The Land

Sharp peaks, windswept cliffs, deep gorges—everything about northern New Mexico’s landscape is dramatic and severe. The light glints off surfaces at surprising angles, and the scenery can change at any bend in the road. The altitude ranges from around 6,500 feet in Albuquerque [1] to more than 13,000 (at Wheeler Peak, the state’s highest, north of Taos [2])—so if you’re not gasping for breath from the scenery alone, you almost certainly will be from the thin air.