Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico

Oh My…!

©Joe Bridwell

Two members of Middle Rio Grande Chapter of BCH ride across the Bisti. Would you believe the man is in his mid-70’s?

BCH Recreational Ride

One highlight of my Bisti shoots was acting as photographer for a recreational ride by Middle Rio Grande Chapter from Back Country Horsemen of New Mexico. These guys and gals hauled their horses from Los Lunas to the Bisti for this ride.

As you can see here, the Bisti, which can be quite hot during summer, is building monsoon clouds.

Red Dog Hills

Here's a free geology lesson...

Seventy million years ago, a Cretaceous Seaway deposited peat and coal across the Bisti in nearby lagoons before dinosaurs became extinct. Thunderstorms, akin to severe monsoon conditions, created dominated lightning strikes to impact the coal - setting it afire. These coal fires smoldered underground for long periods of time, turning sediments to an orange-red.

As Paul Harvey said, "Now, the Rest of the Story..."

Much later, Bisti water erosion cut away sediments surrounding these soon-to-be prominent coals. Ruddy fragments of these coal fires could then tumble down each hill, creating a distinctively passionate carapace.

... now, you know why they're called Red Dog Hills!

Bisti Treks

Click to see other Bisti Images
Surreal
Sphinx
Solitude

Enjoy…

Bisti Badlands...

Solitude
© Joe Bridwell

Four horses resting before a Red Dog Hill...
I'd walked a ridge with a small herd of Navajo horses keeping pace in the wash below.  We both stopped a moment; my eyes widened sharply at the spectacular scene they and amazing Red Dog Hill created… 
In four years of shooting the Bisti, I've never seen another scene that begins to approach this dramatic vision!

Client Tour Request
A client wrote me a recent letter about my leading another photography tour to the Bisti.  "Four years ago in July I spent a day hiking in the Bisti wilderness.  I'd learned very little about the area before I went.  I loved every minute of it, but I really didn't know where I was going or what to look for.  I doubt I saw more than 5% of the 'neat stuff'."
I searched 2004-2009 images to assemble a fascinating Bisti collage.  Beyond evoking sharply cogent memories, I collected some Best of Bisti images.  This visual Bisti history contains several fine art photography categories; Fossil Forests, Horses, Landscapes, Magic Hour, Shapes, and Textures. 

Best of Bisti Slideshow Available
On reflection, I thought, "With occasional, yet random timing, I want to include some remarkable Bisti images on the blog at Pathways of Light.  I think viewers would appreciate the incredible variability and almost incalculable opportunity for fine art digital photography the Bisti provides ..."
If you'd like to see these evocative images on your computer, simply click to order your own color slide show ~ "Best of Bisti" ! 
Or, check out Paths of Light, a photo book about Magic Hour light in the southwest US on blurb.com!

Enjoy...