BlackRockArt
Staff
The Alien Throne
In the wild heart of Southwest New Mexico, a mesmerizing expanse unfurls: Bisti / De-Na-Zin, which translates to "area of shale hills".
Picture this: over 120 million years of Earth's tapestry, this land changed between being solid ground and a 3000-foot deep sea, and then reclaimed its form as land once more. When the western inland sea made its final retreat northeastward around 75 million years ago, the unyielding winds took center stage, meticulously crafting the San Juan Basin we marvel at today.
Among the myriad hoodoos that adorn this wilderness plain, one monument is simply unparalleled: the "Alien Throne".
Our journey on the Valley Of Dreams trail loop was anything but ordinary. Each step was a dance with nature and technology, as we kept a vigilant eye on our GPS, ensuring our path was true. After an arduous trek, the throne's majestic aura greeted us.
Mother Nature had worked on this masterpiece truly. Through the combined forces of wind, rain, and perhaps a touch of snow, she birthed this marvel. The rock’s intricate layers of compressed sand and diverse soil textures painted a story of ages past. The throne, a finely sculpted rock column, appeared deceptively fragile from the side, as though a mere whisper could send its shale seat tumbling.
As stars aligned in celestial perfection, I seized the moment, capturing breathtaking shots of the Milky Way gracing the throne—just as a veil of storm clouds moved in.
The night's embrace deepened, and as we braced ourselves for the trek back, Kevin McDermott, a kind-hearted local and our wilderness guardian angel, graciously offered us a ride back to our vehicle, saving us from an arduous hour-long hike in the obsidian dark. Immense gratitude to him!
That, my friends, was my heart-pounding adventure through the mystical lands of Bisti De Na Zin in New Mexico just last week. An odyssey that will forever reside in my heart!
Bisti / De-Na-Zin, NM
Oliver
In the wild heart of Southwest New Mexico, a mesmerizing expanse unfurls: Bisti / De-Na-Zin, which translates to "area of shale hills".
Picture this: over 120 million years of Earth's tapestry, this land changed between being solid ground and a 3000-foot deep sea, and then reclaimed its form as land once more. When the western inland sea made its final retreat northeastward around 75 million years ago, the unyielding winds took center stage, meticulously crafting the San Juan Basin we marvel at today.
Among the myriad hoodoos that adorn this wilderness plain, one monument is simply unparalleled: the "Alien Throne".
Our journey on the Valley Of Dreams trail loop was anything but ordinary. Each step was a dance with nature and technology, as we kept a vigilant eye on our GPS, ensuring our path was true. After an arduous trek, the throne's majestic aura greeted us.
Mother Nature had worked on this masterpiece truly. Through the combined forces of wind, rain, and perhaps a touch of snow, she birthed this marvel. The rock’s intricate layers of compressed sand and diverse soil textures painted a story of ages past. The throne, a finely sculpted rock column, appeared deceptively fragile from the side, as though a mere whisper could send its shale seat tumbling.
As stars aligned in celestial perfection, I seized the moment, capturing breathtaking shots of the Milky Way gracing the throne—just as a veil of storm clouds moved in.
The night's embrace deepened, and as we braced ourselves for the trek back, Kevin McDermott, a kind-hearted local and our wilderness guardian angel, graciously offered us a ride back to our vehicle, saving us from an arduous hour-long hike in the obsidian dark. Immense gratitude to him!
That, my friends, was my heart-pounding adventure through the mystical lands of Bisti De Na Zin in New Mexico just last week. An odyssey that will forever reside in my heart!
Bisti / De-Na-Zin, NM
Oliver
