{"id":1284,"date":"2017-05-30T18:58:50","date_gmt":"2017-05-30T23:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dickeytexas.com\/?p=1284"},"modified":"2022-01-07T13:12:41","modified_gmt":"2022-01-07T18:12:41","slug":"white-sand-national-monument-may-15-2017-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dickeytexas.com\/?p=1284","title":{"rendered":"New Mexico, May, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

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White Sand National Monument, May 15, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Giant, pure white sand dunes of gypsum left over from the Permian Sea that retreated millions of years ago at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico.\u00a0 Img 63814 Whitesandsnm<\/p>\n

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White Sand National Monument, May 15, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Interesting contrast between the free flowing white sand of the dunes and the packed gypsum below.\u00a0 Img 63882 Whitesandsnm<\/p>\n

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White Sand National Monument, May 15, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This pyramid shape dune is about 35 feet high. We were hiking across the dunes on the Alkali Flats trail – Up and down the dunes following markers in a line to keep on track and not get lost in the dunes.\u00a0 \u00a0Img 63826 Whitesandsnm<\/p>\n

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Soaptree Yucca at White Sands<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The gypsum dunes have water just inches below the surface that “glue” the dunes together. This holds the dune field together and also supports plants like this Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata).\u00a0 \u00a0 Img 63899 Soaptreeyucca Whitesandsnm<\/p>\n

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Valley of Fires, NM, May 16, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

North of Ruidoso on the way to Santa Fe is the Valley of Fires (BLM). This is a 2-5 miles wide by 44 miles long, recent (1,500 \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 5,000 years ago) lava flow from a vent. There are interesting patterns in the lava and “arrangements” of lava and the plants that are reclaiming the land.\u00a0 Img 64013 Valleyoffirenm<\/p>\n

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Blooming Cane Cholla at Valley of Fires<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The bloom of Cane (or Walking Stick) Cholla (Cylindropuntia spiniosior).\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Img 64071 Canecholla Valleyoffirenm<\/p>\n

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Valley of Fires, May 16, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Img 64100 Valleyoffirenm<\/p>\n

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Mountain Pose at Shidoni Foundry, May 18, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Karin is holding tree pose with one of the sculptures at the Shidoni foundry north of Santa Fe. The small sculptures around the man are dragons (???) We were disappointed to learn that the foundry had closed for good in April, a victim of the loss of art sales since the 2008 recession. On a previous trip we had observed the lost wax technique used at the foundry. Img 64216 Shidoni Santafe<\/p>\n

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, May 20, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Karin is coming out of the short slot canyon of Tent Rocks.\u00a0 \u00a0 Img 64313 Tentrocks Nm<\/p>\n

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, May 20, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Tent Rocks is about a hour south of Santa Fe and has a really nice short hike though and above a canyon with rock formations that look like tents. We first visited here in 2009, shortly after it had become a National Monument and enjoyed returning.\u00a0 \u00a0 Img 64344 Tentrocks Nm<\/p>\n

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, May 20, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Karin walking through the canyon.\u00a0 Img 64351 Tentrocks Nm<\/p>\n

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, May 20, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Img 64359 Tentrocks Nm<\/p>\n

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Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, May 20, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

This shot is while climbing up above the canyon.\u00a0 Img 64367 Tentrocks Nm<\/p>\n

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Karin and Randy at Tent Rocks National Monument, May 20, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

I found someone to take our photo with the canyon below us. \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Img 64407 Tentrocks Nm<\/p>\n

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Karin and Tent Rocks National Monument, May 20, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

See Karin (left of the middle) with some shorter tent rock formations\u00a0 Img 64490 Tentrocks Nm<\/p>\n

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Claret Cup Cactus near Taos, May 21, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Found this Claret Cup cactus blooming on the West Rim trail of the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos. Also called Hedgehog Claret Cup Cactus, Mojave Mound Cactus, and Kingcup Cactus (Echinocereus triglochidiatus)\u00a0 \u00a0Img 64552 Claretcupcactus Westrimtrl Taos<\/p>\n

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Rio Grande Gorge, Taos, May 21, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Karin is on the West Rim trail of the Rio Grande Gorge near Taos, NM.\u00a0 \u00a0Img 64556 Westrimtrl Taos<\/p>\n

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Prayer Circle near Taos, May 21, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Found this prayer circle a bit off the West Rim trail.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Img 64586 Westrimtrl Taos<\/p>\n

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View from the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, May 21, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Img 64656 Riograndegorgebridge Taos<\/p>\n

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La Vista Verde Trail \/ Rio Grande, May 23, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

La Vista Verde trail in el Ri\u00ado Grande del Norte<\/p>\n

National Monument.\u00a0 \u00a0 Img 64886 la Vista Verde Riogrande<\/p>\n

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Oeste Vista Trail – Angel Fire, NM – May 22, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

View of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain range from the Oeste Vista trail near Angel Fire, NM.\u00a0 \u00a0Img 64719 Oestevista Angelfirenm<\/p>\n

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Taos Sunset, May 22, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Great sunset just steps from our rented condo in Taos.\u00a0 \u00a0 Img 64786 Taosnm<\/p>\n

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La Vista Verde Trail \/ Rio Grande, May 23, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

View of the Rio Grande river from the La Vista Verde trail \u00e2\u20ac\u201c part of the el Ri\u00ado Grande del Norte National Monument, one of the newest in the nation.\u00a0 \u00a0 Img 64823 Riogrande Lavistaverde<\/p>\n

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Rio Puebo\u00a0 River near Taos, May 23, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

We saw this guy kayaking down the Rio Puebo while we were hiking down the Slide trail near Taos. He had one rapid after another down the river.\u00a0 \u00a0 Img 64909 Slidetrl Riopuebo Taos<\/p>\n

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Pincushion Cactus – Taos, May 23, 2017<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Known variously as foxtail cactus, pincushion cactus, or spiny star (escobaria) is a small, tubercular cacti with this bright flower.\u00a0 \u00a0Img 64925 Slidetrl Pincushioncactus Taos<\/p>\n

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Prickly Pear Cactus, May 23, 2017<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The plains prickly pear (opuntia polyacantha) is the single most widespread cactus in the US.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Img 64943 Picklypearcactus Slidetrl Taos<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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