A snow storm hit the Sandia Mountains outside of Albuquerque New Mexico and Teig and I went out to explore Elena Gallegos Open Space. The Tree Cholla Cacti were so striking in the snow especially with their bright yellow fruit. It was surreal to see this landscape and the cacti in deep snow.
Teig on Boulder in Castlewood Canyon
Teig had jumped up on one of the boulders in Castlewood Canyon and was staring eye to eye with me when I came hiking down Inner Canyon Trail. He still amazes me how athletic he still is for an old dog.
Pair of Snow Geese in Flight
A pair of beautiful white snow geese flying overhead at the Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Refuge in central New Mexico.
Sandhill Crane at Bosque
A lone Sandhill Crane standing in a waterlogged field at the Bosque Del Apache in Central New Mexico.
Shadows on Death Valley Sand Dunes
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are at the northern end of the valley floor and are nearly surrounded by mountains on all sides. The primary source of the dune sands is probably the Cottonwood Mountains which lie to the north and northwest. The tiny grains of quartz and feldspar that form the sinuous sculptures that make up this dune field began as much larger pieces of solid rock. In between many of the dunes are stands of creosote bush on the sand and on dried mud, which used to cover this part of the valley before the dunes intruded.
Three Island Creek Waterfall
Waterfalls don't have to be massive to be beautiful. Finding smaller falls on a creek can be just as rewarding and even better to sit next to and daydream. This was a very nice one on Three Island Creek outside of Steamboat Colorado.
Waking the Dragon
One can find some interesting locations while exploring the American West. I was resting in front of this phenomenal rock formation outside of the Valley of Fire allowing my imagination to run free. I stared deeply at the formation and began creating the story... an enormous curled up dragon was waking up from his deep slumber. He was fuming smoke as he was coming back to life before stretching out his wings and heading out for his nightly adventures… I love creating stories and seeing what is not apparent in nature's beautiful forms. If you are a creative and won’t let your imagination loose to roam, how will you create something new and wonderful?
Outside Looking in the Valley of Fire State Park
An early morning view into the Valley of Fire State Park in southern Nevada. A cool time to get a panorama of the park from it's south-west corner.
Red Rock Formations in the Nevada Desert
Islands of red rock formations can be found around the Valley of Fire. Teig and I love finding and exploring them in the evening when there are no tourists around. It also makes for fun landscape photography.
The Castle at Capitol Reef
One of the wonderful National Parks found in the West. A majestic view of Capitol Reef from Panorama Point.
Peaceful Contemplation at Cottonwood Pass
Teig resting in an alpine meadow on a saunter along the ridges above Cottonwood Pass in central Colorado. We like to take periodic breaks from hiking and just absorb the beauty of the high Rocky Mountains. It helps us keep centered and sane in our hectic crazy lives.
Colorado Traildog and his Sidekick
Working our modeling poses above 13,000 feet. We are striking the "Rocky Mountain High" pose for this photo. It is tough to look this awesome after hiking to the summit of a Colorado Peak.
Winding Road in Valley of Fire
One of the main features in Valley of Fire is the road winding through the wonderful rock formations. This is the main road looking south into the heart of the park.
Light on the Green Mountains behind Vail
We were exploring Piney River Road north of Vail and it was getting near sunset. The light broke through the heavy clouds and cast beautiful light on the mountains in the distance. These special scenes make it all worth exploring the backcountry of Colorado.
Momma Porcupine in a Tree
For the second time in as many weeks we ran into a porcupine on a trail north of Vail, Colorado. She was huge and a mamma walking toward Teig and I. She couldn't recognize us until she was about 25 feet away. Luckily, Teig was on leash at the moment and their was no altercation. I let her move to a nearby tree and climb up about eight feet before getting this photograph of her where she felt safe. She was gorgeous.
Peaceful Night Drive in the Nevada Desert
We had a nice night of exploring the desert a couple of hours west of Las Vegas. The desert at night is so calm and serene with the critters coming out of hiding to do their business because of the difficult conditions of the hot daytime hours. The glow of Las Vegas can still be seen this far away at night.
Resting in Shade of the Red Sandstone
Teig was enjoying the cool shade provided by the Aztec Sandstone while we were hiking in the Valley of Fire State Park.
White Sandstone at Valley of Fire
Beautiful white sandstone distinctly contrasts with the red aztec sandstone at Valley of Fire in southern Nevada. The rich colors and textures make for a tasty treat for my eyes.
Red Rock Formations in Valley of Fire
The beautiful red rock formations are surrounding us for as far as the eye can see.
White Leading to Red
Beautiful white rock formations leading to Aztec Sandstone in the Valley of Fire. These formations were exposed where older rocks of Cambrian age (about 500 million years old) were pushed sideways on a thrust fault over younger rocks (Jurassic, about 160 million years old) of the Aztec Sandstone. The sandstone was originally laid down in a colossal, long-lived sandy desert much like today's Sahara. Before the area was a dry desert, it was an inland sea. The red color is from the presence of iron oxides in the sand.