Throne at Sunset
New Mexico
Sometimes called the Valley of Dreams, the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area is located a little north of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. It is a badland area of rolling water-carved clay hills. The area is rich in fossils and spectacular geological formations making it perfect for hiking and landscape photography! This awesome formation, known by a few names—Chaco Throne, Alien Throne, Chaco Alter—was captured near sunset. It is a hoodoo. Its columns and connections, don’t quite make sense. Its openings are irregular, its presence imposing and odd, even among several odd, imposing sights. I made this photograph when the sun was setting, the globe falling below the horizon. Photo © copyright by Robert Faucher.