Navajo Dam and Monument Valley

Sorry not to have posted immediately after leaving the river, but we had really lousy wifi access at our next stop, so we'll catch you up now.

Ah, Navajo Dam, New Mexico.  I fell in love with this place two years ago when we chased that fly-fishing squirrel to the San Juan River.  But the town itself is a bit small for us to want to live here; it’s around 450 people, 1 convenience store, 2 fishing motels, 3 cafes, 4 fly shops, and 5 RV parks.  You get the idea - everything is geared toward the sports fisherman.  But the area is absolutely beautiful!  We stayed up at the Navajo Lake State Park around 10 miles outside of town.  The park is a real bargain at only $14/night with electric and water.  There was still snow in the hills when we arrived, but the weather forecast was for warmer temperatures (low 60’s, much better than Kansas!) with sunny skies - Mother Nature didn’t disappoint us.

There was still snow on the hills around the lake.

Sunrise over Navajo Lake.

Early the next morning Heinz started pulling out his fishing gear and taking inventory.  This was followed by a trip into the shops to find out what the locals were recommending for flies.  Of course, he brought home a few samples for me to start tying.  While he was busy with his inventory, I grabbed the camera and headed out to see if I could find any good spots to practice some macro photography in preparation for the spring wildflower season coming up. 

Taking inventory.

Cactus in the snow.

Detail, prickly pear cactus

Heinz started out his fishing with a stop at the "catch and release" area just below the dam and had a nice outing - six rainbow trout.  He then headed down to the "catch and keep" area further down river.  Unfortunately the fish were less cooperative there and he only got a few nibbles - so no fish for dinner. 

The next day he headed straight out to work on dinner and came home empty handed once again.  But this time everyone else on the river was in the same condition.  No one was even getting a nibble; the fish simply didn’t seem to be feeding.  We even overheard a guide and his client talking about how lousy the fishing had been, the client only caught one brown trout at the very end of his session, not quite what you expect when you're paying guide prices.  But watching the setting sun on the river was worth being out there.

Oh well, no one else is catching anything either.

Hey Heinz, I think I found that fly you lost yesterday.

Golden light on the river as the sun begins to set.

Setting sun on the hills.

But never fear, the fish started cooperating and over the time we were there Heinz brought home six nice trout for dinner.  We had two fresh fish dinners and tucked some away in the freezer for up the road.

One day's work - trout dinners in the making. 

You gotta love a man that cleans his own fish!

During our 5 days on the river we discussed our proposed travel plans for the next couple of months and tossed out about half of them.  Really, what fun is a schedule?  So, instead of immediately heading south to Tucson we’ve added a few side-trips. 

Next stop, Monument Valley, Utah.  You remember Monument Valley, don’t you?  Think back to all those westerns you watched as a kid.  John Wayne, the Cavalry, Apaches lining up on the top of the mesa, stagecoaches, etc.  Yeah, that’s the place. 

Driving into Monument Valley.

Mitchell Butte in the rain.

We stayed at Goulding’s Lodge and Campground in the middle of the Navajo Indian Reservation.  Goulding’s was started in the 1920’s by a couple who bought some land and started a trading post.  When the depression hit in the 1930’s the reservation was hit extremely hard.  The Goulding’s went to Hollywood with photographs of the area and wrangled a meeting with John Ford - the movie director.  He decided that the valley was the perfect location for his next movie - a Western.  Three months later Ford, his film crew and actors arrived to film “Stagecoach”, John Wayne’s first starring role in a major movie.  And behold, a movie location was born that’s a "must" for any Western worth its weight.  The LaFont family purchased the Goulding property in 1981 and the complex now includes the lodge, campground, a museum, small movie theater (showing vintage John Wayne westerns nightly), two gift shops, a grocery, laundromat, gas station, convenience store, and restaurant. 

Monument Valley, Tsebii’ nidzisgai (The Valley Within the Rocks) is a sacred place to the Navajo and is located within the Navajo reservation.  The reservation itself covers almost 30,000 square miles on the Colorado Plateau.  Inside Monument Valley is the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.  The park was established in 1958 by the Navajo Nation Council to preserve 92,000 acres of desert landscape covered in mesas, buttes, and spires.  There are three words that keep coming to mind as you move around in this area: mystical, magical, and spiritual.

Rain God Mesa.  Mesa is a Spanish word for table.  It is a rock formation that looks like a table and is usually wide, stable, and the first geological stage of rock erosion.  

Merrick Butte.  A butte is a rock formation that is smaller and the second stage of erosion.  

Three Sisters Spire, a Catholic nun facing two students.  A spire is the final stage of erosion.  It is a rock formation that is narrow and free-standing.

Along with exploring Monument Valley, we hopped on the motorcycle (Heinz is in seventh heaven having his baby along) and headed up the road to the Navajo National Monument.  There was fresh snow in the area and we took a stroll out to an overlook to see the ancient cliff dwelling of Betatakin.  The Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) built the village around 1250 and lived here for around 50 years before moving away for unknown reasons, although drought and social pressures are believed to be factors.  

Sandal Trail to Betatakin Overlook.

Betatakin cliff dwellings across the canyon.

The Monument is located along the Old Spanish Trail, the commercial route used by New Mexican traders traveling to California in the 1830’s.  According to the records, it took an average of 12 weeks to reach California and 6 weeks to return.  It was once described as “the longest, crookedest, most arduous pack mule route in the history of America.”  The route was used until the mid-1860’s when the railroad connected the Midwest and San Francisco.  It is difficult to see traces of the trail in the modern landscape.  Most of the trail has been reclaimed by nature, but landmarks such as the Betatakin ruins can still be seen. 

We also took a day to ride the bike from Monument Valley around the Valley of the Gods.  The entire route was close to 300 miles, but Heinz was in his element.  The drive was amazing, curving highways, gravel roads climbing from the valley floor up to the mesa top via multiple switchbacks, rough tar-snake filled pavement, hills, desert, mountains, buttes, mesas, snow, sunny skies, open range grazing with cattle, sheep, horses, even a pig along and on the road, and once again, magical landscapes.

Moki Dugway, 3.5 miles of gravel road, complete with multiple switchbacks climbing 1,100 feet to the top of Cedar Mesa. 

Once we got to the top of the mesa it was off to the Natural Bridges National Monument.  The natural bridges were formed by the erosive action of moving water.  They were discovered by a prospector in 1883 and designated a national monument by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908.  

Heinz and I at Natural Bridges Monument.

Sipapu, a mature span, it endures very little stream erosion because its abutments stand far from the stream.  Sipapu means “place of emergence,” the entryway by which the Hopi believe their ancestors came into this world.

Kachina is a young bridge where the White Canyon floodwaters still work to enlarge its span.  It is named for rock art symbols that resemble symbols commonly used on Hopi kachina dolls.

Owachomo, an old age bridge where streams no longer erode it, but frost action and seeping moisture do.  Owachomo means “rock mound,” a feature atop the bridge’s east abutment.

Leaving the monument we headed east to Blanding, a small town in southern Utah where we stopped off for a great little green chile burger.  Next stop was around 40 miles southeast, Hovenweep National Monument.  Hovenweep is located about 2 miles from the Colorado/Utah border on the Cajon Mesa.  It is the location of ancient pueblo ruins built around 1230 and abandoned around 30 years later.  The buildings are quite elaborate for pueblo dwellings—multi-storied, oval, rectangular, and D-shaped in plan, with detailed masonry.  Archeologists have determined that the buildings served purposes such as observatories, signaling stations, living and work rooms, storage rooms, and ceremonial chambers.  We hiked the 1.5-mile trail around and through the canyon to get a closer look at all the ruins.

Hovenweep Castle.  Two D-shaped towers perched on the rim of Little Ruin Canyon, apparently used for ceremonial purposes.

Twin Towers, together these towers had 16 rooms.  The buildings rise from the native bedrock, their wall almost touching.  One is oval, the other horseshoe shaped.  These buildings are among the most carefully constructed buildings in the entire Southwest.

Square Tower stands in the canyon and is two stories tall.  Located on a large sandstone boulder, it was built in a slight spiral shape, perhaps for added strength or for aesthetics.  

Unit type house, the name archeologists gave to a basic building plan, a few living and storage rooms and a small kiva.

Eroded Boulder House incorporates the huge rock under which it sits as part of its roof and walls.  On top of the boulder are a few shaped stones where a tower once stood.

Leaving Hovenweep it was time to head home in time for sunset in Monument Valley.

West and East Mitten Buttes at sunset.

On our last day in the valley we headed out to do a small hike around West Mitten Butte - 3.2 miles through sand, sagebrush, rock, and pinon trees.  It was a beautiful day and we had a blast!

Starting out on the Wildcat Trail.

Halfway done.

"WOW - that is sharp"... Ahhh - Duh!

Almost back to the car.

We have now left Monument Valley and drifted all the way over to Page, AZ - a scant 140 miles.  Tomorrow we'll be exploring the Glen Canyon Recreation Area and the Staircase Escalante, so stay tuned.

Our friends of the day:

This little guy didn’t really think much of us.  He kept attacking his reflection in the windows and mirrors of the rig the entire week we were in Navajo Dam.  I guess we moved into his mating territory.

Flying into the window in attack mode.  

Heinz took this portrait shot of Jabba the Hut in the snow.