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!
On a recent trip to Arizona for rural land real estate work, it turned out for one part of it I was only about 1 hour away from the Grand Canyon, so if one can do such a thing, I swung by the Grand Canyon for an afternoon stroll and made these panorama photos of the canyon in less than ideal light, but at least a few clouds swooped in to help add some drama.
Taking the more scenic route back from Tucson, Arizona led to the discovery of the Salt River Canyon Bridge in southeast Arizona. This is a fantastic place to stop, take a break, and enjoy some very nice views. You can even stroll out over the Salt River on a pedestrian bridge while getting a close up view of the bridge you’ll eventually drive on to climb out of the canyon. If you have the time and do not mind a bit of a hike, you can go down to the river itself. Have you been here before?
Wall of rock home to hawks in Cimarron Canyon State Park
If you blink while driving past Palisades Sill along HWY 64 in Cimarron Canyon State Park, you are likely to not even notice it was there. How can that be when you look at the drone video above and see the 100 foot wall of rock? That is because the canyon is very narrow, with tall timber along the road, that twists and requires the driver to keep a keen eye. However, if you do stop, you will be treated to a hidden gem of a rock formation that hawks swoop down from and has the Cimarron River gently gurgling at its foot.
Cold Winter Sunrise at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
The first day in the Grand Canyon was mostly covered in clouds overhead and fog within the canyon. Up early the next day for the sunrise I was worried it would be for nought, but the canyon was clear of fog and the clouds opened up to let some light in to highlight this natural wonder. It was very, very cold standing on the snow of the South Rime despite sunset coming relatively late after 7am on December 28th. I could not see the actual sunrise directly from this point on the South Rim, but I was still pleased to have several vantage points of the canyon and the opportunity to use foreground tree framing and clear shots into the canyon itself.
After 20 years I returned to the Grand Canyon to find quite a different landscape. In March 2000 there was only patchy snow/ice along the south rim, and as I hiked all the way down via the Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River, the temperature actually increased as I descended. Visiting now in December 2019, the winter season presented Grand Canyon views dominated by white. Snow blanketed all the trails, viewpoints, and even the walls of the canyon itself. In fact snow was all I could see at first because the entire canyon was filled with clouds, or mist, or cotton candy for all I could tell. Finally, after several hours the clouds lifted and the Grand Canyon in its winter colors were revealed!
From a summer western trip, I present in these photos the less famous bendy rivercanyon wonder of the southwest, Goosenecks State Park in southern Utah. The size and scope of this natural feature is tremendous, yet it is not apparent at all until you walk to the very edge of it. There is a tiny cabin booth to collect your entry fee, then that’s it. You walk yourself to the edge and behold the expanse of Goosenecks on your own. What must have it been like 200 years ago to be riding your horse and all of a sudden this is in front of you?
