Ever since we visited Taos a few years ago, I’ve thought constantly about our time on the Rio Grande. In our cultural mythology, it is one of the big waterways, like the Colorado, the Mississippi, the Missouri. I love traveling to these rivers and spending time by them. These waters sustain life and soften edges, and as we have seen recently in Colorado, they can turn life upside down…There’s a mystical nature to rivers that I can relate to on an intimate level. Visiting rivers – especially storied ones like the Rio Grande, I feel as if I am making a pilgrimage to the source of who I am as a person and to the source of many stories and myths in the cultures of the lands that sit on their banks. The scale of rivers, streams, creeks, kills and brooks fits certain moods and periods of my life. I can relate to flood stage, drought and in between…
The Rio Grande at this place is particularly striking, traveling out of Taos on 64 heading west across the desert, there is no indication that there is this place, a massive gorge, hot springs, and a cool jade green river. Winding down a dusty dirt track with tarantulas traversing it, you’d never imagine that the photos you see below are a mere 1/4 mile away. The path of getting to this place made the arrival more sweet, and the waters of the hot springs all the more invigorating. The dark basalt trail winds you down the steep cliffs to the edge of the river where there are several distinct pools to sit and rejuvenate. We watched as the sun peeked over the cliff walls and illuminated the valley floor adding sparkle to an already magical spot. Clouds bearing hail shortened our time there, but made for a dramatic exit backdrop as my daughter and I drove to town to have lunch….
