Taos Mountain is the local name for Pueblo Peak which is situated on Taos Pueblo Reservation land and overlooks the Taos Valley. Many attribute mystical powers to this mountain. The best view of the mountain is from the outdoor dining area at the Old Blinking Light Restaurant on Ski Valley Road (State Highway 150) around seven in the evening in July over a cool Margarita.
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In the fall, the mountain is particularly beautiful because of the numerous Aspen groves on the mountain which turn bright yellow and orange. In this picture we see the mountain from the northwest in late September, 1994 near sundown. The bright yellow of the Aspens is made almost orange by the late evening light. (Click on the image to see the full-sized version. Size 313kb). |
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The display of colors is frequently interrupted by the early arrival of winter weather. In this picture, only two weeks after the previous picture, we see the results of a freak thunderstorm which dumped significant snow and ice on the mountain. The top portion of the mountain is white with snow which the bottom portion still show brilliant fall colors. (Click on the image to see the full-sized version. Size 179kb). |
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Winter arrives and although the Taos Valley itself seldoms maintains snow cover for any real length of time, Taos Mountain is covered from early November to early May.This is a scene the first weekend in November, 1996. (Click on the image to see the full-sized version - 50kb). |