View Along NM 4

Canyon walls west of Ancho Canyon along NM 4 on way to Bandelier National Monument. This picture taken near same location as picture of NM 4 climbing out of Ancho Canyon on way east towards White Rock.

Pueblo Canyon Walls

View of the south facing wall of Pueblo Canyon in Los Alamos. Canyons cut out of compress volcanic ash flows called tuff.

More Than Meets The Eye

Sometimes in some rock formations there's more that meets the eye.

White Rock Canyon Rim Basalt

Rio Grande Gorge Taos, NM

The Rio Grande Gorge is an 800 foot deep canyon carved through the basalt by the Rio Grande about 10 miles west of Taos, NM

Does This Rock Formation Look Like a Camel?

Camel Rock is found along side the U.S. 285 north of Santa Fe on Tesuque Pueblo. Lots of people have taken photos of the rock formation. Many years ago, you could climb around on the rock. The Pueblo closed the rock to climbing due to tourist cause erosion.

Interesting Tuff Block Formation

Natural columnar jointing in the tuff behind the ball fields in White Rock.

Mesa View

View of one of the mesas on way to Española, NM showing various layers found in the Española Badlands or Barrancas. Layers were probably deposited  before the Rio Grande became the flowing river and are loaded with volcanic ash from various area volcanic eruptions along the Rio Grande Rift.

Basalt Cliffs of White Rock Canyon

Basalt volcanic cliffs on edge of White Rock Canyon. In the area called "hell's hole" by local teens, it's steeper and deeper than it looks in this picture. [I stand corrected. "Hell's Hole" is a cave in the sides of this steep canyon.]

Black Mesa in the Morning

View of Black Mesa from the south in the early morning. Black Mesa is often seen in the background of western movies old and new. Other views of Black Mesa and San Ildefonso Pueblo.

Geologic Layers Through Time

Time is this month's theme on City Daily Blog this month. Photo shows some geologic time.

Layers of volcanic ash flows shows is evidence of several volcanic eruptions in the geologic past of the Pajarito Plateau through time.

Interesting Rock Formations

Along side of road (NM 4) between White Rock and Bandelier Nat. Monument in Ancho Canyon

Close Encounters of the Third Kind?

This posting on the way to Los Alamos confirms the rumors about the Roswell aliens. Right? Or maybe it's a sign post for when THEY return. Or, are THEY already here?

Rock Climbing at Las Conchas

Very popular rock climbing at Las Conchas in the Jemez Mtns west of Los Alamos.

Click here to see map of Las Conchas climbing wall.

Bandelier Is Tuff? Who says?

Top: Looking east, across the Rio Grande Rift to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Los Alamos Canyon Bridge (also known as Omega Bridge). Los Alamos sits on several mesas formed by Bandelier tuff - volcanic ash-flows.

Tuff is compressed volcanic ash flow and is easily carved out for cliff dwellings (see below). Lighter forms of the frothy lava called pumice is everywhere. Obsidian and hard dense basalt from lava flows also makes up the land we live on. See more at Geology of the Pajarito Plateau.