http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/prd/cityrocks.htm
Wherever volcanic ash has been transformed by time into the soft stone called tuff, wind and rain erode it into mind-boggling forms. The City of Rocks is one such spot.
Last weekend Steve and I took Cassidy and a dog we're housing temporarily (I think!) named Berry on a three day car camping trip to explore the southwestern corner of New Mexico into SE Arizona. It was just wonderful! Far too much material to cover in one blog, so I will present it in easily digested bits. This is the first.
Just like at Walmart, we were met by a greeter right after we got out of the car. This baby Western Diamondback Rattlesnake was coiled in the shade in the middle of a large flat rock...Berry nearly stepped on him in his excitement to be out of the car! I spotted him and shrieked to Steve to pull Berr out of the way. The dogs on leash rule proved to be useful in this case. Once the dogs were clear, I snapped this picture from a safe distance...gotta love zoom!
I had thought that snakes would avoid the area because of the number of people who hike and camp in the area. But we chose an outlying group of rocks for our first stop, much less visited than the main formation. The little viper was probably just recently hatched. Its defense, fortunately for us, seemed to rely on camouflage. So with heightened awareness of potential danger, we moved in among the rocks.
Wooly locoweed, a pretty legume toxic to grazing animals, decorated the knoll.
From this point you can see beyond the nearby rocks to the main formation beyond. Note our van, Lolla the Rolla, parked in the shade at right for scale.
Another high desert wildflower, Verbena wrightii, grows in Santa Fe as well. Note the nice gravel mulch. I try to emulate this in my xeric rock gardens.
Once we got to the main area and entered the rocks, we were quickly lost in a maze of stone-lined "streets". It's no wonder this place was named "City of Rocks". Beautiful oak trees took advantage of the sheltering rocks, growing larger than in the surrounding open land. It was a warm day, and the shade was welcome! Both Emory and Grey Oak do well here.
From a high point we could see the city stretching out before us, drawing us on. In this photo you can see another person on the right. As in Tent Rocks (previous blog), this is a popular place. I avoided taking pictures that included people, but be warned: this is not a place to go to get away from people! It's especially popular with folks with kids, since it is a fairly safe (we didn't see any more rattlers in this part) playground. Nevertheless, be sure children know how to identify and react to rattlers. And as always in the dessert, carry water. It isn't a very large area, but it's easy to get a bit lost!
We are guessing that these holes were created by Native Americans grinding acorns, which are abundant in this place. Can't you imagine the women kneeling on this stone, pounding away with dense stone pestles, gradually wearing away these holes generation after generation? They are space just right for a good gossip session.
Vertical and horizontal erosion are caused by the fact that the original ash deposits varied in density as they were laid down. Water moves horizontally through the softer ash, and vertically through cracks, creating a city-like grid. At every turn, alleyways beckon you to explore.
In spite of its position beneath a sheltering shrub, this delicate wildflower was blowing so in the wind that it was a wonder I could get any picture at all! This is a new one to me. Lovely! If anyone can identify it, please comment here or email me and I will insert the name.
Lichens paint these standing stones in shades of grey and chartreuse.
Steve and Berry, our foster dog. We're looking for a good home for this sweet young dog. Let me know if you are interested. He's a love!
A Yucca defends a low passage beneath a fallen monolith.
As the sun sank lower the lighting improved for photography. I love the golden grasses here!
Oak aglow.
This is the kind of vignette that inspired my Passages series of oil paintings. I show them on my other blog: www.artbymoria.blogspot.com
Agaves in the foreground, dormant ocotillos behind, in the botanic garden at City of Rocks. As you can see, this is a place well worth visiting. The negatives, for us, were that dogs had to be on a leash, and that there were so many people. Because of the crowds, we opted not to camp here. But the sight of children enjoying themselves in a natural wonderland was heartwarming. In my next blog entry I'll show you where we did camp...it was perfect!
As the afternoon progresses, shadows create fascinating patterns of light and dark.
Vertical and horizontal erosion are caused by the fact that the original ash deposits varied in density as they were laid down. Water moves horizontally through the softer ash, and vertically through cracks, creating a city-like grid. At every turn, alleyways beckon you to explore.
In spite of its position beneath a sheltering shrub, this delicate wildflower was blowing so in the wind that it was a wonder I could get any picture at all! This is a new one to me. Lovely! If anyone can identify it, please comment here or email me and I will insert the name.
Lichens paint these standing stones in shades of grey and chartreuse.
Steve and Berry, our foster dog. We're looking for a good home for this sweet young dog. Let me know if you are interested. He's a love!
A Yucca defends a low passage beneath a fallen monolith.
As the sun sank lower the lighting improved for photography. I love the golden grasses here!
Oak aglow.
This is the kind of vignette that inspired my Passages series of oil paintings. I show them on my other blog: www.artbymoria.blogspot.com
There is actually a camp site underneath the hanging rock...if you dare! There are over 60 camp sites around the perimeter of the formation, tucked into its flanks. A few tents were also set up within the rock alleys. Get there early or go on a weekday if you want to claim a site. It was pretty full, and only early April. Of course, the weather was ideal!
Agaves in the foreground, dormant ocotillos behind, in the botanic garden at City of Rocks. As you can see, this is a place well worth visiting. The negatives, for us, were that dogs had to be on a leash, and that there were so many people. Because of the crowds, we opted not to camp here. But the sight of children enjoying themselves in a natural wonderland was heartwarming. In my next blog entry I'll show you where we did camp...it was perfect!
