Gallup and a volcano

  Gallup, New Mexico, United States
Saturday, October 11, 2008

Today we went on another "hike", this time in a (dormant) volcanic region known as El Malpais National Monument.

Volcano crater

Bright green plants growing in the volcanic soil

The ranger, who was insanely friendly - and again, enthusiastic to the point of lunacy - showed us where we could join a nice 3-mile loop trail to see some of the volcanic features. It took us past some black rock 'sink holes' and 'lava trenches', where lava tubes have collapsed. Up to the crater of El Calderon, the volcano responsible for the area's landscape, where the ground was covered in black and red lava marble-sized pebbles (not the technical term, but the best description).

Climbing down a lava tube

The view from a lava tube

And to a lava tube that we could actually climb through because it had caved in at both ends, allowing enough light to flood in to guide your way through the +/- 40m long tunnel. A really very cool experience!


From there we drove on to El Morro National Monument for a much shorter and far less inspiring walk. El Morro, otherwise known as inscription rock, is a high cliff of soft-brown sandstone that carries numerous "inscriptions" (duh!). The cliff is responsible for a vital pool of water at its base - vital because we are still in the desert and for the native American Indians and others to come to the area, water was a scarce and precious comodity.

El Morro, inscription rock

Some wall scribblings

Grateful as they were to be treated to a drink, people through the ages have left grafiti on the rock. Native American petroglyphs and etchings by the Spanish visitors of the 17th century and the first Americans to head out west in the 19th century can be seen in the stone. Basically it is covered with the "Bob was here"s of the day. Undoubtedly of great interest to historians who investigate the different eras and have heard of these people, but to the average visitor, nothing more than scribblings in an otherwise pretty cliff.


Our stop for the night is another motel on Route 66. Continually trying our best to avoid chains where we can, we have picked another independently owned motel - and at least the 3rd or 4th owned and run by a family from India.

Our motel on Route 66

The wind, that has been blowing steadily all day, picks up as we check in and makes whistling sounds as it rushes across the parking lot and over the roof of our room. It has been driving the owner crazy all day he says, but we are tired enough to sleep, wind or no wind.