Four Corners Monument

The Four Corners Monument access road is in New Mexico, yet three other states are within easy walking distance. It is possible to be in four states at one time at this unique landmark, yet there is much more to the story. The Four Corners Monument is a Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation fee area and the price of admission is a real bargain. The income generated helps to fund this site.

The Four Corners Monument offers unobstructed panoramic views of the landscape for hundreds of miles around. Distant snow capped mountains and even the towering Shiprock landmark can be seen way out in the in the distance. This is a place where eagles soar high in the sky and this region truly is the definition of wide open spaces.

The Four Corners Monument Marker is in an amphitheater surrounded by flags representing tribal nations and the four states that meet at this spot. Standing on the marker is the easy way to be in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico all at one time. There are also stylish options, like doing pushups or making a human bridge over the four corners marker. Human pyramids are also selfie material that look good on the web. Break dancing is yet another stylish way to go. I spent a few hours watching what people do at the marker and the more imagination applied, the better the good times will be!  

A veranda with indigenous artisan shops surrounds the monument marker and amphitheater. There are many nifty items and hand crafted works of tribal art can be found here. I purchased a hand carved onyx scorpion memento and had a good conversation. I was told about future plans for the monument and performing arts were mentioned. There always seems to be a cool mountain breeze in this serene wilderness that inspires folks to relax and lounge about.

A good place to spot wild horses just about any day of the week is the Four Corners region. I lived in this area for a few years and got to know the behavior of the wild horses fairly well. There were certain times of day that they headed to the river for a drink and there were seasons when they would hide in the canyons with newborn foals. Seasons of draught make the wild horses skinny, while after a wet weather green-up they can be seen grazing practically anywhere in this vast desolate landscape. 

A lot of real life lessons can be learned by observing wild horses. Horses have a long memory and they certainly remember people that help them out. They like non-threatening behavior and by doing so they will come to you, instead of the other way around. Approaching wild horses usually only results in them scurrying off, so taking a static approach is the way to go. In fact, most of my wild horse close-up pictures were captured from a high ground clearance vehicle driver’s seat.    

I rarely picture animals in distress, but a powerful life lesson was learned while watching a little pony assist an injured horse across the road. The little painted horse literally stopped, stared and listened in both directions, before escorting the slow moving big gray to the other side. The views were filmed through the windshield, since I did not want to alter their behavior. Watching the pony assist the old crippled horse was a powerful lesson of compassion.