A Few Days in New Mexico ...

Well, unlike the other "A Few Days ..." segments posted so far, to introduce a few days of videos and posts, I can't say anything in reference to New Mexico being personally largely neglected and overlooked, though there are some "Bucket List" places I would like to revisit with my digital cameras.  Of the number of "nights spent" in particular states, it looks like New Mexico is #3.

1. Georgia 

2. Texas

3. New Mexico (estimated)

4. Arizona (estimated)

5. Oklahoma (estimated) 

I have been to all "four corners" of New Mexico (having been to the Four Corners Monument", I am speaking figuratively about the other three), with the SW Corner the least visited (to my great regret), just driving through between El Paso and Bisbee, AZ in November 1979.

In mid-2015, my first visit to NE New Mexico was spent visiting Clayton Lake State Park, followed by hours wandering the Clayton-Raton Volcanic Field.  As I was due in Albuquerque that evening, other than the Raton K-T Boundary site, the small dike crossing I-25, and some faulting in outcrops of the San Andres Limestone, I wasn't able to spend as much time in the area north and northeast of Santa Fe, as I would like. 

I have blogged before about the U.S. Hwy 66/I-40 corridor, another place I would like to spend more time in.  It truly is the "Land of Enchantment".

Because of the Geologic and personal importance of New Mexico, I have blogged about the state numerous times.  Here are a few prior New Mexico entries/posts:

White Sands National Monument

Bisti Badlands, San Juan Basin

Recurring Themes, Including New Mexico Experiences

Geo-Learning, Including Clayton-Raton Volcanic Field

What a Geologist Sees: Part 27

Get Your Kicks on Route 666 - Part 2 (Shiprock and More)

Get Your Kicks on Route 666 - Part 1 (Not my video)

Sky Island - New Mexico's Jemez Mountains

Carrizozo Basalts

Personal Photos of New Mexico Volcanic Features (Some labeled for Educational Purposes

A Post on Diatremes and Maar Volcanoes, including New Mexico Maar Volcanoes

Albuquerque to Gallup (Includes Albuquerque Volcanoes and other Geologic Sites along I-40 West)

A Video on New Mexico Volcanoes (Not my video)

New Mexico's Dynamic Geology  (Not my video)

My 1979 Summer Job in the Bisti Badlands (All photos are mine)

There are more New Mexico posts, scattered through my blog archives, but finding them and cleaning up scattered glitches takes time.

Living Here - Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park

 

[As with other museums and parks, I am not certain as to the current status of the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park - due to the pandemic.  It is on the western slopes of the Organ Mountains, east of I-25 and north of U.S. Hwy 70 in the Las Cruces, NM area.] 

But if access is available, this Las Cruces site is a good starting point from the West, for learning about this particular desert and how it is different from the adjacent Sonoran Desert, to the west.  If one is used to the greenery of the Eastern United States a first-time visit to El Paso/Las Cruces is a "nature shock" and it takes a while to learn to appreciate the stark beauty of this harsh environment.  There is beauty here, it just takes some training and acclimation to learn to appreciate it.

In El Paso, Keystone Heritage Park would be another important resource.  On the eastern slopes of the Franklin Mountains is the El Paso Museum of Archeology Wilderness Park.  [Again, please check the website for schedules, as all city museums and parks seem to be closed due to the pandemic.]  When I visited

Of note: The Chihuahuan Desert is the largest of the four North American Temperate Deserts.  With less development of the slopes of the Organ Mountains (than of the nearby Franklin Mountains) it is a better place to see some of the factors involving ecosystem development and location (in my humble opinion).

Additional learning resources are available through the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center in the Davis Mountains.  Especially if traveling from the East on I-10 and I-20.

As a former 14-year-long resident of the El Paso area (1977-1991), before venturing out of either city, do some research to inquire about "desert safety" and certain areas to avoid, due to current "border issues". 

There are places I used to go - 30 years ago - by myself that now, I would either not go at all or go armed with an armed buddy.  These are south and west of I-10, in relative proximity to the International Border.  This includes area near Aden Crater, Kilbournes Hole, and other volcanic features.

The Chihuahuan Desert: Our North American Outback

As I was searching through videos related to the Chihuahuan Desert, I encountered a familiar name.  Kevin von Finger was a casual friend of mine during my El Paso years, we crossed paths often.  (I wish I had spent more time rambling in the desert with him.  He passed away too young.)