I laughed when I saw the silhouette on the right of this sign for the Hefker Ranch just west of Carrizozo.

The Valley of Fires was my first stop of the day. The black lava rock stretched all the way across to the Sierra Oscuras mountain range.

This close-up view shows how plants have taken root in the cracks.

This is a panoramic view of the Valley of Fires. For an extra large version (534K), click here.

This rock reminded me of the wrinkled skin of an elephant.

The shiny rocks sometimes looked more silver or gray than black in the sun.

The dark background of the lava rocks really  made the desert vegetation stand out.