Chiricahua National Monument - 2020

After leaving Alamogordo, we spent a couple of nights in Willcox, Arizona, so that we could revisit Chiricahua National Monument in south-eastern Arizona.

Chiricahua National Monument is an amazing wonderland of rock formations.

Looking across Sulphur Springs Valley to the Dragoon Mountains

A very colorful lichen palette

Interesting bark pattern

Three Rivers Petroglyphs - 2020

Another area that we wanted to revisit near Alamogordo was the Three Rivers Petroglyph site.  This is a BLM managed site about 30 miles north of Alamogordo which has over 21,000 petroglyphs carved into boulders along a basaltic ridge with estimated creation dates between about 900 and 1400 AD.

Looking towards the ridge containing the petroglyphs

Looking east from the ridge to Sierra Blanca Peak

While not totally pristine, the vast majority of the site is undamaged with a few exceptions.

A few motifs were often repeated.

Concentric circle designs were very common.

What appears to be birds were also common.

What appear to be bighorn sheep

Various geometric designs

There were also faces or masks.

While the meanings have been lost, it is fun to make some guesses.

Rattlesnake?

Fish?

Bear paw?

Roadrunner with snake?

Others are just mysterious.

This panel is one of the most famous from this site.

White Sands National Monument - 2020

After spending time near Bosque del Apache, we spent a few days in Alamogordo, New Mexico.  One of the places we wanted to revisit near Alamogordo was White Sands National Park.

The dunes of gypsum sand develop lots of interesting ripple patterns.

Someone's handiwork left an interesting pattern.

The wind trying to move the sand and the plants trying to hold it seem to be in an endless struggle.

A "sea" of dunes

As the sun sank towards the horizon, the dunes took on a warm hue.

We wondered if the driver of this truck was just out to enjoy the scenery.

The sun slipping past the horizon