Cliff Dwellings And A Rock City

Rose Valley RV Ranch
Silver City, NM
November 8-15, 2019

Rose Valley RV Ranch came highly recommended by friends Lisa and Mona Liza which made it real easy for us to plan our stay in Silver City.  

It is a quiet park located in the middle of town.  Unbelievably,  there was no road noise, sirens, or horns blowing...just sweet quietness day and night.    

The sites (we had a pull-thru...#72) are very spacious and even better, very private.

The puppies always enjoy a picnic!

And Joe and I always enjoy a sunset!

Gila Wilderness (775,000 acres), located in the Gila National Forest (3.3 million acres of forest, mountains, and pasture lands) was established in 1924.  

It is the "first designated wilderness" area in the world.  And it is no wonder as the area boasts a rich history....Mogollon and Apache Indians, Spaniards, Mexicans, ranchers and miners all lived here and left their mark.  

Names like Raw Meat Canyon, Teepee Canyon and Grave Canyon tell stories of the past.  One such place, Cliff Dweller Canyon was the real draw for us to visit Silver City.

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument : November 10 

Around 1276, Puebloan people built cliff dwellings along the fertile Gila River.  They grew corn, beans and squash,  foraged for native plants and hunted for game in the surrounding forests.  These resourceful Puebloan people chose to build their home inside the caves of Cliff Dweller Canyon with rock, mortor, and timbers.   It is unknown why, but around 1300 there were many migrations in the Southwest (probably due to drought) and, like other locations, these cliff dwellings were abandoned.


Gila Cliff Dwellings NM is about 44 miles north of Silver City via NM -15N.  


This 44 miles of curvy, narrow road is part of the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway.  It took an hour and fifty minutes to make the trip each way.  


A nice volunteer met us at the trailhead.  He shared information about the one mile loop hike and the dos and do nots at the dwellings site.   

I loved the "Deposit Gum Here" box!

The trail starts by crossing the West Fork of the Gila River.


And the excitement begins !

The lower section of trail winds around the canyon floor with several more small bridges for the creek crossings.

About 1/4 mile, the trail makes a sharp turn right and from there it becomes a steady climb.  Just past the turn is a clearing and the first glimpse of the dwellings.

There are five natural caves high in the south-facing cave wall. These caves contain over 40 rooms.  There are only a handful of sites like this where visitors can actually step inside the ruins.  The trail meanders through some rooms and past other rooms that are easily viewed using steps or ladders.  Usually rangers are present to answer questions and to insure that no damage is done, but on our visit there wasn't one present. 

The ceiling is black from soot. 

One of the most beautiful picture windows I have ever seen!

So many peep holes...pretty cool to look out them from the inside.

The trail from one cave to the next...

 One last look...











From here, the trail traverses the side of the cliff and descends back to the trailhead/parking lot.

City of Rocks State Park : November 13

City of Rocks was established in 1952.

About 32 miles east of Silver City is a little gem of a state park.  To get there, take US-180 for 26 miles then make a left turn onto NM-61 which leads right to the park entrance.


There is plenty of parking at the Visitor Center which has huge and colorful exhibits explaining how City of Rocks was formed and some of the history about who inhabited the area.

It seems a volcano erupted about 34.9 million years ago forming the rocks in an instant.  Erosion over the past millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns.

Hiking trails (in several different directions) start at the VC.  A giant lizard greeted us as we headed off to enjoy an easy pace on the City of Rocks loop trail that eventually connects to the Hydra Trail that led us back to the VC.  We knew from the get go this was going to be fun ! 

Look out for the giant lizard...

We discovered that Silver City is a nice stop when traveling south or north in the area.  It has lots to offer for outdoor activities as well as cultural enlightenment.  We barely scratched the surface with our short time there.

Up next, Florida's emerald gulf coast and state parks so stay tuned.  Until then, 

HAPPY TRAILS ! 

FYI...When returning to Silver City from Gila Cliff Dwellings on NM-15 S, look for a left hand turn onto NM-35 S at about 18.5 to finish out the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Byway.  This will take you by Lake Roberts.  Next turn is on NM-152 S towards Silver City.  This goes by Santa Rita Copper Mine...it is huge!  The folks at Rose Valley are awesome and have lots of maps and info.

Bluff, UT

Cottonwood RV Park
Bluff, UT
October 25-30, 2019


Bluff has always been an overnight stop for us when we leave Tucson heading to Moab.  A few years ago, friends John and Pam ( ohtheplacestheygo.wordpress.com ) stopped in Bluff and instantly made a connection there.  They have returned several more times and rarely repeated any of their activities.    They have written many blog posts about all the area has to offer...including hikes to some pretty cool ruins and petroglyphs.  John and Pam’s blog, along with Sue and Dave’s blog   (belugasexcellentadventure.blogspot.com ), were just the spark we needed to motivate us to see for ourselves some gorgeous hikes...both walking hikes and auto hikes...to some pretty cool destinations.

When planning our trip to warmer weather this year, we made our first reservation at Cottonwood RV Park in Bluff  which is only 100 miles south of Moab.  As the time neared for departure, the weather forecast was NOT looking good for Bluff or Moab with lows predicted in the single digits...not just one night but several nights...and with highs only in the  30s to low 40s.  To say Joe and I are not cold weather people would be an understatement...we REALLY DO NOT like cold weather.  We cut our week long stay in Bluff 2 days short giving us just a snippet of what the area has to offer.  We barely scratched the surface and totally agree with John and Pam and Sue and Dave that Bluff is worth the time !

We loved our spot at Cottonwood RV Park.  It’s right on Main Street, easy to find and easy to pull in to.  



And if that is not enough, Nancy, the owner, is awesome.   She was born and raised in Bluff and has notebook upon notebook filled with her beautiful photography (a lifetime of places she calls home).  Her "guide books" are stacked in the corner of her desk complete with directions and pictures. These books along with her descriptions offer so much to see and do. 

We loved our view...

and the puppies loved their space !




























In our short stay we did manage to check off a few boxes on the to do list.
1. Hovenweep National Monument (Oct 26 with an afternoon high of 61 degrees)
Archeological findings indicate that the Pueblo population increased in the canyon and mesa country north of the San Juan River (the Four Corners area) in the early 1200s.  Larger villages were built around canyon heads that contained water sources.  Many dwellings stood right on the canyon rim

 while some were built on top of  isolated boulders down in the canyon.    






























The ruins are amazing.  Round, square, and horseshoe buildings tell stories of a once thriving communities. 

Together, Twin Towers had 16 rooms. One tower is oval and the other is D-shaped. Original wooden lintels (used where wood is readily available) are still in place. These two towers are considered to be among the most carefully constructed buildings in the entire Southwest.

This rectangular shaped building stands two stories high.  Many tiny openings were placed in the walls ...maybe for peepholes.  

Hovenweep Castle consists of two D-shaped structures. A residence was associated with the castle.  

 Dover joined us on our visit to Hovenweep.  She had staples from a cyst removal removed a couple of days early before we left Moab.  We took her along to keep an eye on her and  to make sure she didn't disturb the scab that was there. 

There are out-lier trails at Hovenweep we had hoped to do including the Holly Trail.  We didn't get to do them...next time !

 2. Double Stack Ruins Hike (Oct. 27 with an afternoon high of 67 degrees)
Double Stack ruins is one of many historical sites located in Butler Wash area just outside Bluff.  Butler Wash is famous for its concentration of ruins, petroglyphs and caves.  We had planned on visiting several sites (as most of the hikes are short and easy), but got a very late start waiting for the temps to rise from a chilly 25 degrees.  

Just waiting...

We are early morning people and sitting around waiting to go on a hike is a new experience for us.  When it finally warmed up to the mid-50s, it was mid-afternoon.  Needless to say, Double Stack was our only adventure in Butler Wash that day.  And there was no lunch or dinner with a view except from inside Belle. 



The hikes in Butler Wash are unmarked and we were told at the Bears Ears Visitor Center that when we see cars we should stop.  John said go 3.9 miles down Butler Wash Road...we liked his directions better !  There is parking with a a visible trail that dips down into a wash and climbs out the other side.  We made our way to some slickrock and thank goodness someone had made cairns to show  the way.


After the slickrock, the trail dips down into the mouth of the canyon.
From here, the trail is well used and easy to follow.
And I should mention, it is gorgeous.  Of course, I do love canyon hikes and am always thrilled to be amongst the tall canyon walls. 

The upper level ruin is not accessible because of its hight.

The upper level ruin gives this hike its name...    

The lower level ruin was on ground level and sort of accessible.  It was evident by all the footprints inside the fence, that the fence is not a deterrent.  


Pottery shards, materials left over from tool making, and grinding stones were nowhere to be seen.  I am hoping the BLM has them for safe keeping.

 It is so amazing that these and any dwellings built by the Anasazi over 800 years ago are still standing...what a story these walls could and do tell !

A hike had been planned for the next day as well, but what a surprise it was to wake up to a dusting of snow.  






After checking the weather, it was quickly and  unanimously decided that an auto-hike was in order.  No way are we ever hiking when the high is 39 degrees and the doesn't account for a chilly wind factor.

3. Sand Island Petroglyphs, Valley of the Gods, Moki Dugway, Muley Point, Natural Bridges NM (Oct. 28 with an afternoon high of 39 degrees)
All the destinations on the auto hike were places we wanted to visit.  I would have rather hiked to ruins, but it was good to check these off the list too.  

Sand Island Petroglyph Panel is over 100 yards of Anasazi rock art that spans all of the time that humans were known to inhabit the area.  From the early Basketmaker (500 AD- 1500 AD) period through the Pueblo III (1150-1350) the sheer amount of art along with the time range it represents indicates that this area must have held special significance.  In more recent times, Utes and Navajo also left a records of their time there.

It is very unfortunate that people do not respect these archeological treasures. A fence has been installed so we all have to look through the fence and at a distance that makes photos hard to get.

Valley of the Gods is a scenic sandstone valley that features some impressive rock formations.  Although a quarter of the size of Monument Valley, the 18 mile dirt road meanders around some unique pinnacles, buttes, and monoliths with names like Seven Sailors Butte, Setting Hen Butte, Battleship Rock and Lady in a Tub.  The shapes and colors grab your attention at every turn.  

Moki (a local term for the ancient Puebloan people who inhabited the Colorado Plateau hundreds of years ago) Dugway (a term used to describe a roadway carved from a hillside)  is a route that connects Utah Hwy 95 with US Hwy 163 by climbing up or plunging down (depending on where you begin) the Dugway at a 10% grade.   The route,  constructed in the 1950s to transport uranium ore, is about 3 miles of narrow hairpin switchbacks and it is all carved into the cliff wall of Cedar Mesa.   Wahoo...my kind of road !  The views of Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley in the distance were amazing as we steadily climbed 1200 feet. 

After enjoying the drive and the view up Moki Dugway, we reached the top of Cedar Mesa.  There is a dirt road on the left...turn here to get to Muley Point.  It is a five mile gravel/dirt road on BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land...

that leads to an overlook.  Not just any overlook...this is totally amazing !  The sweeping views of twisting, long eroded canyons of the San Juan River and the desert beyond are breathtaking.  It was freezing cold and windy and the sun wasn't in the right spot for pictures (They were way to dark so now I guess we need to return!) but I stood there jaw dropped at the scene before me. 

The San Juan River is in the center of the picture and the background is Monument Valley...and yes, I was way too close to the edge!

Joe finally grabbed my hand and said it was time to go. 

The final destination on our auto-hike was Natural Bridges National Monument.  The first time we saw NGNM was in June of 2015 when we flew over it on a RedTail Aviation adventure for Dee's 55th birthday.  That was a day we will never forget.  I took the photo below of Sipapu Bridge that day.  It is the largest of the three bridges in the park and the second largest natural bridge in the U.S. 

Photo taken June 9, 2015 from a fly over while on a RedTail Aviation adventure. Sipapu is a Hopi term for "the opening between worlds". 

 Anyhow, I have wanted to return for a long time to experience the bridges up close.  I took this photo from the overlook as we drove through the park...not exactly up close so you know what that means !  The hike to Sipapu takes about 2 hours and is rather steep on the return, and I can hardly wait. 

Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2019 from the Viewpoint while driving thru the park. Squint your eyes to see the bridge in the center of the picture.

 
We did stop at the Visitor Center and then took the 9 mile one-way, one-lane loop road thru the park.  Natural Bridges, established in 1908, is Utah's first national Monument.  It certainly deserves more time than a drive thru.

Kachina refers to dancers or masked members of the Hopi tribe.  The bridge was named Kachina because petroglyphs depicting dancing figures are carved on the base of the bridge.  

The last bridge on the one-way road is Owachomo Bridge.  Owachomo means round mound in Hopi and refers to a rock formation on top of the east end of the bridge.   It is the smallest and thinnest of the three bridges and thought to be the oldest. 

To finish the loop, we headed to Blanding after NBNM for a stop at the grocery store.  If you are planning a visit to Bluff, plan ahead as there are no grocery stores in Bluff.  Thanks for that info Sue.  

Up next, a stop in Winslow, AZ.  Yep, I did stand on the corner in Winslow, Arizona and have the photo to prove it !

Until next time,

The Moki Dugway

    

HAPPY TRAILS !