#cabezon peak

[maureen2musings]

John Fowler

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

[Cabezon Peak :: from my flickr files]

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"The secret of the mountains is that the mountains simply exist, as I do myself. Yet the mountains exist simply, which I do not. The mountains have no meaning, they are meaning; the mountains are. I ring with life and the mountains ring and when I can hear it, it is a ringing we share. I understand all this in my heart knowing how meaningless it is to try to capture what cannot be expressed, knowing that only words will remain when I read it again another day."

- Peter Matthaissen The Snow Leopard

[remoteviewerphotographery]

Cabezon Peak in the distance at sunrise. This picture was taken from my campsite in Sandoval County just south of San Luis, NM

[mccoy1879]

The Spanish settlers disregarded any claims the Navajo had to the Rio Puerco valley and established settlements along its banks. The Navajos observed as the Spanish poured into the valley launching attacks on the Puerco settlements and forcing the settlers to flee. After a few years the Spanish returned only to be driven away once again by the Navajos.

Cabezon Peak acted as the eastern boundary of the Navajo homeland and the Navajos became alarmed and mistrustful when Spanish settlers began to move west of this point. However the Spanish considered the area as their own and settlements began to spring up all over the Rio Puerco valley. These settlements were often small consisting of a rancheria with adobe huts and corrals. In some cases two or three families would build their homes together for protection forming the nucleus of the village.

The clashes between the Spanish settlers and the Navajos marked a period of tension and conflict in the region. The Spanish expansion into Navajo territory and the Navajo resistance to this encroachment created a volatile situation. The establishment of settlements and the formation of communities in the Rio Puerco valley were met with resistance and hostility from the native population.

[pogphotoarchives]

Cabezon Peak in northwest New Mexico

Date: 1900? Negative Number: 164082

[adventurealldays]

Volcanic plugs

[traildogartisans]

Cabezon Sunset

Cabezon Peak is one of the best-known and most visible landmarks in northwest New Mexico. Cabezon is located about 75 miles northwest of Albuquerque. This giant volcanic plug is visible for tens of miles in all directions, and as far away as Placitas. Cabezon means “big head” in Spanish, and it is aptly named. It is the largest of several dozen widely scattered rocky monoliths, called the Rio Puerco necks. Rising above the Rio Puerco valley floor, they are some of the best-preserved examples of volcanic necks in the world. The craggy black peaks stand in sharp contrast to the sparsely vegetated, buff-colored lowlands from which they emerge. Mt. Taylor looms majestically to the southwest, Mesa Prieta borders the valley to the east, and the Jemez Mountains are visible to the north. This starkly beautiful landscape is unique in New Mexico. At an elevation of 7,786 ft, Cabezon Peak towers more than 1,100 ft above its base, and 2,000 ft above the Rio Puerco nearby.

[mypubliclands]

Explore Cabezon Peak Wilderness Study Area!

Rising high over the Rio Puerco valley, Cabezon Peak stands as an immovable monument against the mercurial forces of Mother Nature. 

Origin accounts from Navajo mythology explain that a giant who went about killing people was distracted by one of the twins formed of the earth while the other twin snuck up from behind and cut off his head. Landing crown down, the slain giant’s face constitutes Cabezon Peak as the spreading hair forms the base. The giant’s body formed nearby Mount Taylor, while the congealed blood of the giant formed the lava flows known as El Malpais. 

Early Spanish explorers honored this creation myth by naming the volcanic plug, El Cabezon, translated as “The Big Head” in English. Once regarded as “the bread basket of New Mexico,” the Rio Puerco valley became a hub for high-intensity grazing in the late 1800s, housing upwards of 240,000 sheep and some 9,000 cattle at one time. 

Today, the area bears the marks—ghost towns and deserted communities—of a once thriving industry. Livestock grazing still plays an important economic role for the remaining community of San Luis and the surrounding areas. The Bureau of Land Management oversees much of the area for multiple uses, Cabezon Peak being a popular destination for an assortment of reasons. 

Story and photos by Alec Bryan, BLM New Mexico.

[abouthelight]

Places journeyed, out beyond the criticisms and judgements that have caused so much of the pain and darkness, where I’ve found the voice that says “no, this is who you were meant to be and there’s no explanation or justification required.” One soul’s destined path is no more important than that of another. Each us can find our own path. The hard part is deciding what to bring and to have the courage to discard all that which no longer serves the journey. Not so easy when guilt and shame are layered as thick as the years that have gone by.

But the right path must be found. It’s never too late. Because even in the attempt a positive difference is made and an example set. “Here, there’s a better way and see, there’s so much more to life than can possibly be imagined by playing it safe and secure and desperate for validation from places where it will never come.” Go forth boldly, with faith, with love and you will be doing more than simply saying “I’m blessed.” You’ll be living fully in the blessings of heart, soul and body fully engaged.

[nmnomad]

Featured Photographer 📸 Hunter Ten Broeck, aka @jhuntertenbroeck on Instagram- "Cabezon Peak from Cerro Chafo" (at Cabezon Peak) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbTRRVJvB7R/?utm_medium=tumblr

[raychelsnr]

Cabezon Peak, New Mexico. #NewMexico #NewMexicoTrue — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/3oNQxOY

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Cabezón Peak (in Diné bizaad, Ye’i-tsoh), approaching Cuba, Sandoval Co, NM. Photo: Cheryl Mclean (2022)

[Scott Horton]

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“Consider how textbooks treat Native religions as a unitary whole. ... "These Native Americans ... believed that nature was filled with spirits. Each form of life, such as plants and animals, had a spirit. Earth and air held spirits too. People were never alone. They shared their lives with the spirits of nature." ... Stated flatly like this, the beliefs seem like make-believe, not the sophisticated theology of a higher civilization. Let us try a similarly succinct summary of the beliefs of many Christians today: "These Americans believed that one great male god ruled the world. Sometimes they divided him into three parts, which they called father, son, and holy ghost. They ate crackers and wine or grape juice, believing that they were eating the son's body and drinking his blood. If they believed strongly enough, they would live on forever after they died."

Textbooks never describe Christianity this way. It's offensive. Believers would immediately argue that such a depiction fails to convey the symbolic meaning or the spiritual satisfaction of communion.” ― James W. Loewen

[backroad-song]

Cabezon Peak Sandoval, New Mexico

[astound-me]

Late evening storm at sunset over Cabezon Peak in New Mexico. [OC] [2224 x 1668]

[newmexmattie]

Cabezon 💥 (at Cabezon Peak) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6jigdpAgAi/?igshid=y5y9rwlc0gi7