Joan and I went on a cold-weather camping trip after a particularly hectic week for both of us.
I met up with Joan; we left directly from the meet-up place and found a favorite campsite well before sunset.
Joan seemed particularly happy a favorite camping spot seemed available!
We camped, took a stroll, and enjoyed a quiet, relaxing, and rather satisfying (if cold) morning the following day.
The plentiful pancakes and many hot cups of coffee may have helped a smidge.
Our quest for this trip proved simple: With academic journals, Google Earth, and some map sleuthing, we wanted to find a Chacoan Great house and the accompanying Chacoan road.
Although the canyon has, to our Euro-American eyes, the more striking images and structures, the mesa tops had the majority of the population and some of the most significant sites of the Pueblo world.
Many of the structures are in alignment with each other via cardinal directions. Using the base of an old tower and some additional map and compass work, we hiked to the site of the Great House.
The amount of rubble, sunken sites of kivas, and other stone walls only begin to indicate the size of the two-story structure.
Potsherds from points south attested to this area’s prominence after the habitation peak.
More than the potsherds and the structures, the swale of the road, indicated on our archaeology report map, seemed obvious. And, no surprise, the road pointed due north towards a prominent site on the viewscape.
We continued to walk to other habitation sites with expansive views and more intimate signs of people who had lived here previously.
Part of a corn-grinding mano.
We returned to camp and took a hike to another favorite site that connects to the landscape and the other places we saw earlier in the day.
The following day, we went into a lesser-known canyon that did not disappoint regarding archaeological sites or scenery.
We had no information about the canyon, just the adage, “Pick a canyon in this area, and you’ll see something!”
We soon reached a pour-off, decided to leave a potential route to get to the canyon bottom for any other day, and again made our way back to camp.
We had another early night and enjoyed the cold and crisp evening.
The following morning, we took one last hike before returning—a stroll with sites across and inaccessible, below the canyon rim, and pleasing scenery.
It certainly feels like the unofficial start of the cold weather camping season on the Colorado Plateau.
At 5 p.m., it is dark, and we wear layers of down, drink lots of hot drinks, and read in our cozy tent as the mercury drops, which means it is transitioning to winter and away from fall.
Thanks for sharing.