More Santa Fe

The second and third days of our New Mexico trip were even more beautiful than the first- if you can believe it!

Our first adventure on Monday was Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, which is a national monument about an hour outside of Santa Fe. Again, the drive was gorgeous, but it didn't compare to the monument.

To get to Tent Rocks, you must drive across Pueblo de Cochiti tribal land.

There was a bottom loop to hike (Cave Loop Trail), which was flat and "easy" (not including the SCORCHING sun!), and then halfway through the bottom loop, you could take the out and back hike up to the top of the huge mesas to see the Tent Rocks from above (Slot Canyon Trail). We took our time, but we did make it to the top of the mesa! The hike was 4 miles round trip. It wasn't crowded, so we had a lot of time to just talk, soak in the beauty, and of course take over 200 pictures!

They don't call it a Slot Canyon Trail for nothing!

Almost at the top!

We had a gorgeous 360 degree view on the mesa!

Wonder how these beautiful cone formations were made? From Tent Rocks website:

"The Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is a remarkable outdoor laboratory, offering an opportunity to observe, study, and experience the geologic processes that shape natural landscapes. The National Monument, on the Pajarito Plateau in north-central New Mexico, includes a national recreation trail and ranges from 5,570 feet to 6,760 feet above sea level.

The cone-shaped tent rock formations are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago and left pumice, ash, and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick. Tremendous explosions from the Jemez volcanic field spewed pyroclasts (rock fragments), while searing hot gases blasted down slopes in an incandescent avalanche called a “pyroclastic flow.” In close inspections of the arroyos, visitors will discover small, rounded, translucent obsidian (volcanic glass, known as "Apache Tears") fragments created by rapid cooling. Please leave these fragments for others to enjoy.

Precariously perched on many of the tapering hoodoos are boulder caps that protect the softer pumice and tuff below. Some tents have lost their hard, resistant caprocks and are disintegrating. While fairly uniform in shape, the tent rock formations vary in height from a few feet up to 90 feet.

As the result of uniform layering of volcanic material, bands of gray are interspersed with beige and pink-colored rock along the cliff face. 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."

Atop the mesa

PEOPLE ARE STUPID! One false move and that guy would have plummeted to his death!

Selfie atop the mesa

Atop the mesa

Atop the mesa

There were lots of lizards scurrying across the trail! This was our little buddy!

We met another little buddy on the trail- Daniel! He was traveling alone and we hooked up with him at the top of the mesa, then hiked back down together. He was a world traveler and we are just newbs!

We were depleted after the hike, so after a thorough shower, we drove downtown (parking is easy in Santa Fe, wtf!?) and had a "chill" dinner at Del Charro.

I got a REAL margarita this time. Apparently, they are served in wine glasses at Del Charro!

My honey!

His honey!

This is MY kind of food!

On Tuesday, we drove up to Picuris Pueblo for Paul to play disc golf, However, we did not take any pictures because the course is on tribal land and they do not allow pictures being taken. We respected that.

Paul only ended up playing 3 holes because it was EXTREMELY hard. There were juniper bushes and trees everywhere. It was almost impossible to find your way throughout the course. We even got lost at one point.

Next, we headed to Pecos National Monument to learn about the Pecos Pueblo Indians and their on again/off again relationship with the Spaniards. We got to walk through the remains of a church the Spaniards built in the early 1600s. It was very interesting to learn about how the Indian tribe was thriving. But of course things seemed to go downhill when the Spaniards arrived.

Paul in a Kiva (underground!)

THIS SIGN FREAKED ME OUT SO BAD!!!!

Paul outside the remains of a church the Spaniards built on Pecos Pueblo land in the early 1600s

Foundation of the church

Foundation of the church

Foundation of the church

It was so strange to look out over the land and imagine the tribes that lived there...

That night, we just chilled in our suite. I drank a margarita and Paul watched the NBA finals game. 

We went to bed early because the next day, we had a long trip to the Grand Canyon ahead of us.

Adios, Santa Fe!

Have you ever been to/heard of Tent Rocks?
Ever encounter a rattlesnake?
Where is the most beautiful place you hiked?