Morning, Mule Creek Canyon, Southwest New Mexico
When I first moved to Southwest New Mexico I missed the spectacularly rugged peaks and Open vistas of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where I'd lived for over 30 years. It took time for me to realize that the spectacular features of the landscape here are not the mountains, but the canyons. The Gila Country is dissected by many deep, wild and photogenic canyons that invite exploration. The Forks of the Gila River offer the best known wild and solitary wandering, but they're not the only ones in the area. On the New Mexico/Arizona border you'll find a deeply incised country with Rocky, precipitous canyons running into the largest canyon of all, the San Francisco River canyon.
Two weeks ago, after eyeing the area on the map for the better part of a year, I packed up my gear and headed out for a 4-day camping trip in or around Mule Creek Canyon, one of the largest tributaries of the San Francisco River. After negotiating one of the roughest roads I've driven in years, I found a spectacular campsite on the canyon rim, looking 1500 feet nearly straight down to mule Creek and the canyon bottom. I spent four magnificent days rambling the area, exploring the canyon, and shooting over 400 photos. Here is a sample of what I captured during my stay. Mule Creek Canyon is remote, and the roads are rough, but the trip is more than worth the challenge.
Mule Creek Canyon
Still Life on the Canyon Rim
Juniper Snag
The Long View
Evening Color
Ramparts of Stone
Winter Grass
Sunburst on the Canyon Rim
Canyon Country
Stone Wall in the Canyon
Morning in Mule Creek Canyon
Straight Down the Line
Mogollon Mountains from Mule Creek Canyon
Morning Scene
Shadows in the Canyon
Last Light, Mogollon Mountains
Evening Comes to Southwest New Mexico
Stone for a Bench
Day's End
