April 27, 2012
by David Ryan
6 Comments

Guadalupe Mesa – Astialakwa Ruins

If you ever drive on New Mexico Highway 4 towards Jemez Springs you can’t help but to notice the tall mesas on either side of you. What’s even more amazing is that on top of many of those mesas are ruins of prehistoric villages. I have read that at one time over 30,000 people lived on the various mesa tops in the general vicinity. They are the ancestors of the people who now live in today’s Jemez Pueblo a couple of miles to the south.

As you head north, the first tall mesa on your left will be Guadalupe Mesa. It rises 1000 feet from the creek at its base, and it has a ruin on top – the village of Astialakwa. It is where the final hold outs of the Pueblo Revolt were subdued by the Spanish in 1694. I decided to visit it a few days ago. Continue Reading →

April 22, 2012
by David Ryan
2 Comments

Tome Hill; Good Friday in New Mexico

If you happen to be in New Mexico on a Good Friday, you might want to consider joining the thousands of people who make the pilgrimage to the top of Tome Hill. I have made the walk several times since moving to New Mexico, and if you make it, I think you will find it a nice way to spend the morning and a chance to experience something different. Continue Reading →

April 10, 2012
by David Ryan
4 Comments

Dinosaur Tracks in Red Rock Canyon in Nevada

If you’ve read the Gentle Art of Wandering, you know the book opens with a pair of hikers finding a dinosaur while wandering in the New Mexico backcountry. A friend of mine from Chicago, Nick Saines, told me about a group of hikers who found dinosaur tracks in the Red Rock Canyon area a few miles west of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Nick, who now lives in Las Vegas, is a professional geologist and is now an Interpretive Naturalist / Geologist for the Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Association. The Association helps the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) manage the Red Rock Canyon area. As part of his position, Nick was conducting a geology training session for a group of BLM volunteers. During the session he mentioned that “it was a matter of time” before someone found dinosaur tracks at Red Rock Canyon. Continue Reading →