The other day my wife and I hiked the trail to Chimney Rock, located at Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu in northern New Mexico. We discovered the Abiquiu area during our first trip to New Mexico, and shortly after moving here, it quickly become one of our favorite places for a day trip from Santa Fe. We had done some hiking in the area, but this was our first time hiking at Ghost Ranch.
The Chimney Rock trail is a three-mile round trip, with an elevation gain from 6,500 to 7,100 feet, offering views of the Cerro Pedernal, Abiquiu Lake, the Piedra Lumbre basin, and expansive red, yellow, and white sandstone cliffs. After checking in at the Ghost Ranch Visitor Center, we walked down behind the corrals, crossed the arroyo, and headed out on the trail.
On the way up, on the left side of the trail, I spotted a couple of scraggly, dead trees. I looped up and around to take a look, and immediately saw the Cerro Pedernal (known locally as the "Pedernal") - a tall, flat-topped mountain that was a frequent subject of Georia O'Keeffe - off in the distance. I took a few shots, using the trees as a natural frame for the Pedernal.
Once I reached the top of the ridge I wandered a bit, from one side of the finger of land jutting out towards the valley below to the other, looking around and taking in the view. Walking out towards Chimney Rock I saw this tree and almost immediately thought "black and white."
Looking in the opposite direction, approximately northeast, offered this view of the sandstone cliffs and turquoise blue skies...
Once I got to Chimney Rock I just stood there, in awe. The view was incredible, looking over the Piedra Lumbre basin ("Valley of the Shining Stone") with the Pedernal standing tall in the distance...
After some time spent taking in the view, it was time to head back down the trail. On the way back I stopped to take a few shots of these wildflowers. The recent rains in the area have brought with them an abundance of wildflowers, adding another dimension of beauty to an already spectacular landscape...
The Chimney Rock Trail was worth every step it took to get to the top. Steps that I will be taking again, sooner than later...
All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens.
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