Ruins

Anasazi Winter

On this snowy day in Santa Fe, the sun has finally broken through the clouds, creating that great context between warm light and cold, blue snow. That reminded me of an image I made a long time ago at Chaco Canyon that had that same feeling of warmth and cold. After a day of snow, the sun broke at Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon, creating a warm glow of sunset light on the back wall of the canyon.

Deep in the Cedar Mesa country of southeast Utah, many canyons hide the secrets of the ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the maze of canyons in this region some 700-years ago. Here, a small ruin stands perched in a canyon shelf, while the cliff above is ablaze in relfected light from the far canyon wall. Like the gnarled juniper, these ruins hold the memories of a previous life and time.

Monarch Cave Reflection

A puebloan ruin sits in a cave above a pond of water somewhere in the Cedar Mesa area of SE Utah.

Wagon Wheel, Bode Ghost Town

An old wagon wheel recedes into memory in the Ghost Town of Bodie, CA.

Sunset, Church at Taiban

For many years, I stopped at this old Church in Taiban in the plains of far eastern New Mexico, fascinated by the scene. Finally, in 2008, I was able to time a trip where I could stop by near sunset, when I made this image of the soft pink clouds above the old church.

Moon House Ruin, Cedar Mesa

Deep in the Cedar Mesa country of southeast Utah, many canyons hide the secrets of the ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the maze of canyons in this region some 700-years ago. This particular ruin is called Moon House Ruin. Set deep back in a rock alcove, the white plaster paintings remain intact at Moon House Ruin. It is a magical place.

Snake Window, Moonhouse

This is a nautral window view out of Moon House Ruin, a place in the Cedar Mesa/Bears Ears region of SE Utah.

Mesa Verde Wall

Details of a wall somewhere in the ruins of Mesa Verde

Sunset, Square Tower Ruins

At Mesa Verde, the setting sun bathes the cliff and Square Tower Ruins in wam light.

Varnish and Ruin

Looking up at White House Ruin. and teh varnish-covered canyone wall, from the floor of Canyon de Chelly.

Autumn Dreams, Canyon de Chelly

We were fortunate enough to take a guided hike from the rim to the floor into a seldom seen area of Canyon de Chelly National Monument in early November. The cottonwood trees at the canyon floor were electric. I came across this scene and it felt like a dream, with the soft light, electric colors, and the smell of autumn leafs. Our guide was a park service employee and local Navajo college student back on break from college--his family had a ranch in the canyon. I hope he and his family are well, as the cornavirus has devestated the Navajo Nation.

Fallen Roof, Cedar Mesa

Deep in the Cedar Mesa country of southeast Utah, many canyons hide the secrets of the ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the maze of canyons in this region some 700-years ago. This particular ruin is called Fallen Roof Ruin. In the black soot above the left door, there are three hand prints, another sign of the life that once dwelled in these ruins.

Hands above Fallen Roof Ruin

Deep in the Cedar Mesa country of southeast Utah, many canyons hide the secrets of the ancestral Puebloan people who lived in the maze of canyons in this region some 700-years ago. At this cliff dwelling, the ancestral Puebloan people left their mark, with hand prints etched on the black soot above the ruin.

Frosty Morning, Pueblo Bonito

After an overnight snow fog, cottonwoods in Chaco Wash are covered in frost, while the sun lights up the canyon walls behind Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon

Receding

Like the people of Chaco Canyon itself, the ruins of Chetro Ketl recede into the morning snow fog at Chaco Canyon National Historical Park. Chaco Canyon is a mysterious place, marking the center of the ancestrean puebloan culture in the 11th and 12th century. Until the late 19th century brought large apartment buildings in New York City, the ruins at Chaco Canyon were the largest structures in North America. Ultimately, it is a mystery why the ancestrean puebloan people left their massive Chacoan structures. Perhaps it is simply the historical fact that all cultures eventually hit their apex before receding into memory.

Chaco Snow Fog

On a winter morning, the ruins of chaco rise out of a band of snow and fog.

Foggy Sun, Old Corral

The morning sun begins to burn off the fog above an old corral in Valle Vidal, giving the sky a smoky, tobacco color. This is an HDR composite image, combining three images into one to capture the high dynamic range of the scene. The Valle Vidal region, which includes Valle Vidal, Vermejo Park, Rio Castilla Park, Philmont Scout Ranch, and the Latir Peak Wilderness area, is a New Mexico treasure. Valle Vidal means little place of life. It is a place of abundant life, filled with native cutthroat trout, elk, coyote, eagles, badgers, mountain lion and bears, all of which I've been fortunate enough to see there. In 1982, Pennzoil Corporation donated this land to the federal government with the hope that it would become a national park. It's a place of remarkable beauty and solitude that's very similar to Yellowstone's Lamar Valley.

Crashed in T or C

An old car crashed in Turth or Conseequences, NM.