Valles Caldera National Preserve

The Valles Caldera is almost like a Yellowstone in miniature. The vast valley is the remnant of an exploding supervolcano which erupted around 1.15 million years ago and the last eruption in the area was as recent as 50-60,000 years ago. The Bandelier Monument, which I visited earlier Thursday, is on the edge of this vast caldera. The central part of the Natural Preserve is a huge valley where cattle and elk graze. Surrounding the valley are large forests and tall mountains, some of them volcanic.

I'd been told by the ladies down at Bandelier that one could now just drive straight in, but I was told up at the visitor center that they still had in effect a strict 24 vehicle per day policy. The Americans in front of me were complaining loudly and huffing and puffing about this, while I quietly waited my turn and calmly asked if they had any reservations available for Friday. Lo and behold, they'd had a cancellation. My name was put into a big book and I shall get up in the wee hours of the morning to make the almost two hour long drive to be there before 10AM.

The National Parks Service is in the process of taking over the running of the place, so they basically have nuffin' in the way of stuff to sell. Most of the people working there don't even know if they'll have a job after this summer. Three of us were taken out in a van (on a short version of the drive I'll be having Friday) by a seasonal worker named Michael, who gave us a thorough briefing on the geology and history of the place and I really wish they keep him on.

Here are some samples of Thursday's photographic loot.

This photo was taken from NM Highway 4, which is a highly recommended route even iffin you're not visiting the preserve.


From the van tour.


We had a thunderstorm for parts of the drive. It made for lovely pictures.


A herd of elk.


Close up.


A surprised prairie dog. These cute critters are all around the visitor center, but they carry all manner of icky diseases, so resist the temptation to feed or pet them.


These flowers smell almost like skunk spray. I asked Michael if they had skunks and he immediately pointed to the flowers. Guess he's had that question before.


On the front wall of the visitor center they had two birds' nests.


Close up of the greedy lil' fluffballs.


Last but not least... this is the cabin which stands in as sheriff Walter Longmire's home in the TV-series. It is one of the buildings left over from when the preserve was a private ranch.