These awesome crags sit in front of Castle Rock outside of Buena Vista Colorado. You can see these formation as you venture down Highway 285 from South Park into the Arkansas Valley. I have always loved them and decided to get a cool aerial shot with sunset light on their western faces.
Cabezon Sunset
Cabezon Peak is one of the best-known and most visible landmarks in northwest New Mexico. Cabezon is located about 75 miles northwest of Albuquerque. This giant volcanic plug is visible for tens of miles in all directions, and as far away as Placitas. Cabezon means “big head” in Spanish, and it is aptly named. It is the largest of several dozen widely scattered rocky monoliths, called the Rio Puerco necks. Rising above the Rio Puerco valley floor, they are some of the best-preserved examples of volcanic necks in the world. The craggy black peaks stand in sharp contrast to the sparsely vegetated, buff-colored lowlands from which they emerge. Mt. Taylor looms majestically to the southwest, Mesa Prieta borders the valley to the east, and the Jemez Mountains are visible to the north. This starkly beautiful landscape is unique in New Mexico. At an elevation of 7,786 ft, Cabezon Peak towers more than 1,100 ft above its base, and 2,000 ft above the Rio Puerco nearby.
Taos Ski Valley Autumn Panorama
Taos Ski Valley in the Sangre de Cristo range of the Rocky Mountains during the peak aspen color run in early October. Rain and snow was moving into the Taos Ski Valley when I captured this panorama. Luckily I escaped with just a slight soaking of my clothes.
Valle Vidal in Autumn
The Valle Vidal in the Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico is quite the view during the autumn color change. The valley stretches out below you and the mountains are dappled in yellow and gold with the air is crisp and clean. From the higher altitude, you can view the high peaks to the south near Taos and Santa Fe. What a wonderful sight.
Autumn Colors Above Camp Hale
A 180 degree view from a few hundred feet above Camp Hale in the Eagle River Valley north of Leadville Colorado. This valley was surrounded in early Autumn color and we spent a good half day playing and exploring around Camp Hale.
Autumn Colors at Weston Pass
One of my favorite 4x4 roads is Weston Pass outside of Leadville Colorado. Coming from the Arkansas River Valley up to the top of the Mosquito Range is quite the visual experience especially when the colors are changing in fall. This view was mine late in the afternoon as I looked back towards the Collegiate Mountain Range with Big Union Creek winding down the valley.
Windy Gap Pass New Mexico
Windy Gap Pass was the first pass we crossed on our 4x4 tour crossing the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. This pass is on the way to the beautiful Valle Vidal which is the vast valley on the opposite side of Windy Gap. You can see the wonderful fall colors in the mountains in the distance that stand above the valley. Teig and I prefer traveling on the back dirt roads when touring the southwest.