A Day of Changeable Weather

late morning, Pajarito Mountain towers above Los Alamos townsite; windy but with gorgeous clouds in a blue sky

Check out the Los Alamos Photography Club's 17th annual photography show in Mesa Public Library's Upstairs Gallery through March.  I thoroughly enjoyed all the photos - especially the cranes!

While taking in the show, I took the above photo through the Gallery's picture window, overlooking a metal roof.

That afternoon, I walked on the White Rock Canyon Rim Trail.  It was overcast and snow was beginning to fall on the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.   I got back to my car around 4 pm.  On the way home, tiny snowflakes spattered softly on the windshield.

Atalaya Search and Rescue recently held a practice rescue in White Rock Canyon to prepare for their Mountain Rescue Association recertification.  The article about it in this week's Santa Fe Reporter is definitely worth a read!

 afternoon, from White Rock Canyon Rim Trail, virga and snow clouds to the east, over Sangre de Cristos, coming our way

Windy Day along Camp May Road

on a windy day

when the mountains

blow away

you may as well

be in Ohio

from burned area off Camp May Road, looking east where the Sangre de Cristo Mountains used to be

View of Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail from Los Alamos Mesa Trail

I walked the Los Alamos Mesa Trail today.  A portion of it still has snow patches - cold overnight temps have made snow persist on anything shaded and north-facing.

background, left to right, Quemazon or Rendija Mountain, with lots of "zebra" snow stripes;  Guaje Ridge-Mitchell Trail area,  with shorter Burnt Mountain beneath the three, center "zebra" stripes; Caballo Mountain, treed with bare meadow on top; a pinch of Tschicoma's snowy triangle

This is from the Los Alamos Mesa Trail, looking across Graduation Canyon at a corner of the Pueblo Canyon Rim Trail, below Rim Road.  How deceptively snow-free and dry the trail looks!  I wonder what conditions are like around the corner, along the mostly shaded, north-facing rim of Pueblo Canyon?

Fantastic Cloud Show Today

Friday walk in Santa Fe cancelled due to snow.  Instead, I walked downtown.

Guaje Ridge is the brown, treeless expanse, with the snowy Jemez Mountains beyond.  

Raven soars over all.  

looking north from near Mesa Public Library parking lot

The skies held a cloud fiesta today - well-formed like these, floating in an unbelievably blue sky - towering, dark gray walls, east and south - fog-like banks over the western mountains, occasionally sifting fine snow onto the slopes.  In the townsite, a snowflake or two flew by, backlit by bright sunlight.

Time to Try Some Trails

White Rock Rim Trail is all dried out and ready for hiking!

Buckman Mesa and Rio Grande from White Rock Rim Trail

Ridge Views

The top photo, from the south rim of Los Alamos Canyon, is reposted from Fresh Snow. The photo below was taken from Camp May Road yesterday and shows the same ridge and the Sangre de Cristos, but since it's from higher up, it includes Omega Bridge (on Diamond Drive) spanning Los Alamos Canyon.  

Now, I know this doesn't compare with Ray and Charles Eames' film Power of 10 (I'm winking madly lest you think I'd seriously compare myself to the Eameses!!!!), but the idea of a pulled back view from "on high" of the ridge from where earlier this week I'd taken the photo above intrigued me and, yes, the Eames' film came to mind! 

Just a Note About This Blog

Several years ago, I created this blog but it was a blog in name only as I never did a thing with it.  I was inspired by the recent re-inception of the Los Alamos Daily Photo blog to experiment using this blog to post a photo or two from my daily walks, with a minimum of verbiage.

My camera is a simple point and shoot digital Power Shot Canon A540 that packs a ""mighty"" 6 megapixels.  It's old - assuming that cameras age as fast as dogs - I bought it in 2006.

I have two other blogs that are largely inactive:  Valles Caldera Rim and Los Alamos Woods Wanderer.  Very infrequently, I post in Woods Wanderer and it's usually pretty long-winded.  It's nice to (try to) be more succinct!

Snow Persists Along Camp May Road

Along Camp May Road, looking north toward Pipeline Road Area.  

What do the clouds portend?  

We shall find out tonight!

Yet Another Walk on Canyon Rim Trail

yet another photo of knobby tree along Canyon Rim Trail near mile marker 1.25

Here's another photo of the knobby tree, looking west.  This side was in shadow yesterday when I walked in late afternoon.  Today's walk was late morning.  I love this tree!  The knobs give it grace, character and beauty.  That's a postage stamp view of Pajarito Mountain in the background.

Shadows and Ponderosa Along Canyon Rim Trail

fire station steps with shadows along Canyon Rim Trail

knobby tree near mile marker 1.25 near west end of Canyon Rim Trail

I'm a stickler for shadows.  This is near the official start of the west end of the Canyon Rim Trail which is across from East Park on the Main Hill Road (NM502).

















I always look forward to seeing the knobby ponderosa at the end of my walk.   This is looking east along the Canyon Rim Trail.