Capulin Volcnao National Monument

There where days when teaching was so easy that I wondered why they paid me, and then there where days when they didn't pay me enough. One of the easiest days was when I introduced my students to remote sensing and three dimensional imaging. That day I would start them with old stereo images of Capulin Volcano in New Mexico. Even the stoners were enthralled! So one place on my list has always been the Capulin Volcano in Northeast New Mexico. I can now cross that off my list.
We left Cheyenne, Wy, and drove across Colorado and into New Mexico. The drive was not pleasant as the signs, "strong crosswinds and high winds next 15 miles", were only too correct. Never the less as we crossed into New Meciao the winds stopped and Renita soon pointed out ancient lava flows.
Nearing the town of Capulin, New Mexico, we could see the Capulin Volcano off to the north. The next day we packed a lunch and drove up the road, all of three miles, to the entrance of the national monument. The cinder cone volcano is about as perfect a volcano as you will find anywhere in the Untied States.

After visiting the visitor center we drove up the steep road to the summit and the road is not a place to take flatlanders as there are only two guard rails all the way up! We stopped several times to admire the view and during one of the stops we actually saw a raven carrying a snake in its talon.(its the raven on the left and you can see the snake if you zoom in the image).
Reaching the parking lot we grabbed our gear and started up the crater rim summit. Stopping to sightsee and bird watch we saw a pinon jay and a prairie falcon, besides the usual ravens and little grey birds, some kind of junco? A canyon wren did stop to say hello and perched very close to us!
The trail was only a mile long but it did have several steep parts and we both had to stop as the gradient and the altitude, 8100 feet, caused us to pause to regain our breath.

The view along the way was superb! Sierra Grande, an ancient shield volcano, Baby Capulin, another cinder cone, and lava flow after lava flow all were below us. You could easily see the ripple flow marks from the first eruption of Capulin.

I learned a new term, "Boca", which describes a ridge/levee formed when a flow breaks out of the flank of a volcano. You could also see Rabbits Head, and the ancient Raton and Clayton lava flows along with the four recent,( 50000 years ago),distinct eruption flows of Capulin.

After we finished hiking the craters rim we had to descend into the caldera and stand at the vent. Renita so wanted a rock and it was all I could do to remind her that rock collecting was not allowed and that we had enough rocks in our fifth wheel,(We did stop after leaving the park and pick up some volcanic rock from the first eruption).
Now Capulin isn't our first volcano nor the largest, but it was a fine day of hiking and birding and any day spent on volcano is a good day! If you find your self passing this way, we would definitely recommend it. Retirement is so good! Clear skies.