Up to now we have been marveling over the natural beauty of the parks in Arizona and Southern Utah. Next on the list are several sites that have to do with the original people that inhabited this area and who are the ancestors of the indigenous tribes that were here when the first European settlers arrived. We had heard a lot about Mesa Verde and the collection of cliff dwellings there, but as we were traveling through Utah, we began to learn about some other National Monuments that were also preserving remnants of the indigenous culture. These are Canyon of the Ancients, Hovenweep, and Bears Ears National Monuments.
There are antiquities spread all over SE Utah, SW Colorado, and New Mexico, which were originally inhabited by the pueblo culture sometimes known as the Anasazi (a Navaho word for "ancient foreigner), but now described more accurately as the Ancestral Pueblo People. They arrived here from the west, replacing the original hunter gatherers who left as the climate changed and their way of life required moving to a new location. The Ancestral Pueblo People inhabited this area from 4-500 AD until 1300 AD. The original people lived in Pit Houses dug into the ground and covered with wood and adobe walls and roofs, designed to help them tolerate the climate. As the culture continued they developed more sophisticated communities with pueblos built of stone and adobe, with multiple levels and many round Kivas or ceremonial spaces. The later people developed the elaborate cliff dwellings seen in Mesa Verde, Canyon De Chelley, and Chaco Canyon. It is unclear why this evolution occurred, maybe cultural or defensive, and also why they left them to move south down to the Rio Grande area, possibly related to climate change, or conflict. They are considered the ancestors of the Navaho, Hopi, and Zuni people who inhabit the area today.
We were interested to see as much as we could, although many places were limited or closed due to the covid pandemic. We drove down from Canyonlands, heading towards Canyon of the Ancients not really knowing what to expect. We found the Visitor's Center closed, but they had kindly left info about the monument out for people to collect. We spent the day seeing the Lowry Pueblo and the sites at the Painted Hand Pueblo. It seems that there are many sites in the area and at Bears Ears that are being protected, but have not been excavated or fully archeologically explored. The sites at Lowry and Painted Hand have been restored a bit and some attempts at preservation have been done. It was a joy to see them and imagine what life must have been like for the people who lived there.
We had also heard about Hovenweep National Monument, one that I had never heard of before this trip. Even though we were not aware of it, it has been around awhile, established in the 1920's. We knew there was a campground there, and we found it to be very nice with plenty of spaces available. The monument itself is around a canyon with many dwellings and towers built on the rim and canyon walls. They were constructed round 1200 AD and are considered to be some of the finest examples of pueblo construction. Hovenweep is a Ute/Paiute word for "deserted valley", and accurately describes this place. Walking around the rim now is very peaceful and quiet, but one can imagine the voices of the people living and working and the children playing when it was inhabited.
We were off to Mesa Verde the next day with a lot of anticipation. We found the campground closed and the ranger led visits to the cliff dwellings as well as the road to Wetherill Mesa and the Longhouse and Stephouse where all shut down due to the covid pandemic. We were able to find a boondocking spot on BLM land for a free camping site so that worked out really well. We also were able to get to Chapin Mesa which has a lot of the cliff dwelling sites as well as mesa top pueblos which are available to view.
The mesa top sites are scattered around and are built over ancestral sites, so it is possible to see evidence of much earlier dwellings at the same locations as the later pueblos. Several of these sites and the cliff sites have been excavated, archeologically investigated and restored and the process is ongoing even to this day. It seems as the culture evolved the population moved from the mesa tops to the cliffs. Most of the cliff sites were built where there are natural water sources from weeps in the cliffs or springs, and are relatively inaccessible without intimate local knowledge. They seem easily defensible, leading to the conjecture that they were built because of hostility with other groups. Then they were all abandoned abruptly, and the population moved further south to the Rio Grande area. Again, conjecture leads one to assume hostility or environmental reasons for the move, but no one knows for sure. One thing for sure is that they left us a grand site to see, with intricate architecture and design. Even though we didn't get to physically visit the sites, it was a pleasure to see them from afar and imagine the people making a life for themselves in this harsh environment.
We headed back east to North Carolina to check the property without the leaves on the trees and walk it with the designer. We were excited by the potential and have decided to move forward with a home design and will see where it all goes. We did a little hiking and had a nice Thanksgiving steak dinner by the fire in the campground.
Somewhat reluctantly we headed home after one of our best adventures. For anybody who's stumbled onto this blog and is interested in a similar trip, I would heartily recommend it. I had a senior pass which is highly useful as it gets you into the parks at no charge and half price at the campgrounds. If you are not over 65 you can get an annual pass which will still save a bundle. Doing the trip in the fall was great, and we had wonderful weather. We found some parks crowded (Zion was the worst) and some relatively empty, although this year may have been atypical due to the crowds trying to get outside and enjoy safe activity. Remember that this is high desert and the elevation makes things cooler that you might expect. Our routine was to spend several days camping and then hit a motel. The longest we spent between motels was about 10 days, but it was usually more like 5 days. Camping on BLM land was new for me, but is very common out west. It's free, but with no amenities. We enjoyed it very much. There are apps available (campendium is one) that can help find suitable sites. Most of these areas have been camped in over and over so there are sites already there. The Forest Service and BLM asks that when you use this land that you try to use existing sites and pack out all trash, i.e."leave no trace". Look for more pictures in the gallery.

Our plan was to get into the campground at Arches, but we found it full and the park was crowded, so we bailed and found a boondocking spot north of the park and near Canyonlands.
Both of these parks are close to each other and Moab, UT and great little town based on tourism and outdoor activity. If you like doing things outside, they have it here. It is a center for hiking, biking, climbing, rafting, and generally connecting with nature. Canyonlands is separated into three sections and the most visited is called Islands in the Sky. It is formed by the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers, which are also responsible for the wonderful canyons here. We spent several days hiking the trails in the area, and looking at the amazing vistas overlooking the canyons. The perspective is from above, as this section is on the rim of the canyons and looking down into them. We climbed several buttes and visited several historical sites of the original people to live here. Many left their art work on the canyon walls.
We took a ride down the Shaffer Trail, originally a trail used to move livestock from summer grazing areas on the canyon rim down into the valley. In the late 50's and early 60's, it was expanded to a roadway when Uranium mining was going on. Now it is used only for tourist travel and sightseeing. We checked it out and it seemed in good shape and spoke to a ranger who also said it was in good shape. We thought the truck would be up to it so off we went. It is a dramatic route down the canyon wall in a single lane dirt road with 1500 foot drops off the precipice requiring careful attention. The views are incredible. Once down in the canyon floor, we traveled along the Colorado River with the road becoming very rough in spots. Eventually, we made it back to a paved road and then onto Moab.
The camping spot we were in north of town was a typical dispersed camping spot with desert environment and a few juniper trees. On our third night we were expecting a cold front with a breeze and possibly some rain and snow. What we got was rain with 30 mph winds and gusts to 50 mph. Our tent wasn't up to the winds and collapsed with one of the supports bending. This, despite my attempts to stabilize it with lines to the trees around us. We pulled our sleeping bags into the truck and spent a restless but dry and comfortable night in the truck. We had planned the next couple of nights at a motel in town and this just made it more welcome.
We were able to get an early start and grab a spot at the campground in Arches National Park and spent three days hiking to the arches and seeing the sites. The geology of the place is fascinating. The uplift that occurred millions of years ago caused parallel rifts to form in the sandstone which then eroded forming what are known as fins, which then with further erosion form arches. If you like them, this is the place. They come in all shapes and sizes and are all beautiful.
We hiked to the most famous one, Delicate Arch, and the largest, Landscape Arch,and many more. Lots of photos in the gallery.
We were then off to the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park. It is south of Moab and the drive into the park is though a collection of mesas and buttes standing straight up from the canyon floor. The perspective from this area of the park is from the floor looking up. The needles are sandstone spires formed during the uplift by rifts in the sandstone and then gradual erosion over the years. The result is an amazing variety of sandstone natural sculptures. We wandered among them on several hikes, taking us through several slot canyons and caves, and walking across the slickrock on trails marked with cairnes. The campground here was not so busy, so we enjoyed a spot there for several nights.
We continue to be amazed by the parks and their natural beauty. Each one is a bit different and even though we have had a lot of time to spend, we would have liked more. There will be plenty more for us to see in the future. Next we are off to Canyon of the Ancients, Hovenweep and Mesa Verde.

We had gotten a lead on a dispersed camping (also known as Boondocking) site in the Escalante at a place called Devil’s Garden. It is down Hole in the Rock Road just outside of the town of Escalante. Hole in the rock is a trail originally established by Mormon settlers as a way to get their wagons through this area. They had to blast a path through the buttes blocking their way, hence hole in the rock. Now it is a 50 mile, gravel, teeth rattling, bone jarring road to nowhere on BLM land.
The national monument is named for the stairsteps of various geologic layers that are crossed when traversing the land. As you progress north from the Grand Canyon, you move up the layers and pass by cliffs of different colors you are gaining elevation in the geologic layers. The bottom of the canyons in the Escalante/ Capital Reef area are the top layers down at the Grand Canyon. All this is because of geologic uplift and then erosion over millions of years.
We traveled 20 miles down the road to Devil’s Garden and found a delightful place to set up camp. Our main interest in visiting Escalante was to explore several of the many slot canyons in the area. Devil’s Garden is also worthwhile exploring, as it is a collection of whimsical sandstone rocks and buttes, carved by nature in a Daliesque fashion.
We set up our site and after a good night’s sleep, we headed another 15 miles down the road to explore Peek-a-boo and Spooky slot canyons. Ironically it was Halloween (10-31) that day for Spooky slot. After parking we walked a couple of miles into the desert along the trail to Spooky Gulch and down into the wash and then found the entrance to the canyon. It require a bit of a climb to get up into the slot but we prevailed and in we went.
These canyons are formed by erosion and running water from the monsoonal storms which occur on occasion in the summer. It is also very important not to go into one when there is any rain forecasted in the area due to rapid flash flooding that occurs. Once in the canyons, there is no easy way out. They are extremely narrow and require some contortion to maneuver through, but are very beautiful. We went through Peek-a-boo and then Spooky (named because it’s so narrow that it’s fairly dark inside). Honestly, if I hadn’t known people had been through before, I would have turned back. At one point I had to get on hands and knees to get through. It’s narrow enough that you are squeezing through sideways with both front and back scrapping the rocky sides of the canyon. We also went though Dry Fork Canyon, another beautiful slot, but wider and much easier to traverse.
The next day we went to see Zebra and Tunnel slots. Zebra, named for the striations of different colored rock in the walls, was filled with water, and we didn’t make it to the end, because the water was very cold and began to get deeper as we progressed inward. Another interesting fact regarding Zebra slot is the Moqui marble inclusions that are there. These are sandstone balls 1-3 inches in diameter and are surrounded by Hemetite, an iron oxide. You can see them imbedded in the walls of the canyon and when we were hiking over the slickrock to tunnel slot, we found literally thousands of them laying all over the ground. We did get into Tunnel slot, but were blocked by water once again.
After another night at Devil’s Garden we headed up Utah highway 12 toward the Capital Reef National Park. This has to be one of the most scenic drives in the country. We passed up from the desert environment through all levels to alpine as we crossed the ridge at around 9600 feet in elevation. Then the road leads down and to the Capital Reef National Park.
This park is named for the 100 mile long formation known as the Waterpocket Fold, a mountainous ridge of buttes and mesa’s, which were a huge impediment to westward migration. The Morman settlers passing this way called it a reef in reference to the coral barrier reefs in the sea and it was named Capital for a Navaho sandstone butte that reminded them of the national capital in Washington. We settled into the campground in the park at a place called Fruita. It is an original Morman settlement and has many orchards in the area, including, apples, peaches, plums and pears. Apparently in season, you can pick fruit to eat and buy pies made from the orchard’s bounty. Unfortunately, we were a bit late for that.
We explored the park and magnificent buttes and canyons in the area. The Capitol Gorge was one of the only passes though the reef for many years and still had petroglyphs and inscriptions from those that passed by. The Fremont River goes though the reef has been a traditional passageway with attendant petroglyphs left for posterity by the original people, and the road (Hwy 12) was built through that gorge and is now the main thoroughfare.
We loved this place, but now we’re off to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. More pictures will be found in the gallery.

We left Zion mid morning with the temps in the 50’s, heading to the high 79’s. It had been even in the 80’s a day or two before. On the way to Bryce Canyon we saw some dark clouds to the north, and a front had been forecast to affect the northern half of the state so we didn’t think much about it.
We made it to Bryce and got settled into the South Campground in the park. We set up our camp and went to the visitor’s center to check it out. The wind really started blowing and the temps plummeted. As we went to the trail at the rim of the canyon, it started snowing to beat the band. We retreated to the car and tried to get a handle on what the weather was going to do. The consensus was for cold weather coming after the snow stopped. We decided to hunker down and put on all our clothes and snuggled into our sleeping bags. It got really cold, down to 5 degrees F, and we didn’t get a lot of sleep. The next morning, I got a roaring fire going and got some coffee made, hoping the temps were on the way up, but no such luck. The new forecast was for cold to continue for a couple of days, so we found a motel room and spent a couple of luxurious nights staying warm. We were able to leave our camp set up, although we did have to move because the pipes froze in the bathroom for the area we were in.
Despite the cold we were able to do some good hiking and driving to sites in the park. The park is noted for rock formations called Hoodoos. They are the result of freeze/thaw cycles and erosion working on the sandstone and limestone layers, forming remarkably beautiful natural works of art. The altitude and environment here is perfect for daytime thawing and nighttime freezing, which is necessary for the process of erosion to occur that forms the hoodoos. The shapes and the multicolored rock in combination with the magic of the sun moving across the sky results in an ever changing panorama of beauty.
This was a sacred place for the indigenous people who lived here. The Northern Paiute tribe lived here and the place was also visited by the Navaho, Zuni, Hopi and other tribes. The Paiute oral tradition describes these formations as the original people who were converted to stone by the coyote god Sinawava, because of their misdeeds. They pronounce the name Hoodoo as Oodoo and it means “something scary” in their language.
Bryce is really not a canyon, but a cliff of eroding sandstone which forms what is called and amphitheater full of hoodoos. There are several trails leading down into the amphitheater, and the perspective of the hoodoos really changes as you go down beneath them. There are bristlecone pines that are around 1400 years old in the most improbable places, and many huge Ponderosa Pines, some which are over 700 years old, scattered around in between the rock formations. The multicolored layers of stone are evident as you walk down and then you can see the result of continued erosion in the piles of rock rubble at the end of each ledge or finger of the cliff wall.
Some of the formations are named, but most are not, we were told, because they are constantly changing and don’t last forever. Walking amongst them evokes a spiritual sense that must have been felt by the Paiutes, suggesting that their ancestor’s spirits inhabited the place. The trails follow several slot canyons along the way with a steep ascent up out of the canyon.
We also got up one morning to watch the sunrise illuminate the amphitheater as it climbed over the rim, a magical experience. We’ve really enjoyed Bryce, but now we are off to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and The Capitol Reef National Park. Check out the gallery for more pictures.

We headed out from the Grand Canyon and had to head south back to Flagstaff due to a road closure and then up to Zion. We came in from the east side on highway 9, the Zion Mt Carmel highway, which goes through the park. It has to be one of the most scenic stretches of road in the country. It exits the park into the town of Springdale, a touristy place, full of motels, eateries and shops. We stopped at the park visitor's center and found the place swamped, no place to park, and people milling about all over the place. They have instituted a system of online tickets for the shuttle busses that go into Zion Canyon. These need to be purchased ahead of time and you get assigned a 1 hour time window to get on the bus. We got some for mid day for two days in a row.
The campgrounds in the park were all full, so we headed through town and down the road a ways to the Kolob Terrace Road, which leads through some BLM land and we found a good site to pitch our tent and set up camp. The next day we were up and into the park before daylight to get a parking place and did a hike on the Watchman Trail in the morning and then got on the shuttle to go into the canyon at noon. We rode up to the north end of the canyon and to the Temple of Sinawava, sacred ground for the original indigenous people here. When riding up the canyon, it becomes evident that everything is vertical here. The canyon walls are straight up and very dramatic. The road runs along the river that formed the canyon, and at the end a walk runs along the river up to the Narrows, where the canyon becomes only several yards wide. The big two things to do here are to walk up the narrows and walk to Angel's landing, When we reached the narrows, the place was infested with hipsters all doing the Narrows thing, all decked out in the waterboots and drysuits. It was like a herd of cattle all headed up the stream, just to check that item off their list. Another complication was the fact that the river, has a toxic algae growing in it that produces a neurotoxin that can be fatal if ingested. All of this caused us to take a pass on the Narrows thing. We hopped on a shuttle and went to the Emerald pools trails and had a nice walk there.
The next day, we were back early again for a walk on the Pa'rus Trail, and then back on the shuttle at noon for a ride up the canyon to the Angel's Landing Trail. This is an iconic walk up the wall of the canyon, culminating in a scramble out a narrow ridge with chain handholds to a lofty perch with grand views of the canyon. There were more than a few people who elected not to risk the climb with the attendant 1000 foot drop-offs, but plenty did make the trek. Apparently people do fall off here but usually due to stupidity.
We were fortunate to score a backcountry permit to hike into the Kolob Canyon, in the less visited northern part of the park. Our plan was to walk down the La Verkin Creek Trail 6 or 7 miles to our assigned campsite #10, and also visit the Kolob Arch while there. We had a great walk in and very nice weather. The fall colors were in force and added to the beauty of the canyon walls. We spent a good night serenaded by the rivers song and the next day got an early start to do the 1000 foot climb out of the canyon. We were up and out before 1 PM and rewarded ourselves with a couple of nights in the Zion Park Motel in Springdale.
We did a few more hikes over the next couple of days. One to Observation Point for spectacular views of the canyon, Canyon Overlook Trail for another great view of the canyon, and one to the Northgate Peaks off the Kolob Terrace Road. This is a truly spectacular place, but has been incredibly crowded. It seems a lot of people are here running around to check off doing sites on their bucket list or on some Trip Advisor list. Be sure to visit this place, but also be sure to allow enough time to appreciate the spectacular scenery and natural history of the place. Most of all spend some time in reverence of the sacred ground of the original people of this place. The most that can be gained is from quiet contemplation here and not running from place to place taking selfies on a phone.
We are next off to Bryce Canyon and more adventures. Look for more pictures in the gallery.

After spending one more morning in the Petrified Forest, we headed west on I40 past Flagstaff and up to the Grand Canyon. Since we always do things more or less last minute we were unsuccessful in getting any reservations to say in the park campgrounds, so we decided to try "Boondocking". It's camping on National Forest or BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land, of which there is a lot in the west. There are no services (water or facilities), but the price is right as it's free. All that is asked is that you use previously used sites and treat the land with respect. We pulled into fire road 688 in the Kiabab National Forest just south of the canyon and found a good spot and set up the tent and settled in for a few days.
The next morning, we went into the park and to the visitor center, which was closed due to the pandemic, but had set up visitor info outside and set about exploring this incredible place. The canyon was formed by the Colorado River passing over an old seabed which through geologic uplift has attained an elevation of over 7,000 feet. The river, over the millennia has cut though all the layers, creating a wonderous site. We walked the Rim Trail all the way from Mather Point to Maricopa Point, marveling at the indescribable beauty of the place. We had heard all the superlatives and seen pictures, but this is one of those places that you have to see to appreciate completely. I think it is the immensity of the place, that can't be described or photographed. It's a constantly changing color palate that varies with the time of day and location as the sun passes overhead. You just need to sit and take the view for a time to even begin to comprehend its magnitude of the place. We came back a second day and walked the trail from Maricopa Point to the end at Hermits Rest and became completely enthralled with the place. Getting around is made easy by free shuttle buses that run along the Rim Trail every 15-20 minutes.
One of the things we wanted to do here was walk down into the canyon and spend a night or two by the river at the Bright Angel Campground next to Phantom Ranch. Camping overnight in the canyon requires a back country permit. When we first thought of coming out I had tried to get one but none were available. I had heard that sometimes limited walk up permits were issued if they become available and so I gave it a try and we lucked into a three day permit to walk down the South Kiabab Trail to the Bright Angel Campground for a night and then up to Indian Garden Campground on the Bright Angel Trail and then hiking back up to the rim the next day.
We caught the 6 AM shuttle to the South Kiabab Trailhead and started our descent down into the canyon as the sun was rising. As the sun began to light up the canyon walls we saw an example of nature's magnificence. We had a 7.5 mile walk down into the canyon to get to the river and the campground. Molly and I do a lot of hiking, but we have not carried backpacks in a long time and so this was a real test of endurance for us. The rough trail followed a lot of exposed ridges and ledges and the wind was fierce, sometimes almost knocking us off our feet. Around every turn though, was a grand site as the sun did its magic on the colored rock layers.
We reached the bottom and the campsite at about 1 PM and set up camp by Bright Angel Creek and took a rest. I think both of us were totally spent and couldn't have gone any further. I walked over to the Phantom Ranch and got a couple of lemonades and nut bars to rejuvenate us. The Phantom Ranch is a rustic lodge, serving customers who ride down on mule trains from the rim. Reservations must be booked far ahead. They do however have a small snack bar available to everyone.
That night after an early dinner we slept like the dead. It was surprisingly warn in the canyon at night even though we had seen temps in the 30's at night on top. During the day, however, it rose into the 80's and we had to be really careful about dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
The next morning we were up early and on the trail at 7 AM for the long climb up the Bright Angel Trail to the Indian Garden Campground about halfway up. We got there at around 11 Am and set up camp and hung out watching all the mule deer that inhabit the place. They are all used to people being around and are very tame, actually wandering through the campground.
The next day we were up early again for the walk up to the rim. We were on the trail at 6:30 and got another round of sunrise over the canyon. We were anxious to get up and out before it got too hot. The rangers had told us a lot of stories of people being hauled out dehydrated and sick, and despite all their warnings and signs, we saw quite a few day hikers coming down with no water or supplies.
As we climbed up we saw a bighorn sheep along the trail seeming to smile for all the cameras. After much exertion, we hit the rim at around 10:30 AM, happy to be back up and out, but so thankful for such a rewarding experience. It was a total climb of over 2,000 feet from the bottom. We rewarded ourselves with a night at the Bright Angel Lodge and the luxury of soft beds.
We plan to head back out to the forest to camp a couple of more days and then we're off to Zion. Many more pictures will be found in the gallery.