I have some leftover pictures and comments from my trip Out West. They didn’t quite fit into the narrative of my previous “Out West” entries, so I’ll throw them all into this entry.
After leaving Mesa Verde, and on my way to Chaco Canyon, I drove through and stopped in the town of Aztec, NM. Aztec is named for the Pueblo Ruins there, the Aztec Ruins National Monument. It really has nothing to do with the Aztecs, but the folks who named it erroneously thought it did.
When I entered and showed my pass, the person behind the deck warned me about my bare feet. There might be ants, or who knows what out there. I thanked her . . . and ignored her.
Here’s a view of the ruins.
Aztec Ruins National Monument
Aztec was part of the Chaco Culture about 1,000 years ago.
There were a couple of pictures of the ruins at Chaco Canyon that I didn’t include partly for aesthetic (and vanity) reasons. On the Tzin Kletzin hike I showed you the ruins from a distance. Here’s the up-close shot.
The Tzin Kletzin Ruins
When it is hot I tend to hike wearing as little as I can get away with, and at Chaco Canyon, it was hot. Here near the end of the hike I just didn’t feel like putting my shirt back on, so I look like a somewhat overweight older man.
Now, in one way this is good, since I am a slightly overweight older man. If I were a slightly overweight older man and looked like a young slender woman, now that would be a problem.
When I took the Pueblo Alto hike, the New Alto ruins were again near the end, I was hot, and I didn’t put my shirt back on. Here are those ruins.
The New Alto Ruins
The New Alto ruins were in much better shape than the Pueblo Alto ruins. They were built about 100 or so years later, and they had refined their building technique.
OK, no more shirtless photos, I promise.
On the Pueblo Alto hike there was also a good overlook of the Chetro Ketl ruins below.
The Chetro Ketl Ruins, From Above
There was also what I thought was some pretty neat looking lichens. I don’t think I’ve ever seen any kind of a slate blue before.
I’m A-Lichen This Photo
Moving along to the Grand Canyon, on my first day there, on the Grandview hike, I rather liked this particular mesa, called “Sinking Ship Mesa”, for rather obvious reasons. Obviously, it was formed from some strata that was tilted some time in the past.
Sinking Ship Mesa
Elsewhere in the Park there is a “Battleship Mesa”.
When I was heading down the South Kaibab Trail, I already showed you a garbage run with the mules. Well, there also carried people. In this case, it appeared to be a group of Amish women.
Mule Train Heading up the South Kaibab
In the background you can see what is called “The Tipoff”. There are restrooms, but no water. It is called “The Tipoff” because just past it (you can see it in the photo), you tip off the edge of the Tonto Plateau for the final descent to the Colorado River.
Coming back up the Bright Angel Trail, I stayed in the Indian Garden Campground. Just as I was getting ready to leave in the morning, a deer grazed by.
Deer in Indian Garden Campground
Unfortunately, by the time I accessed my camera, it had moved so I really could not get a good shot. But I’ll present it here anyways.
And finally, I want to include a shot from back at Chaco Canyon that I really like, with my feet looking oh-so functional.
Functional Feet
This was at the campground after I’d been doing quite a bit of hiking. (I’m wearing jeans because the picture was taking late in the evening and things were really cooling down in the desert air.) They’ve picked up quite a tan, but there is also a bit of used dirt in there, and finally parts of them are getting dusty from the trail to my campsite.
As I said, I just think they look quite functional there, as if that is what feet are for. (Oh wait. That is what they are for.)
Anyways, I hope everybody enjoyed the whole “Out West” series. I certainly enjoyed the whole trip, and it was rather fun trying to blog it, too.
Good articles, Bob. THanks for sharing them.