Alien Throne
Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness, NM
alien throne
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF ALIEN THRONE
The American Southwest never ceases to amaze…
This extraterrestrial-looking sandstone formation is found in the Valley of Dreams in the Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah wilderness. In the American Southwest, hoodoos and rock formations come in many unique sizes and shapes. However, the Alien Throne is one of the most unusual and mesmerizing I have ever seen.
You could wander around the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness for hours exploring the Valley of Dream and never find this unworldly spot (unless you know exactly where it is). Before going, download the GPS coordinates / KMZ trail file below (or another navigation app), or at least have a map of the area, or you may miss this magical formation.
Images and location summary by Tim Wier
The Valley of the Dreams is home to many stunning sandstone hoodoos, and each is fragile. When you visit, please do your best to preserve all aspects of this location for future visitors and always try to leave it in better shape than when you found it.
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DATA POINTS INCLUDED WITH ALIEN THRONE SUMMARY
I would rate the difficulty of this trail as a 2 to 3 on a scale of 1-5 (with 5 being the most difficult). The difficulty of getting to this location depends on the vehicle and the weather. With a high clearance 4 x 4 vehicle, you can park and have an easy 1-mile hike to the Alien Throne. With a moderate SUV, the parking area is about 2.0 miles from this location. If the roads are wet, you should consider not driving the 4 x 4 high-clearance roads.
I have shown two trails to Alien Throne below (in the directions section). The first trail in RED (1.1 miles from the 4 x 4 parking area) will walk through many incredible formations of the Valley of Dreams. The Alt trail in PURPLE (.9 miles from Alt 4 x 4 parking area) is shorter and more direct.
With the correct information, both hikes are straightforward (with a few modest ravines to cross) with little or no real elevation gain. However, you are walking through the badlands with no discernible trails, and it is easy to get lost, and the heat in the warmer months can be strenuous. Without the correct GPS coordinates, you can walk through the Valley Of Dreams area for hours and never find this spot. I suggest downloading the KMZ files on your smartphone to help you navigate your way in and out.
You would think that photographing a simple rock formation would be so easy - a caveman could do it. Well, not so much. The challenges with taking this image are the foreground, the perspective, and the sun.
Foreground - when at this location, pay close attention to the foreground and surrounding formations when considering your composition. Moving right/left or up/down, you will notice a simple but meaningful change in your composition.
Perspective - obviously, the main subject in this image is the Alien Throne formation - which is tall and thin. And when you change the heights of and especially tilt (up or down) an ultra-wide lens, the distortion (keystone effect) of the objects not in the center of the lens change dramatically. When choosing your composition, I advise paying close attention to this "keystone effect" of the Alien Throne formation.
The sun - in the late afternoon, toward sunset, the sun will be directly in front of you, which makes it very difficult to gather your thoughts on your composition. If you are lucky, the sun will go behind a cloud for a few minutes, so you can pick the composition you like.
SPECIAL NOTE: pay attention to the sunlight on the holes toward the top of the Alien Throne formation. It adds to the composition.
Also, I suggest studying several other images from this location to find your favorite perspective. Slight differences in the lens's location, height, and tilt will produce completely different compositions. The image above was taken on the left side, at 17mm, with the camera height just above the closest formation you see in the image.
This is a wide to ultra-wide-angle shot. The image above was taken at 17mm.
xxx Ft. Elevation
Other Resources Available with Membership
KMZ Trail File
Directions
Best Time of Day to Shoot
Best Time of Year to Shoot
Equipment Needed
Permits Required
Direction of Shot
Google Maps Birds-Eye-View
Number of Photographers to Expect
Cell Service
Overnight Lodging/Camping
Nearby Restaurants
Area Guides and Workshops
Other Resources
LOCATION SUMMARIES WRITTEN BY PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
