We had a wonderful visit from Don’s cousin Cindy this past weekend. On Saturday, we ventured out to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, which is about 50 miles north of Albuquerque.
The Cochiti Pueblo has always considered this area a significant place. “Kasha-Katuwe” means “white cliffs” in the traditional Keresan language of the pueblo.
The cone-shaped tent rock formations are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred six to seven million years ago and left pumice, ash and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick.
While fairly uniform in shape, the tent rock formations vary in height from a few feet to 90 feet.
As the result of uniform layering of volcanic material, bands of grey are interspersed with beige and pink-colored rock along the monument’s cliffs.
Over time, wind and water cut into these deposits creating canyons and arroyos, scooping holes in the rock, and contouring the ends of small, inward ravines into smooth semi-circles.
We took the Canyon Trail, a 1.5-mile trek up a narrow canyon with a 630-foot climb to the mesa top for clear views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, and Sandia mountains and the Rio Grande Valley.
Definitely one of my favorite places in New Mexico.
Morning Bray Farm 
January 23, 2013 at 4:20 am
Thank you for the mini vacation! It is 7 here with no relief in sight. I especially love the one with no gloves! It give me hope.
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January 23, 2013 at 4:59 am
Amazing, stunning, astonishing!
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January 23, 2013 at 5:25 am
Your photos are breathtaking! I don’t know how we missed this absolutely gorgeous formation when I was a kid. I grew up in Florida, but my Dad’s heart was always with AZ, CO and New Mexico, and our summer vacations were always spent heading west. I know we were in Albuquerque, so I’m surprised he didn’t make the trip to Kasha-Katuwe. I well remember his stacks of Arizona Highways magazines, and I know he had books and mags on NM as well. Memories of other formations and vistas are now coming back! Thanks for that.
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January 23, 2013 at 7:28 am
This is just beautiful in the wintertime, Justina! So glad you recommended we go there this past fall. It was one of the highlights of our trip to take the hike here. Love, love, love it!
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January 23, 2013 at 7:43 am
What a fascinating place! Thank you for sharing it with us!
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January 23, 2013 at 8:01 am
Wow, what a beautiful place!
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January 23, 2013 at 11:40 am
What a fantastic place! We will have to make a trip over there one of these days. Looks like a great place to hike.
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January 23, 2013 at 11:01 pm
This is an awesome landscape Justina. So beautiful photos . It seems, the sky is most blue in New Mexico. I would love to go there for a tour.
Liebe Grüße,
Pia
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January 24, 2013 at 12:20 am
These are really good photos . Loved them.
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January 24, 2013 at 7:36 am
What an amazing place! Sculpted by the Hand of God.
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January 24, 2013 at 7:51 am
Wow! Just wonderful, breathtaking place and amazing photos! The monument’s cliffs looks like Cappadocia.
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January 24, 2013 at 10:18 am
Photographs are breathtaking. You live in a wonderful state. Definitely the “Land of Enchantment” I love NM, but I have never been to this area. Thank you for the visit!!!!
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January 26, 2013 at 11:46 am
I’d love to see that! Thank you for the tour.
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February 7, 2013 at 5:47 am
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