Geraint Smith Photography

Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

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Tag: Chaco Canyon

Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, Other Doors. 03-06-2024

Geraint March 5, 2024 12 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week Fajada Butte. This iconic mesa is the focal point of Chaco Culture National Historical Park, typically abbreviated to Chaco Canyon.

Fajada Butte can be seen from many locations in the park. Have you been?

I’m returning after a few years of absence, and I’m looking forward to it later this month. It will be a treat after four years since my last trip. I’ll be camping but well prepared. Once, I spent a few days in Chaco Canyon on the winter solstice. Now that was cold. The largest great house is known as Pueblo Bonito. There’s a lot to see there and it can occupy your time, especially as a photographer.

Fajada Butte Chaco Canyon
Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, NM.
Sunset on the mesas in Chaco Canyon
Sunset in Chaco Canyon.

If you’d like to see some interior shots, keep scrolling.

Repeating doorways, Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Repeating doorways, Pueblo Bonito.
Room with a view of moon in Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Room with a view of the moon.
Doorways in Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Doorways in Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon.

Below is one of my favorite shots of Pueblo Bonito taken on my last trip there. Confusion?

Building geometry in Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Building Geometry accented by the shadows and light.

If you go there at a time of year when the heat is almost unbearable, step inside one of the small rooms. You will soon realize what works to stay cool in the desert. Pause for a few moments, you may find a few ancient ones hanging around with you. You may or may not be joined by other travelers.

Moving on to more doors. I stopped in Los Cerrillos NM, on the Turquoise Trail last week. I stopped in other locations as well but was impressed with the following two doors/gates in Cerrillos.

You may recognize the town from a movie named “Young Guns” that was filmed there. On this day I was there purely for the pleasure of the place on my detour drive.

Blue door and red chilies, Cerrillos, NM
Blue door and red chilies, Los Cerrillos, NM.
Milagro door/gate Cerrillos, NM
Milagro door/gate Los Cerrillos, NM.

Join me on a photo tour/workshop, I’ll take you to this and many other locations.

Lastly, a little closer to home, another blue door with painted red chiles and snow falling. These chiles stay fresh all year long and beyond.

Blue door and painted chiles, Costilla
Blue door and painted red chiles, Costilla, NM

As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G

Full Moon, Eclipse, Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon

Geraint May 26, 2021 16 Comments

The moon was nearly full when it rose over the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I’m a proponent of as little travel as possible when the presentation is before me. Dewitt Jones said, “The banquet is spread constantly, with no thought of whether anyone will attend. If I were receptive enough, perhaps I would see it in everything. But I’m not, so photography is one of the tools I use to help me concentrate, to help me see deeply, to block out all that is extraneous and see that which is essential.” I shot the moon rise last night and the following two images looking out from our deck early this morning. The potential for a vibrant eclipse diminished through the night as clouds moved in. Around 3 am the moon vanished altogether. At 4:30 am, my alarm went off. There was a faint moon with clouds surrounding it. I nodded off. By 4:55 am I was dressed and standing outside with the camera set up. I surmised that the moon would perhaps emerge from and disappear behind intermittent banks of clouds. It did as I thought but not with the resounding determination I’d hoped for. It seemed to pulse faintly as it set and then it was gone. At 5:45 I was back in bed. I woke up at 7:15 am with a feeling that I had traveled miles. In effect, at that moment I had hitched a ride with the moon. I think I’ll also need a nap later.

Full moon rise over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM
Nearly full moon rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM

Lunar eclipse, NM
Lunar eclipse, this morning from San Cristobal, NM

Full moon Lunar eclipse, setting this morning over the Taos Plateau
Full moon, Lunar eclipse, setting this morning over the Taos Plateau.

Below is a new print I’m working on. It’s a very large panorama of the sacred Fajada Butte in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. I’ll have this image ready for purchase on my fine art prints landscape page this weekend.

Fajada Butte Chaco Canyon
Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, Chaco Culture National Historical Park

As always thanks for looking. G

Cactus, Pueblo Alto Trail, Chaco Canyon

Geraint September 1, 2020 No Comments

Cactus on the Pueblo Alto trail in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. There is much to see in Chaco Culture Historical Park, up, down and all points in between. If I find the photo of the piece of pottery we found near this spot I’ll post. We pick it up look and marvel at it, then put it back down where we found it for others to enjoy. This cactus was perfect right where it was. Thanks for looking. G

Cactus, Pueblo Alto Trail, Chaco Canyon

Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Geraint August 20, 2020 4 Comments

Fajada Butte sunset at the end of a hot summer day hiking in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. Summer is a good time to visit Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Yes, it is hot, very hot, but very few people. Winter is great too, very few people. We’ll spend one more day in NM tomorrow and then who knows where we’ll wind up? Thanks for looking. G

Fajada Butte sunset in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico.

Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Canyon, New Mexico

Geraint August 8, 2020 6 Comments

Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico.  I pulled this one from the archives last week and seeing as park is temporarily closed now, this view will suffice. I never go too far from home anyway so I’m not really limited in my travel. There are plenty more places to visit nearby and discover a few new ones while I’m at it. I’m very fortunate, pretty much everything I enjoy is here in my northern New Mexico backyard. Thanks for looking. G

Chaco Canyon, Pueblo Bonito, New Mexico

Glyphs, Signs, Rio Grande Del Norte

Geraint May 23, 2020 9 Comments

Glyphs, signs, an encrypted language, lines of code? in the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, NM. I have no clue what, who, or why? It spoke to me so I made an image! Thanks for looking. Be safe out there this weekend. G

Glyphs, signs, an encrypted language in the Rio Grande Del Norte?

Feather, Casa Rinconada, Chaco Canyon

Geraint April 11, 2020 4 Comments

Feather, Casa Rinconada, Chaco Canyon. When I caught sight of the feather it was tumbling along through the sage and other sundry brush around the great kiva at Casa Rinconada. In a lull in the wind, it settled on a sage bush. I picked it up and held it so the sun back lighted it. I made a few images, as it continued to flutter in the breeze, before casting it back in the air and the will of the wind. Thanks for looking. G

Feather, Casa Rinconada, Chaco Canyon.

Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, NM

Geraint February 19, 2020 6 Comments

Fajada Butte, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico. I revisit images from time to time. Sometimes they speak to me differently than they first did. I shot this image ten years ago for a story on the celestial alignments that occur in Chaco Canyon. Looking at it now, I am reminded of the many nights I’ve spent in the canyon gazing on this scene in silence, solitude and gratitude. Making this image I was the only soul present except for, perhaps, the ancient spirits. Thanks for looking. G

Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, NM