El Malpais Natural Monument

A postcard from New Mexico. Every trip to the southwest, I try to get off the main road at least once. I feel spiritually replenished and sometimes magic happens. This trip I decided to try a road I had never taken from Quemado out to the ranger station and onward to the Sandstone Bluffs. Never made it to the La Ventana natural arch.

The road was the worst washboard I had ever driven on. Sign said road impassible when wet, well guess what, it was impossible dry. Felt like I was going to get thrown off. And a van full of fragile items including expensive pottery. I made it to the bluffs, crawling forward like a ticklish snail over rough gravel, scenery nice but not too spectacular. Depression family homesteaded it in the 30's, might have been named Garrett. Still felt great to find nowhere again.

I passed this pond and took a shot.