Simon Ruin highlights an amazing canyon hike in New Mexico
Even on my tenth visit to the Navajo Dam and Navajo Lake areas of San Juan County New Mexico, I still found another hidden gem to explore for the first time. The San Juan River connects the lake and town, and in the middle are “holes,” day recreation areas, most of which are accessed on the south side of the river. I wanted to check out the northern side of the river, which led me to the Simon Canyon Trailhead which culminates at an old Navajo ruin atop a huge boulder. It was used as a kind of fort and is surprisingly well preserved. Climbing around the area on boulders myself I photographed it from all angles. The hike out there from the trailhead on its own, with its stunning canyon views, would have been worth it alone, but with the ruin to see at the end, this is a definite hidden gem you should work into your San Juan County travel plans! Check out the full history in the photo below and at the bottom of the page a Google Map to get you there yourself!
Summer along the San Juan River is still freezing in the water!
Navajo Lake and Navajo Dam is one of my favorite areas of New Mexico, and having just made my tenth visit to the area, this was the first time to be there in the heart of summertime. I thought this, finally, was my chance to go for a swim in the San Juan River. The air temperature was in the low 80s. This made me totally unprepared for just how cold the river was. You could not ease your way into the water, which is not my custom anyway, so I made the plunge completely under water, only to have to immediately bounce back up and make my way out. The cold was so intense I felt something like frost bite! After warming back up, I took out my brand new lens, the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II, and made a few photos of the river mostly from a low angle. Doesn’t the water look inviting on a hot summer day??
One of my favorite areas to visit in New Mexico is a very small town in San Juan County called Navajo Dam, which is home to the second largest lake in the state, Navajo Lake. I have been here many times, but this was the first time to find myself on a road on the southern shore of the lake allowing me to make photos with a much different view of the lake and dam and in the distance, the San Juan River also. This was the first time I found myself driving across the top of the dam which is very high up and steep, and with no guard rails! There are stunning views on both sides of the dam, but as the driver you definitely have to stay focused!
The surrealblack & whiteHDRlandscape photograph you see above is not at all what the client that sent me out to that location needs to sell the land. However, the twisted tree, the ominous clouds, and the fact the tree wa growing out of solid rock really caught my eye. So I paused for a moment to make a photograph for myself that interested me. I share it with you now to give you a moment of interest to look at it and find something in it that makes you feel. Tell me about it in the comments below.
I have now been to Navajo Dam more times than any other place in New Mexico for my rural land photography and drone video work, that is an overnight drive away from Albuquerque. In the first 6 months of 2019, I have been there 4 times already! At the end of my most recent trip, due to the land of the property being behind a hill and thus sunset coming earlier to it, I was able to leave the property in time to my surprise with the actual sunset still visible some 10 minutes down the road where you can see a large expanse of Navajo Dam Lake and the marina itself too. A real photographer never passes by a chance to stop and make a photo, so even thought I was tired, and all my photo gear and tripod were well put away, I got my Nikon out and hustled to the road’s edge to make theses New Mexico True photos to share with you.
On my fourth trip to Navajo Dam New Mexicojust this year, I was treated to both a great sunset for this rural land real estate drone video, but also a chorus of what sounded like marbles being clanked around in a bag! This cicada looking insect was out in mass singing away not caring I needed to concentrate on flying! At least the stuck to hiding on bush and tree branches and were no threat to the drone in the air!
On a recent rural land photography shoot in the Navajo Dam area, the road to the property was a beauty for driving: winding and sweeping between mesas with good pavement and sight lines. Even though I was just in my Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, that is designed to shine more offroad than on, it was still a great drive. I made this HDRlandscape photo to show that New Mexico indeed has some great driving roads.
