Tag: Mountains

Cormorants, Mountains, Wild Horse, Bisti. 12-17-2025.

Geraint December 17, 2025 2 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, cormorants roosting along the Rio Chama near Abiquiu, Taos Mountain, a favorite wild horse photo, and the Bisti Badlands near Chaco Canyon.

Twelve years ago, I created the piece below titled “Leaving the Roost.” Unfortunately, the original piece disappeared, so I spent an hour locating the original individual shots to recreate it. The piece measures 80″x80″ and is now ready to be sent to the printer. I particularly enjoy the ‘wild’ panorama stitching that follows the shape of the old cottonwood and how many cormorants utilize this tree. This one is for you, Larry H.

Cormorants Roosting, Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM — Cormorants leaving the roost along the Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM

Clearing storm, on the mountain.

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness near Chaco Canyon. Over the years, I’ve spent many months camping in this area. I think my first camping trip here was in 1989, when it was a wilderness study area. Here’s a petrified tree stump. Click on the photo to enlarge.

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

Let me know if you want to go to the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness.

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness is a designated wilderness area located in northwestern New Mexico, known for its unique and otherworldly landscape. This area is part of the larger San Juan Basin and is characterized by its striking badlands, which feature a variety of unusual geological formations.

Here are some key features of the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness:

Hoodoos and Rock Formations: The wilderness is famous for its hoodoos—tall, thin spires of rock that protrude from the bottom of arid basins. These formations are created through the erosion of softer sedimentary rocks, leaving behind the harder rock formations.
Fossils: The area is rich in fossils, particularly from the Late Cretaceous period. Visitors can find petrified wood and fossils of ancient plants and animals, offering a glimpse into the region’s prehistoric past.
Colorful Landscape: The badlands are known for their vibrant colors, with layers of sedimentary rock displaying shades of red, orange, yellow, and gray. This colorful landscape is especially striking during sunrise and sunset.
Remote and Undeveloped: As a designated wilderness area, Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is largely undeveloped and offers a sense of solitude and tranquility. There are no established trails or facilities, making it a destination for those seeking a more rugged and natural experience.
Photography and Exploration: The unique geological features and dramatic landscapes make Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah a popular destination for photographers and outdoor enthusiasts. The area provides ample opportunities for exploration and discovery.

Visitors to Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness should be prepared for a remote and challenging environment. It’s important to bring sufficient water, navigation tools, and be mindful of Leave No Trace principles to preserve the area’s natural beauty.

Stunning Lenticular Clouds. 12-10-2025.

Geraint December 10, 2025 10 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, lenticular clouds, and this seems to be the season. Although these clouds can appear throughout the year, they are particularly abundant right now. Their stunning, lens-like shapes add a touch of magic to the already breathtaking landscape, making this time of year truly special.

Enjoy! And click on the image to enlarge.

Lenticular clouds San Cristobal — From our deck in San Cristobal.

San Cristobal — Moments before the following photo.

Lenticular clouds — From the deck in San Cristobal.

Click on the image below for a full panorama of the total event. I was driving home from Santa Fe when this happened. I believe it was visible across the entire state.

Taos Pueblo Peak lenticular clouds. — Taos Pueblo Peak, from the deck.

Taos mountains moonrise — Mountain Moonrise.

Lenticular clouds with Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds that look like ocean waves are forming.

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds look like ocean waves — From the garden wall to the Jemez Mountains.

Lenticular clouds are lens-shaped clouds that typically form at high altitudes, often in perpendicular alignment to the wind direction. They are scientifically known as “altocumulus lenticularis” and are most commonly found in mountainous regions. These clouds form when stable, moist air flows over a mountain or a range of mountains, creating a series of oscillating waves. If the temperature at the crest of these waves drops to the dew point, moisture in the air condenses to form clouds.

Lenticular clouds are known for their distinctive, smooth, and often saucer-like appearance, which can sometimes be mistaken for UFOs. They are stationary, meaning they don’t move with the wind like other clouds, but instead remain fixed in position while the air flows through them.

These clouds can indicate turbulence for aircraft, as the wave patterns that create them can also produce strong updrafts and downdrafts. Despite this, they are often admired for their striking and unusual appearance, making them a popular subject for photographers and cloud enthusiasts.

Click here for more on these clouds from Earthsky.

Looking north from the New Mexico/Colorado state line.

As always, thanks for looking and all the comments, compliments, and emails. Have a great week. G

Mountain Clouds, Snow, Moon. 12-03-2025

Geraint December 3, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico! This week, early morning mountain clouds and snow on the peaks, accompanied by a moonrise. I’m eagerly anticipating an almost full moonrise tonight, followed by a full moonrise tomorrow. It should be spectacular against the backdrop of snow-covered peaks. However, more snow is forecast, and the skies might be overcast. We’ll see how it turns out!

Watching the weather morph over the peaks.

Mountain Clouds over the sangre de cristo foothills — Out of the dining room window.

Mountain clouds over the sangre de cristo mountains — Island in the clouds.

Vallecito mountain moonrise — Vallecito Mountain.

Vallecito Peak is always a favorite backdrop for a moonrise. Here’s a different day and a close-up from that same day.

Below is from five years ago, when we had a great amount of snow.

Vallecito Mountain Snow, Taos New Mexico — Mountain Snow on Vallecito Peak.

Here’s my new postcard promo piece for Photo Tour/Workshops. Gift certificates are available.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Have a great week. G

Mountain Light And Snow. 11-26-2025

Geraint November 26, 2025 4 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, mountain light and snow on the peaks.

It didn’t take much to draw me outside this last weekend. Below are a few images from our neighborhood, taken just a few miles from our home. The peaks of the Columbine Hondo Wilderness glowed beautifully in the waning light. Click on an image to view the full panoramic version.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and a great week.

Last Light Columbine Hondo Wilderness NM — Last light on the Columbine Hondo Wilderness, NM.

Happy Thanksgiving. My annual greeting picture, taken one Thanksgiving week a few years ago in the Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico.

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

Land Of Enchantment. 11-19-2025.

Geraint November 19, 2025 2 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico, the land of enchantment.. This week, scenes in the land of enchantment. Some say the land of entrapment. Once here, it’s hard to leave. I can attest to that statement. I first arrived here in 1984, moving here permanently in 1988. My friend, Harry you met last week, and his wife, Noreen, were two of the first people I met. It’s been 41 years this coming Thanksgiving.

Below is a piece I wrote about my first time on the High Road to Taos.

“In Thanksgiving week 1984, I made my first of many trips to New Mexico. On this occasion, five of us friends set out on a foggy morning from Santa Fe and made our way north on the high road to Taos. The sites and sounds on the streets of Santa Fe soon opened up to the immense vistas of mesas, and beyond to the Taos Volcanic Plateau.

We passed through the village of Chimayo, climbing the hill to Truchas (Spanish for Trout). Rapidly gaining elevation, the landscape changed to pristine hills of ponderosa pines and rust-colored tones of scrub oak in the undergrowth. Bare white highlights of lanky aspen punctuated the vast square miles of pine trees in the Carson National Forrest. Through the misty veil of condensation on the window, we were afforded more than a subtle hint of what autumn in the high country of New Mexico might have looked like one month earlier.

Leaving Truchas for Penasco, the fog set in. The temperature dropped in the sparsely populated, mountain communities of Las Trampas and Picuris. The colder air outside the car became magically enhanced from the aroma of piñon and juniper burning in the fireplaces of scattered homes. At this very moment… sometimes you just know it, the mystery of things unknown and northern New Mexico took a very palpable hold on me.

Not more than four years later, in the spring of 1988, that hold tightened and I moved to a small adobe building with two fireplaces, in Talpa, NM and began stockpiling five cords of wood for what promised to be a cold winter that year…“

The land of Enchantment, and every day I go to Town, I pass this scene of Taos Pueblo Peak. A little dusting of snow today with more promising accumulations tonight.

Land of enchantment, Taos NM — Taos Pueblo Peak.

Many places here in the Land of Enchantment never get old for me. You know this one!

Arroyo Hondo cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo, Cottonwood.

Details in the land of enchantment, a tiny pine cone among this year’s fallen leaves.

Costilla, New Mexico, located in the San Luis Valley, on the New Mexico/Colorado state line, is about as far north as one can go in this land of enchantment. No less enchanting, this area and its abandoned farms and buildings inspired John Nichols’ book, Milagro Beanfield War. The movie was filmed in Truchas on the High Road to Taos.

Open air building Costilla, NM — Costilla, NM.

New work in the making. “Three chairs and a tree.”

three chairs tree wild rivers BW A7R 3443 1 — On the plateau in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

As always, thank you for looking and all the kind words of support and compliments. Have a great week. G

Hunter’s Moon and Hunters. 11-05-2025

Geraint November 5, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico. This week, the full Hunter’s supermoon, taken in the neighbourhood, and a few shots of our neighborhood hunters.

Last night when the almost full Hunter’s Moon rose over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Tonight is the full moon.

Hunter's moon, NM — Hunter’s moon, northern NM

And this shot from our driveway.

Moon rise San Cristobal — Moonrise San Cristobal.

Moon San Cristobal — Moon and lenticular clouds, San Cristobal.

Want to see more moons? Check out this page.

And… the hunters in the hood.

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

Around The Block. 10-15-2025

Geraint October 15, 2025 2 Comments

Hello from New Mexico. The phrase “around the block” evokes more than just a simple jaunt; it symbolizes the day-long road trips we often embark upon, journeys that weave through the tapestry of landscapes and experiences, ultimately guiding us back to our point of origin. These excursions, though they may seem circular in nature, are rich with discovery and reflection. As we traverse winding roads and pass through quaint towns and sprawling vistas, we gather fragments of the world that resonate within us. Each sight and sound becomes a thread in the intricate fabric of our memories, reminding us of the home that resides within our hearts. No matter how far we wander, these journeys reaffirm the notion that home is not merely a destination, but a feeling we carry with us, a constant companion on the road of life.

Life, a photo trek around the block.

This “around the block” encompasses a few years of select images taken in October.

Photographing Comanche Point, Valle Vidal, NM — Looking for the reflection.

Milkweed pods. The seeds have all flown…

Fall color starting to look a lot like xmas — Fall color, beginning to look a lot like Xmas.

There has been a lot of lightning this year. This morning we had sheet lightning, thunder, and hail. A lot of it.

In the heart of mid-October 2007, we were graced with a scene that looked to have been painted by the hand of a local artist (photographer), capturing the essence of autumn in all its glory. The trees were ablaze with hues of crimson and gold, their leaves dancing in the crisp breeze like nature’s confetti. The mountains and town looked splendid, dressed in the first snowfall that year. In stark contrast, this year has offered us nothing of the sort… nada! I’m looking forward to any snow we get, we need the moisture.

Snowfall in mid October-2007 — Snowfall and fall color.

And the first snowfall October 2011. Incidentally also available as a print.

Early snow, Taos — Early snowfall on a street in Taos.

As always. Thanks for looking. I hope you have a great week. Enjoy your trip around the block. G

Photo Treks around the block — Photo Treks

A little Autumn Color. 10-08-2025

Geraint October 8, 2025 10 Comments

Hello from New Mexico! This week, we’re experiencing some beautiful autumn colors. There’s plenty to enjoy, but I wanted to share a little gem I found this week in Valle Escondido, NM. The scenery out there is stunning, and I hope it’s just as beautiful where you are. I must admit, though, the season seems to be moving along quickly.

A little autumn color Valle Escondido, NM — In the morning mists of Autumn.

Aspen trunks in the Valle Vidal. — Aspen trunks in the Valle Vidal, NM.

No photo tour to the San Luis Valley is complete without a stop at the old homestead, you know the one! With storm clouds building, but no precipitation yet, my client, Susan, and I stopped in here on a photo workshop to see what was brewing visually.

A wide view of our valley and mountains.

San Cristobal Valley Cottonwoods — San Cristobal Valley aspens and cottonwoods.

This week’s “Print of the Week”. taken the same week at the location above.

As always, thank you for looking. I hope you’re enjoying Autumn where you are. G

Fall Equinox, Flashback. 09-24-2025

Geraint September 24, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico. This week, I’m taking a look back at past Septembers, the month of the fall equinox.

Beginning with this shot of our mountains from El Prado.

Often the first aspens to start turning in the Valle Vidal high country.

The view heading home. Not a bad close to the day.

Fall equinox, NM — Fall in the mountains from San Cristobal.

The overhang in this photo has since fallen off. Glad I missed that!

Fall colors Colorado — Fall colors, Colorado.

From the Lobatos Bridge in Colorado. And a view looking north. Read more about the Lobatos Bridge Outdoor Classroom Project.

Not really a lake, but a pond in the mountains.

Backlit sunflower on the fall equinox against the setting sun across the plateau.

Coyote crossing a field in Taos.

Some areas turn sooner than others. I found this branch and color in Garcia Park.

Print of the week.

Print of the month — Cottonwood Sunset Light.

As always, thanks for looking and all the comments, compliments, and support. G

Taos Artist Combo. 09-10-2025

Geraint September 9, 2025 13 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico. This week, a few more prints, on display this weekend at the “Taos Artist Combo” show at the Stables Gallery in Taos.

Fajada Butte Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

Doorways Pueblo Bonito Chaco Culture — Doorways in Pueblo Bonito, Chaco Culture.

St Francis Church Ranchos de Taos — Through the raindrops at the St Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos.

As always, thanks for looking and all the comments and compliments. I look forward to seeing you this coming weekend. G