Trip to Colorado

I had to travel to Raton, New Mexico for work on Friday, so my husband and I took advantage of the trip and did some hiking in Colorado afterward.  We hiked near the top of West Spanish Peak. It was beautiful. It was a great day, and I was happy to be there, but it was cold, so I am a bit sick now. It was still worth it though.

I am

West Spanish Peak - This is in Southern Colorado.  It is 13,625 feet high.  We were at 11, 126 when the photo was taken.

This view is near West Spanish Peak.

This is Monument Lake.  You can see West Spanish Peak to the right in the back.

Dakota Wall on the Highway of Legends in Colorado.  These are unique geological features throughout the area.

This is the trail back down from the Spanish Peak area. If you look closely, you can see a ranger's station high on the hill in the back. This is an official wilderness area, but help isn't far away, nor is weather alerting.  The equipment near the station is a weather station.

Capulin Volcano Field Trip - New Mexico's Alternative to Marine Environment

I went to Capulin Volcano National Monument this weekend.  It was amazing.  It is a perfect cinder cone volcano.  That is rare, but what is really rare is that is has plant life all over it.  The park forms a unique ecotone which provides habitat for 73 species of birds and  numerous other animals. This is due to the volcano, Rocky Mountain forests, and grasslands of the surrounding high plains.  Mule deer abound even on the slopes of the volcano, and elk, black bears, coyotes, and mountain lions appear from time to time.

This is a postcard because I couldn't get a good shot from a distance as it was hazy during my visit.

The road travels to the indentation, and then a steep hike ascends to the top of the volcano and all the way around and back down.  Even for a hiker, like myself, it was tough. I was on my tip toes half of the way.

Unfortunately, the road that allows so many to see Capulin causes serious erosion. 

A porcupine damaged this tree near the top of Capulin.

Lichen grow all over the rocks.

We caught these female pronghorns in a field near the volcano. The male ran off too fast to catch with the camera.

This is the center of the volcano

There are over 100 volcanoes in the field that covers northeastern New Mexico and Southeastern Colorado.