On a day with clear blue skies, punctuated with cirrus clouds and a gentle sunset, I walked the entirety of Fort Union National Monument. Besides me, there were a handful of tourists, an elementary school field trip and of course the ranger staff.

The historical significance of this place is far greater than its relative anonymity in the National Park System. The fort was the most important protector of the Cimarron branch of the Santa Fe Trail. There was a Civil War battle fought here, because the Confederacy viewed Fort Union as a path to the riches of California if they were able to take it. They didn’t.

The early morning light was sweet this morning. The sunset was muted, but I still found some interesting scenes to capture. I wanted to shoot some nocturnes, but there were so many clouds at sunset, I gave it up in hopes of a glorious night of stars on a future evening.

The shot of the wagon works is, I think, the best effort of the day.

There are old wagons on the property, that were put in place in the 1950s, so they’ve weathered enough to look authentic. I’ll post some shots of them in a future blog.

During the Civil War, a battlement was constructed in the shape of a star. From the ground, it looks kind of lumpy and nondescript. I’m trying to find someone to fly me over it. Watch for an aerial acrobatic in the future.

Last night I went up to the ruins to photograph the stars. I made sure I got there before sunset in an effort to catch a great one. The sunset itself wasn’t very rich, but looking back east, there was much to love.

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