Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Located on the Pajarito Plateau, the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument is less than an hour's drive from home. Cone-shaped "tent rock" formations that resemble teepees are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred nearly seven million years ago, leaving deposits over 1,000 feet thick. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the traditional Keresan language of Cochiti Pueblo.
We opted for the less challenging of the two trails, the Cave Loop Trail, which wound through the canyon and gave us spectacular views of the rock formations. Murphy was delighted with his first desert hike, followed by a cooling swim in Cochiti Lake. We spotted piñon jays, a coyote, and colorful desert wildflowers along the trail.
At the apex of the trail, a small cave is visible, the product of erosion. 
The cries of red-tailed hawks and coyotes echoed in the canyon as we hiked over hot sand. Murphy had his first encounter with a cactus, but survived the experience with the help of his human hiking companion, who gently removed several slender spikes from one of his paws.
In places the walls of the canyon are 200 feet high, but only a few feet wide. 
After our hike we rehydrated and enjoyed a light lunch at a shaded picnic table before heading to Cochiti Lake, and then home to Albuquerque.
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3 comments:
I read too many murder mysteries and westerns. So this place looks like a place you'd run across dead bodies.
I found no dead bodies, no rattlers, no tarantulas - but Russell did find an aluminum soda can. I'm not sure I'd hike here alone. At the very least, I'd bring my dog. There's no cell reception. Getting to this place involved a four-and-a-half mile long washboard dirt road that probably loosened every bolt on the car. The dog was not amused.
Judy,
We didn't find any bodies but that might have been because they were tucked away in the side canyons off the trail. There were signs warning to look out for snakes and that soda can was well off the marked trail.
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