47warlord
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Church Spires
Church Spires rock formed the background to views of the hot air balloons as they rose above the valley just outside Gallup, NM.
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Up They Go
Balloons used the warming sandstone cliffs to help lift up out of the valley of Red Rocks State Park.
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On the Ridge
Spectators at the balloon rally could climb a trail to the top of the red sandstone cliffs for a close up view of the balloons. Some of the pilots “dragged” their baskets up the sides of the cliffs to really get in touch with the spectacular landscape!
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Looking Up
Once the balloons started rising around us at the Red Rocks rally, we had to remember to look up from the activity near the ground to see their colors being lit up by the sun as they rose in the cold desert air.
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Bright Colors
This yellow balloon contrasted nicely with the bright blue ski, orange sandstone rock, and setting moon.
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Lift Off
Balloons started taking to the sky by about 7:30am the last morning of the Red Rocks balloon rally. The noisy “whoosh” of the burners contrasted with the silent, graceful assent of each balloon once the started to rise.
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Balloon Fan
Inflating a hot air balloon on a chilly morning first requires a large fan to blow air into the balloon before it can stand upright. Then the pilot can start using the burners to finish inflating and launch off the ground.
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Red Rock Sunrise
We arrived at the final morning for the Red Rocks balloon rally in Gallup, NM just before sunrise in frigid conditions (17 degrees!), but had the reward of seeing the sun’s first light turn the rock cliffs bright orange as the moon began to set behind them.
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Evening Glow
The Red Rocks balloon rally at Gallup, NM on the first weekend of December featured a spectacular “Evening Glow” event where the balloons inflated but stayed on the ground. Lighting up their burners made them glow in the dark and kept the balloons standing upright.
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Flames
Hot air balloons inflated for the “Evening Glow” event at Gallup, NM, but stayed on the ground after dark.
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Night Scene
This shot juxtaposes three elements of the Red Rocks balloon rally’s “Evening Glow” event — a burning bonfire, Apache dancer, and hot air balloon.
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Apache Dancer
This dancer from the Apache tribe was one of four circling around a large bonfire at the Red Rocks Balloon rally’s “Evening Glow” event. Four Navajo women also danced with waving ribbons that evening.
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Fractal Balloon
The intense hot air balloon with a fractal design kept changing colors as the pilot turned on and off the flames in the basket.
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Inflating at Night
The “Evening Glow” event at the Red Rocks balloon rally opened with giant fans used to start inflating the balloons.
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High Above Rehoboth
The first weekend in December is the Red Rocks Balloon Rally in Gallup, NM. Friday morning we awoke to see hot air balloons floating over the school’s campus!
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Belt Buckle
I found this spectacular belt buckle of silver and inlaid precious stones at a trading post in Zuni, New Mexico. The design is distinctively Zuni (the sun in the center is a protective symbol) and the artist is no longer making them, so I brought it home with me!
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Zuni Cliffs
These red and white stripes mark the entrance to the valley of the Zuni Pueblo, about half an hour south of Gallup. We visited Zuni, but everyone was busy cleaning up after their big dancing and feasting celebration a few days before.
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The Cavalry
After the U.S. annexed New Mexico in the 1840s, American army officers recorded the inscriptions on El Morro and added their own names like this cavalry officer in 1866. One group of officers even drove a herd of camels through the valley on their way to California.
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The Last Conquistador
Don Juan de Oñate led the first Spanish colonists north to New Mexico in 1598. Seven years later on an expedition to reach the Pacific, Oñate carved his name into El Morro (in this hard to read inscription), marking the first European name to appear on the rock.
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Inscription Rock
El Morro, also known as Inscription Rock, rises 200 feet above the valley. Cracks in the vertical sandstone walls may look ominous, but the landmark has drawn visitors for centuries.
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Pine Canyon
On top of El Morro National Monument are several surprises, such as the ruins of Atsinna Pueblo that housed over 1,000 residents in the 13th century before being abandoned after just 75 years. Another surprise was this mini canyon with a tall pine tree rising almost as high as the cliffs.
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Stone Stairway
Climbing to the top of El Morro involves over 150 steps carved into the sandstone walls. The views keep getting more impressive as you climb, so it’s good to pause and enjoy the sights.
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El Morro
An hour’s drive southeast from Gallup, a white sandstone outcropping marks El Morro National Monument. We spent an afternoon hiking over and around this dramatic landscape with friends from Rehoboth School.
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Dorothy’s Weaving
Elaine found a lovely woven rug in a Navajo Market near Monument Valley, and the store owner shared this image of Dorothy Begay, a local weaver who created it out of homespun and dyed yarn from her own sheep. The image of a cornstalk with birds now hangs in our hallway at home.
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Monument Valley Sunset
Looking east into Monument Valley at the end of our tour, the sunset light touches the buttes with orange fire. From left are West Mitten Butte, East Mitten Butte, and Merrick Butte in a classic view from the visitor’s center.
Words Are Inadequate 