Bisti Badlands New Mexico, november 2021

 Nov 15 -19 we went to Farmington as a basecamp for exploring that part of NM. The plan was to spend a day each in  Bisti Badlands, Ah shi sle pah, and Chaco canyon.

In Bisti we planned to see the "egg hatchery" "Stone Wings" "Petrified wood" and anythig else in between.

The Bisti trailhead is about 40 miles south of Farmington. There are 4 miles of good dirt road leading to a large parking lot with a restroom.

From the parking lot you walk NE in a large wide flat wash to various points of interest. The entire wash is about 2 miles long.

There are many odd rock forms.

This one is known as the "Paint pallet hoodoo"

The "egg hatchery" is about 1.5 miles up the wash on the right.

It is a flat plain with oval shaped rocks that weather into unsual paterns.

A few hundred yards further on is an area with lots of petrified wood. Wandering around in and out of coves  on the edge of the wash there are many hoodoos and lots of petrified wood.

This was a large petrified log. 45 ft long.

Backside view of the log.

Detail of another one.

Another one

Another one.

Another one.

Bowling ball factory?

Muffin

Clay hills

Red rocks.

Stone wings.

????

Manta ray

General view of the terain.

Finding the way through this landscape without trails was difficult.

7.5 mile hike total. Almost all flat.