We awoke to another beautiful day and decided to head out for a hike before the sun heated things up to the upper 90's as predicted.
Luanne found a dog friendly hike that sounded good in Hunter's Canyon. The hike, as you will see, was pretty awesome and the drive into the Canyon was an adventure. Crazy little shacks built into the side of the cliff, caves utilized as living space, unpaved, switch back roads and we were finally at the trailhead!
The trail led us through the bottom of the canyon with pools of water, dried up riverbed, an arch to walk through and huge walls of red sandstone looming over us. It was just enough, we went back in a mile until the trail arrived at a river that had to be forded, and while some of us would have gone forward, the rest of us thought it had been a fine hike and were ready to make our way back.
We had the most spectacular drive from Mesa Verde to Monument Valley, the mesas and canyons were every shade of pink, coral, grey, sage with blue skies and puffy white clouds. We saw our first arch in the rocks as we drove over. We all got out of our vehicles in Monument Valley raving about what we had just seen. Luanne said Monument Valley was great but that the drive over had been just as good!
We split up in the afternoon, Luanne going for a rock scramble of a hike, BJ, Christine, Jeanne and I went exploring and poking our noses into the gift shops and scouting out a place for dinner. We went to the Navajo Tribal Center where they have a museum, gift shop and spectacular views of the Valley from balcony which surrounds the building. They also had the restaurant we chose for dinner, one which served traditional Navajo dishes for a very reasonable rate.
Back we went that evening to green chili chicken stew and a HUGE serving of indian fry bread with mountain honey..YUM.. and traditional Navajo tacos. We were all very happy campers when we left there.
This morning we were up at 6 to go into the Valley for the drive through the Valley floor and spectacular views of the rock formations which dot the Valley.
After our morning exploring we were on the road again, destination Moab, and thankfully at least three nights here without moving. We are all ready to settle into one spot for a while. Our campground here is very nice, on a high hill with a nice breeze surounded by buttes and craggy rocks. And it has grass!!!!!!
The lineup..Luanne...Diane...Jeanne and me!
The horses, dogs and cats run free on the reservation.
I can't take credit for these fabulous images of grandmother's from the reservation. They were displayed in the museum and I simply too a picture of the picture because I thought they were so beautiful!
Me and Christine with "The Duke". SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON and many other films were made in the Valley.
Jeanne and Christine about to get on the stagecoach to head for the hills!
Notice the two formations that are called THE MITTENS, pretty obvious why!
Me, BJ, Jeanne, Luanne, Erlene, Christine and Diane
Luanne, Diane and BJ
This is typical of the HOGAN, the houses of the Navajo Indians. Today they are used mainly for religious services.
This formation is called THE THREE SISTERS. It is one of the more famous formations in the Valley. Jeanne read that it is two nuns and the tiny one tucked in front of the one on the left is a novitiate. I don't know what it is but find it absolutely awesome that you can actually see the figures in these rocks.
We arrived in Mesa Verde yesterday afternoon. It has been on my "bucket list" long before I knew what a "bucket list" was and it did not disappoint. You arrive in the park passing a spectacular sculpture at the visitors center and begin a long, slow climb up the mountain from one switchback curve to another. Our campground is nestled in a canyon, and I've just taken a minute from writing to chat with the lucky man who is the camp host here.
I'm sitting outside the door of Saffire looking at a huge butte where I keep expecting an indian on horseback to appear. When I walked out this morning I heard a sound that was exactly like a rainbird sprinkler, so much so that I actually looked around to find it in this dry, arid area. It's grasshoppers!!! They are very busy making a chirping chorous for my morning writing.
When we check into our campground they told us about the bear that has been roaming the area, chewing up water hoses at night and taking any food he can find. That meant that after my shower I had to unhook the hose so it wouldn't be a sprinkler!! They also mentioned cougar in the area and told us about a man who went off hiking last year from this campground and was never seen again. SCARE TACTICS!! They did their job on Christine who after hearing all that didn't want to sleep in her tent and who could blame her???!!! So Teddy and I had company last night, we moved all my storage containers down and she spent the night in the cab over of Saffire. All worked out well and I'm happy to say she wasn't bear entree last night.
For those who don't know about Mesa Verde, the "Ancients" lived here around 1000AD. They were the ancestors of the Pueblo people who now live on the reservations in Colorado, Arizona and Utah and New Mexico. The Hopi, the Navajo, the Acoma and the Ute among others. The indians built their villages in the face of the mountains and Mesa Verde contains a number of the preserved ruins. It is absolutely fascinating to stand there and try and picture what life must have been like for the people who once lived there.
Last night after an early dinner we all headed up the mountain another twenty miles. Luanne and Diane headed to do the self guided tour at Spruce House and Erlene, Christine, Jeanne and I went to a special twilight program at The Cliff House, the largest of the ruins. The program was supposed to have been two indians talking about life then, but instead we had a woman who was in the character of Willa Cather, the author who wrote O PIONEERS and MY ANTONIA.
It was quite disappointing but the evening was a success in spite of her. The light in the canyon was spectacular, our group had less than twenty people and the sunset was a memory that will last forever.
The hike to arrive at the Cliff House descends through stairs carved out of the rock face in the 1930's by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the same people who were responsible for so much of the remarkable construction we enjoy today in our National Parks. After you navigate the steps and a cravasse there is a ladder to descend. Coming back up is even more fun, you better not be too fat or you'd be stuck in the ascending cravasse! It had a very narrow slit, the same rock stairs and three ladders!
We were quite proud of Erlene who over the last few years has had breast cancer twice, knees replaced and a shattered wrist, she was a bit leary when we headed down but she is our idol! You rock Erlene!!!
So now it's Friday morning, the campground has a pancake breakfast and we're about to head up to eat, then pack up and be off to Monument Valley for the night.
