Here’s what we have to do after dinner to make them doggers tired: Throw toys all the way across the main entrance hall; have Max and Frisco chase them and launch with a big leap into the living room. You do that about 20 times and they are poopered - like right now where they sleep behind me in the office.
Well, what did you do this weekend? I spent Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday in the Miss Maybe shop on Palace Ave. in Santa Fe, replacing my wife who was gone to a wedding in San Diego.
It was fun and I learned a lot about the people who come to the shop and to Santa Fe in general. I guess 90% of the people in the store were tourists, but I was especially happy about those 10% of locals who promised to bring their friends …
Of course I did not make as many sales as Candice would have done, but I’m working on my skills for the next time … “That color looks really great on you!” simply does not sound right when it comes out of my mouth …
A few weeks ago I took off on a Friday to reduce my personal time off balance at work. I wanted to spend the day at Chaco Canyon to take some pictures.
Chaco Canyon National Historic Park (see: http://www.nps.gov/chcu/home.htm) is about 3.5 hours from Santa Fe in Western direction. I started early (04:30am) as I wanted to catch some of the morning light at the Canyon instead of arriving at bright sun-light. Took 25 down south to Albuquere and then cut across on 550 until I arrived at 7900 which marks the beginning of the dirt road entrance into the National Park (almost missed it, but that’s a different story).
For about 20 miles you get shaken on the dirt road, which happens to be a good thing if you started early, because it is a guartanee that you wake up again.
The Park’s visitor center opens at 8:00am. You need to go there to purchase your entrance ticket and register for trail-access. The later is necessary, because the park authorities don’t want random people walk on the trails and then later on when the Park closes have to figure out who’s missing where. Fajada Butte greets you at the entrance to the Park:
As I arrive a bit too early (07:30am), I park at the visitor center and hike up to some close by ruins and petroglyphs (Una Vida). I’m not going to bore you with general/historical information about Chaco Canyon, because hundreds of other people have written about it and, anyway, they seem to be better than I can ever get. So go somewhere else for background information (the link above is a good starting point).
When I see the first ruins up above the visitor center I’m pretty darned impressed about the quality of the structures and especially the smoothness and precision of the walls. This is a sure sign of great craftmanship:
30 mins after my arrival I’m back at the visitor center, purchase my ticket and get on the one-way circle around the park.
My first stop is at Chetro Ketl and Pueblo Bonito - the remaining structures are very impressive and leave you in awe (not shock and awe) about this early civilization and their accomplishments.
I walk around the sites and enjoy the fact that nobody else is up that early to explore the ruins. I had heard from others before that the eerie quietness of the Canyon screams at you. I’m beginning to understand what they were talking about. Several times I turn around to look over my shoulder, because I get the impression I heard something, but then there is nothing but ruins, brushes, sand and stone.
At Kin Kletso I climb up the trail to the Pueblo Alto Complex. This is pretty steep trail leading straight up through a crack in the rock formation on the side of the canyon. I have my backpack with the photo-equipment with me and at the bottom of the backpack I’ve mounted my tripod. It sticks out a bit to the left and right and several times I have to turn sideways to squeeze myself through the narrow path. On both sides I’m flanked by 10 story high rock formations. I shall feel the ascent in my legs the next morning.
From the plateau one has a fabulous view of all the structures below and if you ever make it to the Canyon, don’t miss the view you get from up here.
I take the loop through the Pueblo Alto Complex and yet again I’m all by myself.
There’s an interesting terrace like structure that looks like the rocks form waves on the ground:
Candice had asked me to use her cell phone and ring home when I get to the Park. The whole time I’ve been trying to get a signal, but the canyon does not allow for a connection. Only when I arrive at the top of the Pueblo Alto Complex I get a weak connection. I guess I must have looked pretty stupid standing there all the way on the mountain making a call on my cell phone. Oh well, nobody’s here to judge me …
After a few hours on the trail, I descent back into the canyon and stop at my car to refill on water and food. It’s almost lunch time and I can see a lot more cars in the parking lot at the beginning of the trail. The sun is burning in the canyon and the fact that there is no wind does not make it easier on my sweating.
The last hike for today leeds into Clys Canyon at the very end of the park. I really love the Petroglyphs I see all over the place and the rocks on the side of Clys Canyon have some perfect samples. In some spots you see rock-art 50 feet off the ground on the side of the canyon. Wonder how the original artists got up there when they did them?!
Motives range from animals, people to abstract geometrical figures and I wish I would have read up on the meaning of those before the trip.
Early in the afternoon I leave the canyon and head back home to be back at the house at 6:00pm.
Now, this is how I would like to spend all my days off work. If you haven’t been to the Chaco Canyon yet, I can only recommend that you plan a trip there.
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