Valley of Fires lava flow, Carrizozo NM

Last week Tyler, Paula, and Paula's two sisters from San Antonio rented a cabin in Ruidoso, NM.  The weather was lovely- cool, clear, and crisp, warming into the low 60s during the day.  One day we drove over to Carrizozo, NM, to view the Valley of Fires Recreation Area.  It's a fascinating area of lava flow from about 5000 years ago, averaging 45 feet deep,  and up to 160 ft deep at its deepest.  It originated from a volcanic rift zone northwest of Carrizozo and flowed down a valley a few miles wide and 45 miles long.  The lava is black basalt, similar to what is found in Hawaii, but it results from a rift volcano - - ie, an upwelling of lava where the earth's crust is spreading or pulling apart, as it has been in NM in recent geological history.  In contrast, the Hawaiian volcanos is due to a local hot spot under the crust.

There is much beauty among the lava, including this one:

Here are some more pictures of the lava and its flora: