Saturday, setting aside Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
El Morro National Monument is two hours west of Albuquerque on NM 53 (via I-40 to Grants).
A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a massive sandstone bluff made El Morro (the bluff) a popular campsite. Ancestral Puebloans settled on the mesa top over 700 years ago. Spanish and American travelers rested, drank from the pool and carved their signatures, dates and messages for hundreds of years. Today, El Morro National Monument protects over 2,000 inscriptions and petroglyphs, as well as Ancestral Puebloan ruins. (El Morro National Monument)
At El Morro we took the entire 2 mile loop, past the pool and inscriptions, then around the end of the bluff, along the northwestern side, up the switchbacks 250 feet to the top. On the top, the trail (marked only by cairns and parallel lines carved in the rock in some places) goes up one side of the V-shaped bluff to near the point, then back the other side and eventually down via many, many steps. The views on top are gorgeous, including the look down into the lovely canyon between the two sides of the V.
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In the desert, water determined the route. The sandstone bluff at El Morro channeled rain and snow melt into this pool at the base. It’s about 10 feet deep (at present). |
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El Morro is most famous for the petroglyphs and inscriptions in the sandstone near the pool. Leaving our mark (“tagging”), seems to be an inherent characteristic of our species. |
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One of many historic inscriptions left by Spanish and then American passersby between 1605 and the 19th century (and, alas, a few more recent). |
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One view of the bluff, this from the north side on the way up. |
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This from the top of El Morro looking back at same rock shown above. That’s NM 53 down below. |
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Soaring, almost hawk-like, the ravens seemed to enjoy the view as much as we did. |
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At the top of the bluff the ruins of Atsinna, home to more than 1,000 ancestral Puebloans from 1275-1350. Pictured are the remains of just a few of the 875 rooms that originally stood in the three-story structure. |
Closer to Albuquerque, El Malpais National Monument is south of I-40 along NM 117 (Exit 89) and along NM 53 between Grants and El Morro.
El Malpais means the badlands but this volcanic area holds many surprises. Lava flows, cinder cones, pressure ridges and complex lava tubes dominate the landscape. A closer look reveals high desert environments where animals and plants thrive. Prehistoric ruins, ancient cairns, rock structures, and homesteads remind us of past times. (El Malpais National Monument.)
Some of the lava flows at El Malpais are just 2,000-3,000 years old, not even yesterday by geological standards. It’s a rough, dark lava-covered landscape, quite different from the surrounding area, though vegetation is making its comeback. NewMexiKen visited the entrance to Junction Cave (actually a lava tube) in the El Calderon area just off NM 53. Boots, gloves and three flashlights per person are recommended to explore the cave — so, some other time. We also took the drive to the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook off NM 117; a great look at the surrounding lava flows. Lastly we took the short walk to La Ventana Natural Arch, along NM 117, 18 miles south of I-40.
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In shorts, without gloves or backup flashlights, Junction Cave (actually a lava tube) was inviting only for its rush of cool air. Note the cinder rocks. |
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Some of the fascinating geology along the cliff just west of La Ventana Natural Arch. |
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NewMexiKen failed to get what I’d consider to be a good photo of La Ventana, New Mexico’s largest accessible natural arch. (La Ventana means the window.) The sun was too directly overhead. Alas, I guess that just means another trip. |
El Cafecito in Grants is a great little place to eat — breakfast, lunch or dinner. Good New Mexican cuisine at eye-popping prices (like two beef and bean burtios, rice, beans and two sopapillas for $7.25). Caution though, El Cafecito is not open Sundays. Exit 85, on the right well past motel row but before “downtown.”
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