Moffat Tunnel to Denver
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A BNSF Local Freight gets ready to head back to their yard in Gallup, NM. After working some industies just north of town
5/29/2018
Ann Arborites and their visiting guests were out enjoying the Huron River at Gallup Park. The weather was just right for a 4th of July Holiday!
Taken from the one lane bridge at Gallup Park.
When I left on the 14th of December with Scotch I didn't do much planning. I had directions but no arrival date and ended up arriving on Christmas Eve. I wish I had spent a few more days in New Mexico and Arizona especially after the boredom through much of Texas and Oklahoma. I spent very little time shooting in either state and was pretty tired and cranky by the time we pulled off of the road to get out of blustering snow and 50mph winds.
I did not budget and research hotels and ended up at a series of lousy accomodations. I'd often open up trip advisor or yelp on my phone around 2AM and look for the best available for a human and adult and not a ridiculous pet fee. In some places, the non refundable pet fee was nearly as much as the room. Arriving in Gallup, I found a nice room and finally slept well. I wasn't fully prepared for the view and weather I'd see the following day.
Being at an altitude between 5,000-7000ft isn't all that impressive at night with heavy crosswinds dragging snow and no visibility. I honestly had no idea what was off the road as soon as it got dark and for the next 6 hours, I drove down the highway heading towards nothingness. Waking up to take the dog out and seeing a bright completely cloudy sky hovering just overhead was really impressive.
I didn't plan to stick around here long but once I got in my car, Scotch and I got breakfast and started a very slow push through New Mexico by I-40, Rt 66 and any dirt road I could find. This was off Rt 66 down some partially paved road. The dirt crossroad is hard to see but says "Blue Eyed Hill" and the altitude made every hill ahead seem like it was going right into the clouds. We saw almost no one driving through an area that's over 75% Native American and more than 50% speak Navajo as their first language (according to census data). We stopped when the last road simply ended and turned back around, on my way to the Petrified Forest.
McKinley County
Gallup, New Mexico
TEMP: 29°F
WIND: 27MPH
ALTITUDE: 6,500ft
December 23rd, 2015
SETTINGS:
Canon T4i
EF-S 18-135mm IS STM
@29mm
ISO 100
f/8
1/400th second
CPL