"Shiprock Adventure"

As we drove west through north-western New Mexico, on Indian Service Route #36, this uniquely towering, volcanic rock formation slowly came in to view. “Shiprock”, as its called, stands alone on the desert plain, at 1,583 feet above the valley floor and 7,177 above sea level, it can be seen from 60 miles away. It is an “oddity” about it because it doesn’t match the surrounding landscape. As we drove around, looking for a place to park our RV, we quickly discovered that the Navajo Nation owned and governed the lands that surrounded Shiprock. That stated, not only could we not find a place to park, but we also couldn’t find a good spot to take a photo either. As luck should have it however, we happened upon a local, rough and rocky gravel road that lead led us through a Navajo community and towards Shiprock. With some trepidation (we wondered if we were trespassing), we continued on. After taking a few shots, an uneasiness began to set in, so we turned around; sensing this was a sacred place and we didn’t belong. Shiprock got it’s name because of its formation, which resembles an enormous 19th. century merchant sailing ship. Note: There are two other versions of this photograph on this site, search “The Towering Shiprock” and “Exceptional Shiprock"