coyotes ran across the road. They quickly disappeared but I managed to snap a couple of pictures before they ran off.