Chaco Canyon, Part 2

When we visited Chaco Canyon in 1974, the southern-most Great Pueblos were not "on the map".  That is, the Pueblos of "Una Vida" and "Hungo Pavi" did not have trails or guides.  Today, there is a trail and a trail guide to Una Vida from the Visitor Center.

In 1974, if one wanted to visit either of these ruins, one would have to get an "off trail" permit from the visitor center, then hike down the road and across the valley floor to the ruins - no trails, no guides.  Both of the pueblo ruins are largely unexcavated.  Una Vida has only had a few rooms excavated, so the ruin remains archaeologically untouched.  Because we only saw Una Vida and Hungo Pavi from the road, we never realized the size and complexity of these pueblos.

Of course, our visit to Chaco Canyon wouldn't be complete without revisiting Pueblo Bonito.  

As we walked along the south wall of Pueblo Bonito, we saw one of the familiar corner doorways.  Corner doorways are fairly unique to the Chaco culture.  This particular doorway, if I remember correctly, was one of the significant doorways that Dr. Jonathan Raymond focused on in 1974 and his preliminary archaeo-astronomical studies and measurements.  

We walked the trail up the remains of Threatening Rock which collapsed into the side of Pueblo Bonito in 1941.  

There are just so many other pictures of Pueblo Bonito, but it might be best seen from a different perspective.  

North of Pueblo Bonito and Richard Wetherill's grave is a late-built pueblo of McElmo origin - Kin Kletso.  

To the right of the above picture, in the canyon wall of Cliffhouse Sandstone, is a large fracture crack that has served as a stairway from the canyon floor to the mesa top for more than 2000 years.  We climbed up that ancient stairway to reach the mesa top and the trail to take us to the point above Pueblo Bonito.  It's not that difficult of a hike, and the views are breath-taking!  And, after about a mile and a half hike, the view was rewarding.

Pueblo Bonito from the mesa top!

Chaco Canyon!!! Part 1

As a "preview", we spent 3 days in Chaco Canyon!  Many memories and many adventures returned from the past!  So, with this and the next few posts, the past and present will be the topics!

Some 41 years ago, come this June, I dragged my wife and 2 year old daughter out to a remote area of New Mexico called "Chaco Canyon National Monument".  There were two roads into Chaco Canyon - one from the south from Thoreau (pronounced "throw" in New Mexico) and Crownpoint, only some 38 miles of washboard dirt road, and one from the north, some 43 miles of rough, washboard dirt road from north of Nageezi at Blanco Trading Post.

The preparations for that 1974 trip were thought out and planned.  We would have to camp. So, we bought a very used, basic pop-up tent trailer that was light enough to pull behind an Opel Station Wagon.  I had found a 1960 Cushman Super Eagle scooter which we rebuilt at the Archaeomagnetic Lab that could be disassembled and put inside the pop-up trailer.  We also purchased poor, used, propane refrigerator that fit inside the pop-up.  This plus a 9'x12' tent, card table, 10'x10' awning, and 10 square yards of used carpeting (25 cents a yard) for under the awning completed our "haul".  We packed all this up, plus clothes, Coleman stove and lantern, etc., Crystal's car seat and headed out for the unknown.

We arrived at Chaco Canyon after two days of driving. Then we found out that "the telephone calls" that were supposed to be made . . . had not been made. Superintendent Harriman was quick to respond - "No problem".  The year 1974 was well into the "big dig" at Chaco Canyon.

So, we set up camp.

And some 41 years later.

My first collection site was the Garden Fields at Chetro Ketl. These samples yielded "OK" results.  But the second site was very interesting and yielded excellent results!  The second site was an abandoned oxbow of the ancient Chaco River near the garden fields and out from Chetro Ketl almost to the modern day erosional Chaco Wash.  I dug two 6' shafts into this abandoned oxbow, sampling every 12 inch interval, and dated the sedimentation of this oxbow related to the occupation of Chaco Canyon.  The first and shallowest sample set dated around AD 1680, while the deepest sample sets dated from around AD 500.

Now, the collection process utilized Plaster of Paris to encase the samples.

So, some 41 years later, and with Ranger Don Whyte as an escort, we walked out to the abandoned oxbow for that nostalgia trip.

Under our feet is the first collection pit.  The white disks and chips in front of us is Plaster of Paris left over some 41 years ago from my collection!  From the weathering of the plaster, I wouldn't doubt if that Plaster of Paris won't still be there in another 41+ years!

Farmington

Some 41 years ago, Maureen, our daughter Crystal, and I spend some two months at Chaco Canyon while I gathered my research data for my Master's thesis.  Each weekend meant a trip to Farmington for groceries, fill the fresh water jerry cans, laundry, and have a "store-bought" lunch!

Farmington was an eclectic mix of New Mexico country, Navajo, petroleum industry, and tourist.  The downtown was a busy place.  And it was a small "small city" that just captured the imagination.  In those "our early days", we wanted to find jobs in Farmington and move!

Fast forward to present day!  We had set up camp in Angel Peak RV Park and couldn't wait to drive through Farmington "to recall".  That was a mistake!  Downtown was a ghost town.  All the area around downtown had become very economically depressed!  On the drive into Farmington, it was just oil supplier lot after oil supplier lot - and some of those were vacant!  Down right depressing!  But it did seem as though Farmington had grown.  So where was "downtown"?

As we drove the highway through downtown, we kept wondering, where was the "shopping area" that supported Farmington?  Luckily we kept driving the highway instead of heading back to the RV.  What used to be the "old road" heading to Aztec was now "THE" area.  What the downtown had lost, the new northern area of Farmington had found!  Beyond this area, the road returned to just oil field supplier lot after another.

As hindsight is usually 20/20, though for as much as we wished to move to Farmington, I have to say that I'm glad we didn't.  Farmington is great to visit today!

Just a quick update

I have so many posts I want to make . . . so why haven't I posted them?  Excellent question!

Not only did Maureen contract a touch of the flu (yes, we both had flu shots in October), but I contracted either a low grade sinus infection or perhaps a cold.  We have both been sick.  Several of our nights were spent either coughing or sneezing much of the night.  On those occasions, we ended up and slept most of the morning. Yes, we have been boring, and yes we have both been sick.

Our paid time at Trailer Ranch RV Park was coming to an end, and honestly, though we certainly enjoyed our time in Santa Fe, we also wanted to move on.  So we did, sick or not sick, we moved from Santa Fe last Saturday to Bloomfield, NM near Farmington and Chaco Canyon.  I can definitely say, even a 200 mile drive with a 19,000 pound fifth wheel is not pleasant with one doesn't feel good!

Today, we spent most of our time "getting well" - got up late morning, did a few errands, and back to bed.  And I do believe it is working.  I am feeling better, and though Maureen is still coughing, her cough is not as deep in her chest.  I have high hopes that by tomorrow, we will be feeling better!  And maybe I can post some of those thoughts of the past couple of weeks!

As a note, I have had a couple of friends ask why they cannot post comments to this blog.  I think that the problem may lie with the fact that one needs a Gmail (Google Email) account to log in and post a comment.  If you-all don't have a Gmail account, try setting a free Gmail account up and try to post.  If that doesn't work, please let me know.

Santa Fe Week

There are other posts to do for the past week, but just wanted to update to current time.

Our time, again, in Santa Fe has been great.  Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the USA, and there is just so much history . . .   One just has to sit in the cantina of La Fonda and realize that Oppenheimer walked these halls, Groves stood there, and that an Inn has occupied this spot for 400 years!  A $9 glass of chardonnay is only an excuse to gawk!

But last Thursday, something started going wrong.  It first appeared that Maureen might have a case of bronchitis.  A quick visit to the doctor on Friday with meds to the local CVS, all is OK, right?  No!  By Monday, it was apparent that this was not just bronchitis but probably a touch of the flu!  Another visit to the doctor confirmed our thoughts.  Viral!  A touch of the flu!

So now, we are trying to get Maureen well, but this is a chore.  It is painful to watch how much stress is involved in clearing the deep congestion.  There is just no fastrack method to this, especially since the first clinic doctor missed the diagnosis, so Theraflu is not an option.

So, again, ski season is over.  We are now hoping to get Maureen well by the end of the week so we can move on to the Bloomfield/Farmington area.  There we will set up camp to be a base to visit Chaco Canyon, Salmon Ruin, Aztec National Monuments.  We will probably stay a week there and move on to Cortez to explore southwest Colorado and southeast Utah.

Who left the north door open?

Wait!  What happened?  The 10 day forecast suddenly changed!  Cold fronts arriving from the east.  The east?  At first, it appeared that these cold fronts would only touch northeastern New Mexico, but the forecast changed.  Jet streams changed and changed the forecasts.  Dynamic weather!

And change it did!  Suddenly the ski areas were cold again.  Wolf Creek was cold again and it was snowing!  Over the weekend, Wolf Creek received some 34" of snow in one day - Sunday!

What to do?  What to do?  Our first thought was go abandon Plan B and go back to Plan A.  But Winter Weather Warnings and Winter Travel Warnings started appearing on the weather reports.  At first, we thought perhaps Wednesday, February 25th might be the best travel day.  That is, until Chama received 2" of snow on Tuesday, roads were reported to be icy, and overnight temperatures were forecast to be in the teens.  Somehow, pulling a 19,000 pound fifth wheel behind a dually pickup all the while watching for icy patches and slick roads . . . no!  And the forecast after Wednesday?  Terrible.  Snow, sleet, and below freezing temperatures everyday for the next 7 days in Pagosa Springs.  Now we were kept out by weather!  Decisions!

Another problem was that by the time the weather was to clear enough to travel to Pagosa Springs, Spring Break would be upon Wolf Creek!  Not the time we wanted to be on the slopes!

OK, stick with Plan B.  Stay another week in Santa Fe, then head to Farmington and beyond.  Oh well, get caught up on this and that, and maybe even start doing taxes.  Ugh!

Back in Santa Fe

We returned to Santa Fe and Trailer Ranch RV Park on a sunny, 60+ degree day (Wednesday, February 18).  The 10 day forecast did not bring any change to the temperatures.  Ski season for us was over.

The truck . . . again.  On Thursday we headed off to Chalmer's Ford in Albuquerque.  Ah, there was one "tiny" problem . . .  on the way back to Santa Fe, the engine brake had worked perfectly!  But John said bring it in, and they would check it out!  John even gave us a loaner car this time!  Because there would probably be a "diagnosis" within an a couple of hours, we stayed in the Albuquerque area.  We headed out west on I-40 to Camping World for a few items, and then up Coors Boulevard to the Petroglyphs National Monument.

Petroglyphs National Monument is literally inside the city limits of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.  Basalt flows covered this area some 200,000 years ago.  As the basalt weathered, a weathering patina developed on the surface.  The Ancient Ones carved images into this patina, and thus the petroglyphs.  However, "modern" man has also carved images into the patina also, and though technically these images should be known as petroglyphs also, they are more commonly called "illegal graffiti".

Of course, Bootsie came along on the trip also.  And in the background on the rocks, one can see both ancient and modern petroglyphs.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them and look to the left side for petroglyphs.

But our trip to Petroglyphs National Monument was interrupted by a phone call about the truck.  So, off to Chalmer's Ford!  And the verdict?  Nothing.  That's right, the service techs, and even a visiting regional service tech who happened to be in the shop, could not find anything wrong.

Get the truck and head back to Santa Fe.