We fix out on a long drive over paved, but bumpy roads roughly noon yesterday. Our master copy intent was to see Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. We showtime needed to halt off at the RV commons piece of occupation where the commons possessor convinced us to pass our fourth dimension at Hovenweep National Monument. As it turns out, Canyons of the Ancients encompasses as well as surrounds 3 of 4 split upward sections of Hovenweep National Monument. The monument was established inwards June of 2000 inwards lodge to save the largest concentration of archaeological sites inwards the United States, primarily Ancestral Puebloan ruins. As of 2005, over 6,000 private archeological sites had been identified inside the monument. Okay...so nosotros were game.
We headed out across acres as well as acres of farm land. As nosotros drove along, a herd of deer could hold upward seen off to the left side of the road. They were bounding across the field, heading toward the road. They paused but briefly when they saw our truck.
We stopped to ticker every bit 4 of them crossed the route correct inwards front end of us. They jumped the fighting on the other side of the road, every bit if it weren't fifty-fifty there...except the petty one, who went nether the fence.
The longer nosotros watched, the to a greater extent than nosotros saw, although they stayed off to both sides of the road.
In the distance, at that topographic point was quite a pelting storm. We were but hoping to avoid the rain. It form of stayed seat inwards this 1 area, as well as eventually, nosotros drove on past times it.
About xxx miles later, nosotros reached the national monument. It's located correct on the edge betwixt Colorado as well as Utah, as well as for portions of our outing yesterday, nosotros crossed over into Utah.
Here's a petty information most it. Sorry most that dark smudge inwards the corner of this image. Sometimes the iris on my photographic television set camera lens doesn't opened upward completely...not certain why. the missing give-and-take at that topographic point is "Ute."
Keep inwards heed that the Ancient Pueblo people began edifice these villages during the tenth Century. The images I'm most to demo y'all delineate structures built betwixt the tenth as well as twelfth Centuries. An industrious people, hither is some information most some of the things they did inwards lodge to conform to their environment.
We watched a 20-minute video most their lives as well as most the structures they built, as well as and then fix off on a curt hike to come across them. There was a longer loop trail (2 miles). We intended to walk the whole thing, but as well as then the oestrus as well as brilliant Sun discouraged us from going all the way. You tin give the sack come across the loop as well as the portions nosotros walked inwards the prototype below. When nosotros reached the far side of the loop from Hovenweep Castle, nosotros turned roughly as well as headed back.
It was an slow trail. I had my hiking pole along to attention me alongside some of the bigger steps upward as well as down. My articulatio genus is feeling pretty good, but it's unstable, as well as I don't trust it on large steps. The hiking pole is to a greater extent than a portable manus runway than anything else, as well as I was glad I had it along.
At the showtime lookout, nosotros could await across the canyon as well as come across the "twin towers" along alongside some of the other smaller dwellings. Not all bring been excavated, as well as thus some of them appear but every bit stone rubble, but they are slow plenty to alternative out. You tin give the sack come across 1 nigh the middle of the prototype below.
The video explained that the towers were built over pits, as well as some of them were built atop cliff dwellings. You tin give the sack come across 1 of the cliff dwellings inwards the prototype below.
The masonry is genuinely astounding. Think of the elbow grease involved inwards shaping as well as plumbing equipment all those rocks together thus perfectly.
The existent clit of this hike was Hovenweep Castle, which is the largest amid the structures here. I took many pictures from dissimilar angles.
The thinking is that the larger structures were used for religious ceremonies as well as gatherings, but the pocket-size "portals" nigh the top would dot they were also used defensively.
In the canyon below was this really tall tower, most 3 stories high. It's difficult to larn whatever scale here.
Here's some other shot from closer up.
In the adjacent serial of images, I was walking roughly Hovenweep Castle, taking pictures from all angles.
We walked roughly to the other side of the canyon to larn a await at it from there. Along the way, nosotros passed the "checkdam" y'all come across below. Look nigh the bottom of the sign, as well as you'll honor a pile of rocks. On the other side of the pocket-size gully at that topographic point is some other pile. They created these pocket-size dams to collect pools of water.
From the other side of the canyon, Hovenweep Castle looks similar this:
It gives y'all a improve sense of how these structures were built higher upward cliff dwellings. Also, some of the structures were double-walled, presumably for insulation as well as protection from the elements. It's difficult to come across on a two-dimensional image, as well as thus I've indicated where the 2d wall of the construction below is located.
We were getting hot as well as hungry past times that time, as well as thus nosotros elected to plough roughly as well as caput dorsum to the visitor center. We headed dorsum into town as well as dorsum to the RV park. After dinner, nosotros were treated to a beautiful sunset.
Day is done.
The kitties are liking it here. It's warm plenty to popular off on the catio window opened upward all nighttime long. They popular off on 1 some other entertained, as well as at their best moments, they'll fifty-fifty portion the catio as well as the cubby.
They've been amazingly skilful travelers this trip. Smitty has been out for a brace of walks at this park, but we're ever on the lookout adult man for bad woofies. (To hold upward clear, all woofies as well as most people are bad.)
Today nosotros bring a curt solar daytime of driving to larn us upward to Montrose, Colorado, where we'll remain piece nosotros see Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. This volition hold upward our 3rd endeavor to come across the park. The showtime fourth dimension was inwards 2006, when nosotros also visited Mesa Verde National Park. I can't retrieve what dissuaded us dorsum then...probably nosotros were but sight-seen out past times that time. The 2d fourth dimension was inwards 2013 when flooding inwards Colorado caused us to run for our lives. We mightiness bring seen the commons then, but the forecast was for rain, as well as we'd had quite plenty of that inwards Estes Park, give thank y'all you. This time, I think nosotros mightiness larn the project done.
That's all I bring to state y'all most Hovenweep. I'll state y'all most the 2d quilt store inwards a split upward post...coming correct up.