SouthWestSlide: _{Spring 2004}

Phase Five_(b)
Chaco Canyon to Monument Valley

Holes in the ground. Rocky spires. Dry country. Old and new civilizations, Evidence of strife. Massive energy resources. Sounds like the modern world, eh?

This is Indian Country because the EuroYank conquerors thought it was worthless enough to relinquish. But eventually, almost all real estate is priceless. I wonder how the land wars will play out here?

Day 59: Chaco Canyon NCP
(Thursday 27 May 2004)

MIDDAY, Chaco Canyon National Culture Park. So last night we got to the short-cut into Chaco from the south, 20 miles of bad road, only 18 of it was washboard. And we bounced and we bounced - it's all hard-pack road. We're going thru the Navaho lands, see far in all directions. We get up a ways to the Self-Service Navaho Artifact Kiosk,a tall pushcart at the head of a long driveway, with a sign: PUT MONEY IN THE CAN. We look at the artifacts - not quite good enough - we continue on.

Get up here into Chaco around dusk, exhausted. Back the RV into a wide-open space without scraping too many rocks. In the night we stick our heads out to watch the Milky Way which is a great flaming banner across the sky. In the morning we wander over to the visitor center and pay our way in and do a loop thru the ruins, still too tired to do much more than that. Walked out to the Una Vida ruin. Not much strength to walk up to the petroglyphs there, nor to go look for the bat caves. Yes, last night, saw bats flying around. Up close, scooping up them insects. We'll have to inquire about local bat caves.

FLOWERS: Around us are cliffs and buttes and ruins and flowers, the orange Mallows and the yellow-white Tidy Tips and the blue Desert Asters and the purple Lupines. And the orange Mallows and the white Evening Primroses spread all over. And the Amaranth - not in bloom though - and those cacti with the red blossoms that weren't fully spread this morning, they're probably spread NOW but I don't wanna go out to check. Oh yeah, and the little blue Fiddleheads, blue Fiddleheads and red rocks and yellow sun and blue sky and very few white clouds. Looks pretty verdent overall.

Wait, we have a note from yesterday at Hubbell Trading Post. Of course I had to ask about the Hubble Space Telescope and of course they have a page there all about it. It turns out that the Hubbles/Hubbells ARE related. Meanwhile, here's Maureen's note about Hubbell:

MAUREEN: The guide said that there were too many water-guzzling trees in the arroyo out there by the Hubbell Trading Post. So they did an experiment, they ripped some of the big monsters out, and y'know there's water back there again. So they're hoping with the removal of the rest of them, that the riparian habitat will come back.

And they say a pool may reappear there in 20-25 years. And I said, "We'll be back." (Maureen laughs.)

MUSIC: A few days ago we were listening to a Spanish station, maybe it was the college station out of Silver City or Roswell or something, and there's a nice bass cojunto, a little off-beat, traditional sounding, and then I realized it's WOOLY BULLY! And yesterday we were driving that rough road here into Chaco and listening to a rock station out of Gallup - The Core, KKOR - the first good new rock music we've heard in a long time. There's Jamaican dub remake of ANGEL IN THE MORNING. And lots of other interesting music. Strange that ya have to go out to Gallup to hear the good music. And what was that plaintive ballad? YOU REALLY SUCK. Or something.

I sleep in the cabover of the RV, and the travel guitar and the mandolin in their gig bags are stuffed up at the edge of the bed, I haven't played them yet on this trip. Haven't puled out the Indian flute from the gig bag to play pentatonic melodies. I've whistled a little bit, and hummed, but that's about it.

Now it's MID-AFTERNOON, late afternoon, the sun's getting lower, shadows getting longer. Down the road there's a busload of probaly junior-high, middle-school-age kids from Ouray Colorado, down here for a field trip, at least yesterday. And a few minutes ago, here come four of'em down the roadway in the campground with a couple big boxes. And they're singing and shouting, "Free oranges! Free apples!" Something about granola bars too. Anyway, Maureen went out to try to hit them up for some.

TIRED: I'm *almost* rested up enough to do something. I've been driving every day. I think our last stopover without driving was back at Baca Campsight outside Lincoln - been a long time. I'm getting weary. Shouldn't drive every day. No no.

And now Maureen comes back with a handful of booty, compliments of the Ouray school district taxpayers. For those who don't know, Ouray is WAY up in the Rocky mountains, high above Durango Colorado, over couple of 10,000-foot passes.

NIGHT: Another deadly brilliant night under ancient Anasazi moon and stars surrounded by culture so vast we can hardly encompass it. Great Houses spread all over the SouthWest, connected by direct lines marking the movements of spirits, people, thoughts, goods, time. Just before sunset we climbed the nearest mesa and looked down over all below. Rocks the color and texture and feel of Navaho sand paintings with slashes of color from wildflowers, cacti, birds.

Coming back down, heading toward the trailer, we talked to the folks in the next campsite, Valerie and George, now from Florida. They're tied to schoolwork now but are taking a long drive around the US. George had worked at Window Rock years ago. His daughter had fallen in love with Costa Rica, they're going and buying a place there. At about the same we were in Amalfi, THEY were around Amalfi - Sorrento. And the night crept on and we crept back inside.

Just a few minutes ago we crept out again under the quarter-moon and all those stars. the mesas on either sides are shadowy shapes but hidden within them are ancient apartments, homesteads, villages, cities, churches. George said that when he first came out here he asked a Navaho friend about Chaco and he said, "Oh, it's a bunch of old buildings." He got here and saw Casa Bonita and wanted to kill his history teacher for not teaching him about this stuff.

Many more visitors here now than 10, 20 years ago. The roads, although horrible, are better. The campsites, although spare, are better. Of course right now we're leading up to the Memorial Day weekend so it's getting crowded and will be more so. Maybe the word is out? We're glad we're seeing Chaco at this point in time. We'll be here a few more days, just barely enough to touch the surface.

Day 60: Chaco Canyon
(Friday 28 May 2004)

FRIDAY NIGHT, Chaco: Yesterday was mostly resting-up. This morning we got up fairly early and climbed up to the top of the nearest mesa and went stomping along the Overlook Trail. Grand views of the valley, Chaco Canyon I should say, its buttes and mesas. We were BAA-AAD, we wandered off the trail, explored the region of sandstone rimrock - LOTS of flowers, all the ones I detailed in previous reports here. And apparently a few people have been out arranging rocks, finding colorful things and setting then on top of a sandstone platform or small rise. Instant altars.

We crawled back down, didn't break anything, rested, went out to Casa Bonita for the 2:00 tour. This is the largest Great House that's been excavated and it was excavated very poorly but they were pioneering archaeologists back then in the oughts and teens and twenties, didn't know about sifting the debris for artifacts and evidence. So tons of sand containing such evidence was just dumped in the wash, where it washed away. Sigh.

Casa Bonita is stupendous, what's left of it. A large chunk of cliff fell on the tallest part of it in 1941. What's left is still pretty splendid. There are larger Great Houses here in Chaco and these others have not been excavated and may not be for quite a while, if the archaeologists have their way. Good idea.

It was hot stomping around there in mid-afternoon. We'll get out early tomorrow to look at the other Great Houses before it gets warm. Anyway after dinner tonight we went back to the Visitor Center for the slide show where we saw the history of the discovery of Chaco and, oh the old pictures were wonderful. Astronomical volunteers had big telescopes out and we looked at Jupiter and its moons, didn't see much else because it is cloudy tonight.

There'll be another sky-show, slide show on astroarchaeology, archaeoastronomy? tomorrow night, We''ll attend that and hopefully learn more about the alignment of the Great Houses here and probably look at the sky again and see something more than just Jupiter. As it is we have a quarter of a moon and clouds - we can see planets and a few brighter stars, otherwise we're in a moonlit nightscape, which is glorious. The wind isn't too cold, the campground is quieting down - getting full though, holiday weekend is upon us.

VALERIE SAYS, check out Caladesi Island in Florida - around where? Near Clearwater. North of Clearwater. Thank you.

Day 61: Chaco Canyon
(Saturday 29 May 2004)

Chaco Canyon, Gallo Campground. Got up early today, drove out to all the self-guided tours. pueblo after pueblo, kiva after kiva, petroglyphs. All stupendous.

On our trip here - well, we were tired coming in, so the first day was resting, orientation. The second day was basic tours, well and walking up to the top of the cliffs and doing the heat-of-the-day Casa Bonita tour. Today was, walking everything within reach. If we were still here tomorrow we'd take some of the further trails. But we're NOT here tomorrow, we're gone. Next stop, Monument Valley.

This afternoon I talked with Valerie and George a bit (mumble). George has a big telescope but he didn't bring it with him, shipped it out to his brother in Idaho to use it here, shipping cost him a fortune. They recommended that beach on Caladesi Island. I asked, "What's GREAT about living in Florida?" They said well, that beach. And their investment in friends and job and family. And a sailboat. And the opportunity to get away and get out to places like this. They said that after a while ya get used to the humidity. OK.

We shared Hale-Bopp memories, ours in the hills above Sonoma State University with the miles-long silent roadside party going on. His with his daughter, driving outside Carlsbad Caverns - didn't even know that there'd be a comet and eclipse that night and WHOOSH! there they were!

This evening we went for the slide show on astroarchaeology - rained out, unfortunately. So we got an indoor stifling-room tour of The Great Ruins Of The Southwest, a little bit on the stars - and learned about The Sucker Hole, which is that hole in the clouds where you think you can aim your telescope and see something for a little while but not too long. Came back, sat out on the camp table looking up at the stars and the clouds and the moon.

Earlier, just before the slide show, we took a sunset drive around the canyon loop. All the colors so rich, so saturated in the dusk. Yes this IS one of the wonderful places. No, DON'T all of you come. Please, stay away. Hey, it's a LONG bumpy road to get here, you won't like it. Go somewhere else. Go to DisneyLand. Have fun.

Day 62: Chaco to Monument Valley
(Sunday 30 May 2004)

MORNING, Nageezi New Mexico. We left early from Chaco Canyon this morning, bidding a fond farewell to our restful camp there. Filled up with water and hit the road out, going northeast. It is WORSE than the road on the south. Most of the traffic goes in'n'out this way; the road is wide, graded and wretched. Washboarded like crazy. A long slow grind through VERY unprepossessing country, just flat sandy washes and low scrub. About the time we hit ya hit asphalt 20 miles later yer in juniper-piñon terrain again and it's SUCH a relief. Then ya hit the highway and it's SMOOOOTH! Oh, could such a thing be real? The ya come over a rise and up north are the San Juan Mountains with SNOW on them! Could there actually be snow?

A note for the trip driving south in the old Ford Explorer, Bisbee to Guatemala: make sure we have nice sturdy shocks on the vehicle. We'll need'em. This RV could probably use new shocks but I think we're getting ready to trade it in.

Rolling out we tuned into that same good station in Gallup, KKOR (what's their frequency? 94.5 FM) and they're playing a tender love ballad, YOU'RE MAKING ME ILL. And various other dance music.

On the way out we passed some stone hogans and scrapwood tipis. There's signs up on the Chaco road and even out here on the highway, pointing towards the Chaco Navajo Church - REVIVAL! REVIVAL! GOD'S MIGHTY WARRIORS MISSION! I could use some revival right now too. A good cup of real coffee would help. Ah well.

Approaching Angel Peak Recreation Area, passing Blanco Trading Post which is closed. The countryside is become mostly sagebrush, a few little junipers here'n'there. The roadway's lined with bright yellow blossoms of what looks like wild tobacco. Durn, too bad that trading post was closed, I coulda used more Injun stuff. And restrooms.

Correction, this isn't Angel Peak, this is Huerfano Mountain, surrounded by oil-pumping, gas-pumping facilities, covered with antennas and supporting a Navaho school and health center. Past this extended butte, there's more oil pumps, tanks, more energy infrastructure. Farmington is a major oil and gas center. Refineries. Plus a lot of coal is dug nearby, and burnt. The air is hazy with particulates and vapors. Almost like a mild day in Los Angeles, with sagebrush.

NOONISH, Farmington NM. As we rolled down towards Bloomfield on the San Juan River the countryside got greener. Then we cut west to Farmington across the Animas River which is big and roiling and muddy. We did too much business here in Farmington. Maureen just saw a sign: WILDLIFE FOR RENT - BOBCATS, DEER AND SNAKES. And three other species she couldn't read because we were driving by too fast. I guess this fills a crying need here in Farmington. Oilville. Kuwait West.

Farmington looks like a busy city, low and spread out like a rough amoeba, scraggly along the outer edges and the old business streets and the old downtown. A little pattern we notice around Farmington. In a couple of spots there's a major porno shop with a big sign, XXX-ADULT et cetera. Right next to it is a billboard bought by the Catholic Church, a picture of Jesus, says, "JESUS IS WATCHING YOU!" Yep, saw that at two ends of town. So it's a Strategy.

As we run west we see ahead of us the Hogback, a geological formation whose shape is suggested by the name, And Shiprock, ditto. And in between, the huge Four Corners Power Plant which burns coal and spews particulates into the atmosphere. That's why the air is so unclear here. ACCKK!!

Just outside the Navajo Reservation we pass through Kirtland, a very scattered desert town, about half of whose businesses appear to be pawn shops. Including places to pawn your tractors and pickups.

SHIPROCK: We stopped east of Shiprock the village for a short nap, then continue on past and north of Shiprock the rock. The land out here is about the bleakest we've seen yet, really dry sandy scrub with just low clumps of grass and some [few] trees and shrubs and not much else at all.

The air is not conducive to taking pictures of rock formations. I think Guatemala City would be preferable to Shiprock. I mean the air's better there. And if you refer back to my earlier notes about Guatemala City you know that I don't care much for the air there. I'm trying to think of what this is reminiscent of, the closest I can come to is the area around Kramer Junction outside of Barstow on a bad smog day. Stinkin' desert, fer sure.

Ahead on the left, the Carrizo Mountains are a dark blue reef jutting into the sky. And off to the right, the north, Sleeping Ute Mountain is another jagged blue form. A few white puffs of cloud up there to the north, trying to struggle through the muddy sky.

We cross a great wide eroded scar in the land, Red Wash, even worse than what's above it. Beyond that, eroded sandstone slickrock, the Beclahbeto / Beclabito / Biklabito Dome. Looks like a great place to go skateboarding. All ya have to do is dodge the junipers that have sprouted in the cracks.

TEEC NOS POS: Just a few miles more to the Arizona state line and no, we're NOT going up to the Four Corners monument. And then on to Teec Nos Pos (Teese-NOSE-Poss, famous for rugs) which I imagine will be as unassuming as Klagetoh. I suspect that all the great rug centers - Klagetoh, Teec Nos Pos, Two Grey Hills, Crystal Springs - all look just as unappealing. Nothing to do around there but weave rugs.

OK I'm corrected, there's a little more to Teec Nos Pos than there is to Klagetoh. But not much. Mostly because there's the highway to the Four Corners there. But once we whip around the end of the Carrizo Mountains, the landscape doesn't improve any. Much. There's small black sage and eroded arroyos and this constant head wind we've been fighting all day. I think ya could set up a sailcar in Page or Kayenta and blow all the way to the Rockies without expending a drop of gas.

Along about Mexican Water we just can't take the dreary road to Kayenta any more so we head north, heading towards Utah for some fun, see if it's true what they say 'bout them Mormon girls. Anyway we'll swing around past Bluff and down through Mexican Hat and approach Monument Valley from that direction, the north.

Now the countryside is a bit more sculpted, still what's by the road is REAL fine red sand, just the kind of stuff you want to inhale and digest. Maureen says I've been complaining all day about what crappy country we've been going through. I ask if I've been wrong? She says no. (Maureen laughs.) Maybe I wouldn't this so much if the air was cleaner, if those distant blue mountains were clearer. Yeah and if the temperature was a bit milder, both Hell and Texas would be nice places.

JIMSONWEED: We've been in Utah for almost 20 miles now, ain't seen no Mormon girls yet. Where the hell are they? But there ARE a lot of big bunches of Toloache (TOE-low-ah-CHAY), Jimsonweed, by the side of the road. Those great white trumpet flowers weaving against their foul-smelling bushy dark foliage. And the cliffs are getting higher, edges of mesas running up against the road. It's no wonder that the next town along the line is called Bluff. All these bluffs and cliff faces have been carved by the San Juan River which we will soon cross.

And here's the San Juan, deep in its channel with lush greenery within at least five feet of the water, maybe even ten feet in places. The river is wide and muddy. People are playing in and around it. Then we climb back up to the usual stinging desert.

Westering towards Mexican Hat, we find ourselves atop Lime Ridge, another great sandstone swell - miles of slickrock with a little vegetation in the cracks and crevices, but lots of bare stone for mountain bikers to drool about. Did I mention that this sandstone is bright red? Well it is.

Across Lime Creek the map shows to the north, a region called The Valley Of The Gods. I suspect that it's a minor version of Monument Valley. And beyond that, a steep cliff face which is ascended by a narrow twisting mass of switchbacks called the Moki-Dugway. We drove up that about ten years ago in the last RV, barely made it to the top. It's a rough dirt road that goes to The Valley Of The Gods and a good graded gravel road that climbs the plateau, but I think I've had my quotient of dirt for the week. So we're staying on pavement, Monument Valley is dead ahead of us, we can see the spires rising blue in the murky sky.

TUMBLEWEEDS: Among the vegetation in the last hundred or so miles, roadside vegetation I forgot to mention, is the occasional Russian Thistle, which when it dries up and blows away is referred to as Tumbleweed. I've seen some live one, very little tumbling tumbleweeds, probably because the winds are so strong, they've already all been blown away.

Scraps of cloth hang in the barbed-wire fences by the road, flapping in the breeze like ragged banners, bleached white flags of the losers surrendering to nature.

And into the valley of monuments...

TUMBLING TUMBLEWEEDS

I... keep rolling along
Deep... in my heart is a song
Here... on the range is where I belong
Drifting along with the tumbling tumbleweeds