Out in the Four Corners desert there are many wonders that few see other than birds, aviators, native peoples, and dedicated explorers. Though relatively common here, in the hills of SB this rock pillar in a formation not far from Cortez (by air) would be remarkable.
9414 Remarkably Common
But emerging out of dust from a distant storm, Shiprock sails a lonely plain.
9608 Shiprock
As we flew nearer and the light angle changed, we could see how the thin ridges of rock (aka dikes) radiate from the rock. A few tall spires like the first one above look tiny at its feet.
0170 Different Light
Zooming in again, you can see the different types of rock and some sculpted forms standing like sentinels atop the peaks.
9502 Sentinels
Amid those carved shapes are a few high points where raptors have surveyed the plain for millennia, marking their observatories with white crowns.
9536 Tiny White Crowns
Lower on several of the sheer sides are countless caves where native peoples once sheltered.
9460 Caves
At last, passing high above, I snapped this overhead view of this desert ship in a sea of sand paintings. I contemplate the interactions of these people with residents of other areas, and with the wildlife here. I am a hawk centuries ago watching the people below. I see the dream view of someone who watched that hawk, imagining what I see from this magical flying machine. I am above, below, and within those rocks.
9671 Hawk’s View
John & Anne Wiley 
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