Monsoons come to Colombine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area, NM, USA

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

USA | Thursday, August 19, 2010 | 5 photos

I am a 40-year old travel writer, amature photographer, conservation consultant and father of two based in Taos, New Mexico. As a passionate artist and dedicated naturalist my work is intended to awaken an almost spiritual appreciation in my audience for the beauty and diversity of the patterns in our world.

You can see more of my work at: www.aroundtheworldineightyyears.com (please note this site is under construction)

The photographs I've chosen for this contest tell the story of the July-August monsoon season in Northern New Mexico. As a location/subject to tell this story, I have chosen the Colombine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area. At 30,500-acres in size, this portion of the Carson National Forest is the largest intact roadless area in the southern Rockies - and harbors a vast array of wildlife. It is a both a critical wildlife cooridor and core conservation area. Elevations in the Colombine-Hondo range from 7,800ft to nearly 13,000ft. After a generally dry April-June the annual monsoonal patterns pull moist air up from Mexico where the peaks of the Colombine-Hondo scrape the water from the clouds. The moisture-laden thunder-heads bring the most dramatic cloud patterns and the downpours they produce convey an explosion of life - flowers, butterflies, berries, birds, mushrooms, rushing creeks - to the forest. My six-year old daughter literally eats her way up the hiking trail come early August. The creeks crest. Then, just as suddenly, the monsoons come to an end and another dry period sets in until winter snows arrive in late December.

Despite some minor opposition the Colombine-Hondo is slated for permanent protection under the 1964 Wilderness Act.