Yesterday we made a spontaneous drive to the west rim of the Rio Grande Gorge. Driving in from San Cristobal we stopped to get some shots of the trees and the sun breaking through the heavy early morning fog which blanketed, from what we could see, most of the Taos Valley.
Trees and sun through the morning fog
When we reached the bridge the whole area was under a shroud of thick fog. It was the bridge that appeared first, as if magically, from the stuff.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge detail
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Heading on to the bridge at a fair clip as the atmosphere began to change rapidly I took this moody image looking south from the middle of the structure as the fog lifted and the river revealed itself 600 feet below. There were virtually no colors in the scene so I made a black and white of it.
After a quick trip through the canyon to Orilla Verde and Pilar we saw a few eagles perched in old snags at various points along the river. At 11 am we headed back to town which was still under a thick cloud of cold fog. From a mile or two south and west of Taos we could see the mountains start to appear through the clouds.
Vallecito peak was the first to pop up.
Followed by Pueblo Peak (Taos Mountain).
And last but not least the tipis with Taos Mountain.
Thanks for visiting,
Geraint Smith
San Cristobal, NM