We were lucky enough to have the campground owner offer to lead us on
a tour of the area! Our Wagonmaster is the best! He gives you more than money can buy!
Our first stop was Sand Island, along the San Juan River to see the Petroglyphs. The rock art found at this panel spans virtually all of the time that humans were known to inhabit the four corners area. Carbon dating of a sandal found in the general area of Sand Island Panel showed that the area was likely occupied as early as 6,500 BC and there are petroglyphs that are possibly that old on the panel.
From that prehistoric time until recent times the Sand Island Petroglyph Panel was marked by every succeeding group. From the early Basketmaker period through the Pueblo III period Anasazi Indians left record of their habitation of the area. In more recent times the Utes and Navajo also left records in this spot that clearly had a special meaning to them.
The petroglyph panel is very easy to find. It is on the north side of the site and both signs and the fencing protecting the panel make it obvious where to look. There is a very short walk up the hill to the protective fence that keeps visitors well back from the rock wall. It's unfortunately that people don't properly respect these archaeological treasures. Because of the actions of the few we all have to be restricted. Some peoples actions can be seen among the petroglyphs.
The panel stretches for more than a hundred yards and features hundreds of petroglyphs of every style. Human figures, many types of animals, geometric patterns, scalp figures and numerous Kokopelli figures, including a very obvious Kokopelli with a very over sized phallus and playing a flute.
Our next stop was the Valley of the Gods, it is a “mini”
Monument Valley. It takes you on a 17 mile gravel road loop. Back in the 1960s,
it was a muddy trail, once the state realized how many people were touring it
they graveled and made it a bit wider. Today, it has several sharp turns and
crosses several washes.
The first named rock formation we saw was the Seven Sailors.
They are perched a high and all are wearing their flat sailor caps.
Next came Sitting Hen Butte. She is sitting there, hopefully
not laying any eggs!
Our volunteer guide did not know the name of this next formation, so
we named it Southern Belle! We later learned that she was called Southern Lady.
We named this rock formation, Kissing Rocks. It
looks like they are puckered up and giving each other a little smooch! Do you
see what we see?
PIC 5566 We found these men both standing and sitting in
this rock formation. Be sure you squint your eyes, if you can’t see it! Our
friend, Charlie, and I can see it right away …. Nancy and my Charlie, not so
much!
PIC 5584 We found these four Tin Soldiers standing tall.
There were close to the Castle butte, but not close enough to offer protection.
Castle Butte
Battleship Butte is an easy formation to pick out.
Everyone should be able to see this one!
Submarine Butte
There were many hairpin turns on this gravel road.
But if you drove slow, there were only about 20 times that the washboard effect
of the road, really got to you!
After the Valley of the Gods tour, we headed to Goosenecks
State Park. Why is it called Goosenecks? Because the San Juan River twists and
turns through the meander, flowing a distance of over six miles, but only
advancing one and a half miles west toward Lake Powell. It is a very impressive
example of an entrenched river meander in North America.
While at Goosenecks, off to the southwest, we could see
exposed volcanic intrusions. To me it looks like a hand forming the Victory
symbol.
As we exited Goosenecks, our guide pointed out a white
flowering plant. To me it looked like a trumpet plant we have in Florida, but
she told us it was a poisonous “loco plant.” People or animals that eat or
smoke the seeds get crazy! Yikes!
Our tour guide suggested that we climb the Moki-Dugway.
OK,
we are all game! It winds 1,200 feet from the bottom to the top for three miles.
Most of it is graded gravel with a 10% grade!
There are several pull-off areas
that provided us with some awesome views and opportunities for photos.
Views like these make the caravaneers flock to them like someone hollering "free ice cream!"
The
Valley of the Gods Bed & Breakfast is visible from the second pull-off. This home was the
home of a relative of our campground owner and tour guide. It is the only home
within the 360,000 acre Cedar Mesa Cultural and Recreational Management Area.
The Dugway was built in the 1950s as a route for ore trucks hauling uranium and
vanadium. Can you imagine driving a truck hauling items over this route, especially with switchbacks like this?
On our way across the top of Moxie Dugway, we could see Bears Ears in the distance. Since we have been in Utah, we have heard a great deal about Bears Ears. The Bears Ears are a pair of buttes located in San Juan County. The Bears Ears reach 8,700 feet in elevation and are named for their resemblance to the ears of a bear emerging from the horizon.
Bears Ears has become a battleground in Utah's public lands debates. A coalition of five tribes with cultural and ancestral ties to these lands have petitioned Obama to use his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate a monument before his tenure ends. They say monument status would help stop the looting and vandalism of ancient Anasazi sites and keep extractive industries and motorized use from marring the landscape, while ensuring continued access for traditional tribal activities such as wood and pine nut gathering. State leaders have chastised the Obama administration for considering creating a monument over the wishes of San Juan County leaders, who are pursuing a legislative path to protect the region. Gov. Gary Herbert and others have implored Obama, who has already set aside several large monuments in neighboring states, to allow Rep. Rob Bishop's Public Lands Initiative to work through Congress. Locals want to preserve this landscape, "but they want to do so in a way that protects and promotes economic opportunity in their county, which is the poorest in the state."
Our final stop on our guided tour today, was Natural Bridge
National Monument. The big draw to this monument is the three natural bridges
that water has cut from the stone. That is the difference between arches and
bridges. Arches are created by erosion and Bridges are created by water.
The bridges have had several sets of names over time. They
were first named President, Senator and Congressman, in order of height. Later
explorers renamed them Augusta, Caroline and Edwin. In 1909, the park was
enlarged to protect nearby Puebloan structures and the Hopi names Sipapu,
Kachina and Owachomo were given.
The first bridge we saw was Sipapu. It means “place of
emergence,” the entry way by which the Hopi believe their ancestors came into
this world. Sipapu is also considered the most mature natural bridge.
The second bridge was Kachina. It is named for rock art
symbols that resemble symbols commonly used on kachina dolls. Kachina is the
youngster, as far as age of rocks go.
The final bridge is Owachomo. It means “rock mound,” a
feature atop a bridge’s east abutment. Owachomo is also referred to as the “old
man” or grandfather, because it is the oldest.
We crossed the Comb Ridge twice on this round trip. It is on
the eastern side of the Comb Wash. The Ridge was an impassible barrier to the
pioneers who were forced to travel along it as far as the river to bypass its
height before settling in Bluff. It is a huge, jagged monocline, curving for 80 miles across the center of the Colorado Plateau, from Kayenta in north Arizona to the foothills of the Abajo Mountains near Blanding. The most prominent section lies towards the north, where the ridge is crossed by highways 95 and 163; for about 30 miles the faultline reaches heights of 700 feet above the surroundings, and is characterized by gently sloping ground to the east, formed by the top of a layer of white Navajo sandstone inclined, and by an unbroken line of sheer cliffs to the west, where several of the underlying strata are exposed, most visibly the red Wingate sandstone.
Our tour guide and campground owner opened her cafe and made all of us cheeseburgers and fries for a late lunch at her, Bluff Cafe. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day!
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