The Rio Grande Gorge

Just a few miles northwest of Taos, the Rio Grande Gorge splits the flat landscape. I visited early in the morning of each of the days that we were in Taos. I walked along the Rim Trail and out onto the bridge that spans the gorge, 565 feet above the Rio Grande River. It is the seventh highest bridge in the United States. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Looking north into te gorge-8269

Rio Grande Gorge 7864_5_6_Photographic-

Rio Grande Gorge 7895_6_7_Photographic-2

Rio Grande Gorge 7918_19_20_21_22_23_Balanced-

Rio Grande Gorge 7942-47_tonemapped-3

Rio Grande Gorge 7950-53_balanced--2

On my second day along the Rim Trail I came upon a herd of adolescent Big Horn Sheep. They were not spooked by me and followed me along the trail for a mile or so. They even took an interest in my camera tripod.

Big Horn Sheep-8076

The next day, while shooting photos from the bridge, I saw a herd of six adult Big Horns. In my excitement, I raced off the bridge to capture a photo, but neglected to pay attention to my camera settings, which were set for the shot of the canyon. Nonetheless, with the magic of Lightroom and RAW files, I was able to salvage a couple of shots to at least back up my story that I saw adult Big Horn Sheep.