Yesterday, Helen and I drove out to Santa Fe to begin a little lecture tour for the new book, "Ancient Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau". We were up 2 hours before the sun and left Flagstaff in the dark. We pointed the little Subaru east and began our adventure. We watched the sun rise just west of Holbrook and got to see the Painted Desert in all of its early morning glory. The Chinle Formation sure is pretty in that low angle light.
We entered New Mexico and enjoyed seeing the Wingate Cliffs on our left. Soon, the graceful profile of Mt. Taylor was in view, still layered in a white blanket of snow on its southern slope. Lava flows and the Chinle once again guided us to the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau.
Once in Santa Fe we met with our host Richard Atkinson of the Public Lands Interpretive Association. Over 75 people showed up for the 2 PM lecture and we sold lots of books. But more important we got folks interested in the long march of geologic time and the wondrous record of earth history that is preserved for us on the modern landscape.
Today we are driving north through fantastic scenes towards Durango. I'll pull out the camera and include some shots from this drive. Just know that we are on a quest to find beauty and the best green chile along the way.
Great Blog Entry once again, Wayne! We love each and every one of your entries. We're anxiously awaiting photos. Happy Trails!
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