I came across these bighorn sheep as I was driving uphill from Taos Junction Bridge (Rt 567). They are very tame, and will often stay in place as you drive slowly up to them. The top photo is a downstream view into the Orilla Verde Recreation Area stretch of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. We float this stretch and call it the Monument Scenic Float. It is the most downstream stretch of the Rio Grande in the National Monument, which extends from here north to the state line, and incorporates all the river upstream, sagebrush plains and two newly-declared wilderness areas.
