Life is a Highway

The End of Days

Of this vacation, that is. In addition to packing things up, Marie and I intended to take it easy yesterday - reading, painting, etc. However, the night before I'd struck up a conversation with one of the folks coming off the vision quest, Marty Allen. Marty and I just hit it off and found we had much in common. At breakfast yesterday, he asked if I was up for a hike in Canyons of the Ancients. I accepted, and we continued our discussion and deepened our connection. It's amazing how quickly that can happen with certain folks. At times it was hard to tell if we were talking while we were hiking or hiking while we were talking. In fact, we ended up going further into Canyons of the Ancients than I'd ever been, discovering a new (for me) ruin called Beach House. So called because of all of the sand in front of and inside the alcove where it's located. This is a very deep and sharply sloped alcove.

One other thrill - we had a tarantula cross the trail in front of us. We gave it the right of way!

So, folks, this concludes the regularly scheduled portion of our programming. We'll be back home tonight and in the swing of things - in body, if not in spirit - sometime tomorrow. We can't wait to return to the Southwest in the spring, when we'll be spending May and June in Santa Fe. Until then, thanks for watching. Adios.

OK, one more day ...

As usual, we just can't seem to leave Kelly Place, so we decided to stay one more night and drive directly to Albuquerque tomorrow morning for our late afternoon flight. This enabled us to go to the Bisti Wilderness yesterday instead of packing up, and it was quite the experience. Badlands would be another descriptor for Bisti, as it's otherwordly in its landscape and somewhat unforgiving in its lack of shade and relentless sun. On the other hand, at every turn you can see the many faces left behind by time and erosion. Here are some examples.

Marie and I had two different reactions as we entered Bisti. I took off in the general direction of the various formations and canyons. Marie stopped and asked where the trail was. There were no cairns, no trail markers, no path of footprints. There was no ranger station and no map to be had, only a place to sign in before you embarked on your hike. (Presumanbly this was so they could notify next of kin if you didn't make it out.)  Marie recovered nicely, though, making friends with some of the creatures.

Our hosts at Kelly Place told us that we should really try to see the formations known as "Cracked Eggs". Since frames of reference are difficult to find, and there are fields of formations all over the place, it took us awhile to find them. Finally, by process of elimination, we walked into the middle of an alien array of rocks that, indeed, looked like cracked eggs.

A little beyond, we stumbled upon some petrified wood.

At this point, we both felt beaten down by the sun and glare and decided to head back to the parking lot. There was one more surprise in store for us - I asked Marie to take a picture of my pointing out a unique feature. Only when we looked at the result back at Kelly Place did we see - well, see for yourself.

Closing the Loop

Yesterday we took it easy. We went into Cortez to say hi to some folks we've met on previous trips, visit a shop or two, and grab some groceries. Later we came back to Kelly Place and read (John) and painted (Marie). I also took a short hike to the top of the mesa overlooking the lodge and cabins. In the evening, an AVI group of eleven returned from their vision quest experience. Looking at their faces brought back a flood of memories for me of my quest in 2007.

The End is Near, Part 2

Yesterday we decided to revisit Canyon de Chelly, a beautiful narrow valley in eastern Arizona. Our host at Kelly Place, Marc Yaxley, suggested we take an alternate route through the Lukachukai Mountains, which would require us to traverse the twisting Lukachukai Pass southwest of Shiprock. If we had simply driven to Canyon de Chelly and turned right around and come back, the day would have been full, as the scenery on the drive was breathtaking. At the beginning, the drive took us much closer to the Shiprock volcanic fin than we'd been before, and gave us a chance to see the smaller fins radiating out from it.

Then, as we reached the top of Lukachukai Pass at around 10,000 feet, the view over the vast desert back toward Shiprock was amazing.

Our route brought us to the North Rim of Canyon de Chelly, which we'd never experienced. The first overlook was of Massacre Cave, where the Spaniards killed 150 Navajos, mostly women and children. ("Hi, we're from Spain. We bring you Catholicism and death. You can thank us later.") You can barely see the cave tucked behind trees in the cliff face.

Next we visited the overlook at Mummy Cave, so named because archaeologists discovered two perfectly preserved mummies inside. This ruin, though quite distant, was amazing.

Everywhere we looked, the views were incredible. The green of the valley contrasted with the sheer, harsh cliffs of the interconnecting canyons. Navajo families still farm in the valley and live there during the warmer months.

Next up was the overlook at Antelope House, named after the Navajo (not Anasazi) drawings of antelopes on the nearby rocks.

Our final stop was Spider Rock overlook. According to Navajo lore, Spider Woman taught the Dine' (the people) how to weave, and she is highly revered. I was able to discern a face in the taller rock, Marie was not. Now it's your turn to try.

The return trip home provided a different perspective on the Lukachukai area, as the setting sun added a nice glow to the sandstone cliffs.

After a very long day, we arrived back in Cortez around 8:00. Just in time to share a Cajun Boil for two at Tequila's restaurant, augmented by Corona (Marie) and margaritas (John). Fine, fine meal.

The End is Near

We only have two more days at Kelly Place before we drive to ABQ for the flight home. Always a difficult time, as it seems we can feel each grain of sand flowing out of the hourglass. That said, the past two days were full of wonder.

On Thursday, after our busy day before on the San Juan Skyway, we stuck around Kelly Place and environs. While I took care of some coaching/training business on the computer - gotta pay the bills - Marie read, photographed and painted. When it came time to plan our afternoon, Marie decided to stay put and I headed off into Canyons of the Ancients. This time I turned left at the cairn at the top of the trail, and headed for my alcove. I say "my alcove" because, much as Georgia O'Keeffe claimed The Pedernal as her mountain, I have claimed this alcove as mine. Perched high in the cliffs with a boulder strewn access, it includes a few ruins and a cave, plus the usual spectacular view. The Ancestral Puebloans generally picked alcoves with a southwest exposure, where the winter sun could provide warmth to their dwellings. What about the summer, you ask? Since the sun is higher in the sky, the overhang of the alcove ceiling provide shade to keep things cool.

On the way to my alcove, I explored deep into a narrow canyon that I'd always been curious about. As I walked up the wash, I zigzagged around huge boulders cleft from the cliffs towering on either side.

Pottery sherds on the ground attested to ancient habitation here. Just before we arrived earlier this week, there had been a violent storm with heavy rain and hail. Though moisture remains on the surface, the desert is already reclaiming the water holes, leaving behind fascinating patterns.

When I arrived at the alcove, I experienced a feeling of familiarity mixed with wonder and gratitude. I am so fortunate to be able to experience these places, and to return to them often. These are the touchstones, the sacred spaces of my life right now, at least that part of me that needs to wander and explore. Here's a panoramic view of the alcove, with the ruins on the left.

As the sun set behind the mesas, I headed back to Kelly Place. When I arrived, Jerene, Marc and Marie had set out a "foraging dinner" of cheese, sausage, smoked salmon, bread, crackers, chips and salsa. Oh, and there was micro-brew beer on tap - after all, I had to re-hydrate myself. After the sun went down, we gathered around the firepit to warm ourselves and talk well into the night. A nice ending to a day among the red rocks.