I have walked the trails through the canyon of El Rito de los Frijoles, in Bandelier National Monument, many times. The ancestral Puebloans built dwellings along the creek and carved rooms into the soft volcanic tuff of the canyon wall, ash left by the Valles Caldera eruptions. On my most recent walk, I was captivated by the geometry of the wall: tafoni (hollowed pockets and small caves), vertical fractures, and bands where successive layers of ash settled. Hardy plants cling to the rock, finding water in its cracks.
I have walked the trails through the canyon of El Rito de los Frijoles, in Bandelier National Monument, many times. The ancestral Puebloans built dwellings along the creek and carved rooms into the soft volcanic tuff of the canyon wall, ash left by the Valles Caldera eruptions. On my most recent walk, I was captivated by the geometry of the wall: tafoni (hollowed pockets and small caves), vertical fractures, and bands where successive layers of ash settled. Hardy plants cling to the rock, finding water in its cracks.
Framed Size: 22X30