El Malpais National Monument

Next up we visited the nearby El Malpais National Monument.

Mary dropped me off for a ride on the Chain of Craters Backcountry Byway while she explored lava fields and other sites along the way.

Pretty quickly we came across a galloping herd of Elk. 

I enjoyed a good twentyfive miles of sweet gravel riding.

Much of the route skirted the massive lava fields that make up a large portion of El Malpais.

Mary eventually picked me up and we finished the Chain of Craters road looping around to Highway 117. We took that north to the Narrows Overlook trail.

The hike winds up on top of sandstone bluffs with great views of the expansive lava fields.

The sharp contrast between jagged black lava and the smooth light sandstone was remarkable. Mary peers over the windy ledge. 

The view north revealed a growing wildfire (left) and a dust storm (center). We would eventually drive through the dust storm experiencing nearly zero visibility. Harrowing.

A bit further north along the highway is the stunning La Ventana Arch.

The big winds brought in a quick hitting weather system which left a nice dusting of snow at camp.

Another great National Monument off the beaten path well worth a visit - and we didn't even get to the lava tubes the park is most well known for!