Up and out pretty early to head south to check out Caballo Lake, New Mexico's largest lake. Thought it might have something to paint with good morning light... No luck. Nothing there but fisherman and jack rabbits.
My back up plan was to head north and go to the top of Elephant Butte where the Rio Grande feeds into the lake. I have a map and it has names for the exits to take and the roads to follow.
Exit 100 to Catfish Camp ended up as 20 ft of pavement with some garbage before becoming a gravel road. Ummm, no.
Headed south. Exit 92 to Rock House took me to a frontage road that after 2 miles looped under the Highway and became a gravel road. Uhh, no.
Now I was headed back to the Highway but instead of getting on it I went over it and followed a sign to Monticello Point. Paved! No one around but there was a sign that showed there was a boat ramp ahead. That sounded great!
Nope. Boat ramp yes, people yes, but view - not so much.
Frustrated, I followed what was now a lake frontage road and began seeing little hand made posted signs that read: 'Three Sisters' and 'Highlands South.'
I turned down Highlands South, a dirt road which very soon had posted another sign 'caution soft sand.' Great. I decided to go for it... It wasn't bad and the view was terrific. But I was ALONE. Some beer bottles and a broken chair and a view. But VERY ISOLATED. No way.
Continuing down the lake frontage I came across another handmade sign that said 'Lost Canyon.' As I'd pretty much lost my early start to the day I thought this must be the spot! YES!
Lost Canyon was perfect. Sandy dirt road dropping down to the lake edge, some campers and families around one side and me alone on the other. Happy! Score.
The sun by now was blasting and blazing and provided neither shade for me nor much shadow on the hills for forms, but I was happy to break out the paints and get something down. The sun comes up on the other side of these hills/mesas/buttes so they're in shadow in the morning, flat in the day or orange at 7:45pm when the wind gusts are up. Not ideal. Boo hoo right? I'm in New Mexico, painting!!
Here are a few photos of the view, my set-up and my study propped up indoors where I'm deciding if I got the values and feeling the way I want...
After a break for lunch and a little relaxing, I'm back out trying to find a high point to view Turtle Rock, which overlooks the town of Truth or Consequences. The sun set SHOULD provide some great shadows and bright colors, fingers crossed.
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