Grey Day in the Badlands

I set out on familiar paths, but the recent snow had transformed them into something unexpected. The gloom settled over the Rinconada badlands like a veil, muting the colors and slowing the world down. Snow softened the ridges and quieted the air, turning a simple walk into a private winter pilgrimage.

As I continued up the wash.

Muffled footsteps. Smell of wet snow.

Ozone. Wet rock.

Smell of sage and junipers.

Further along, the wash turned to a series of gullies and narrow gulches.I decided to head uphill and hike the ridge to circle back to where I had parked.

The ascent was slow and treacherous.

The recent snow made each step a cautious decision.

Even so I slipped more than once.

A cactus broke my fall.

Once I gained the ridgeline it opened up on top.

Large black boulders were scattered among the sage and junipers like some magnificent garden

Then I follwed a gentle ridge down through black rock gardens of the high deserts of Northern New Mexico.

Taking advantage of a wander the high desert on a gloomy winter day. Soon the blazing southwestern sun will be back and within a day or two almost all the snow will be gone and the desert will return to it's seemingly eternal state of being.