Chaco Canyon

Day 1: We arrived by way of the north entrance which involves only 16 miles of unpaved, washboard and sometimes narrow, rutted roads. I wait until we crest the hill that finally reveals what beckons me back to Chaco over and over Fajada Butte. It rises up from the horizon like a gigantic stone century guarding the canyon.

We set up our tent….it was windy and chilly, then brought down the bikes for our first of many rides to the visitors center. When I asked about the availability of wifi, I was, I felt rebuked for making the request .Yes, we have it for our residents and employees but not for the general public. It is very expensive, you know. Why not just come and enjoy Chaco and let the beauty of Chaco be enough? WHAT???? Are you kidding me? Our wireless is HIGHLY ENCRYPTED, good luck…as If I was gonna try to break the chaco code! They guarded their chaco internet ticket like some ancient unbroken pot pulled from the debris of Casa Benito. Where is Zak when I need him….. I stayed pretty fired up about that little issue for our entire time at Chaco. Dennis reminds me I should focus on the important things, like the lovely prairie rattle we found on the road and shooed to the side and the herd of elk settling down for the night we spied. Yes, but I could have blogged real time about that if but for wifi……. We returned to our campsite, got the truck and drove the loop, stopping at the entrance for the hike to Casa Chiquita. We walked to the Wetherall cemetery, where the man who did much early excavation of the Great house, Pueblo Bonito and opened the first Chaco Canyon Trading Post is buried. We then hiked on to Casa Chiquita. Tired and hungry we returned to the tent for dinner. As night fell over the canyon…and it gets dark fast and cold…we walked down to the campground host’s camper. He had his telescope up and treated us to a view of Saturn, M-13 a globules? of stars and M57 – a burned out star that is now in gas form. I don’t know much (er, anything) about astronomy, but that was pretty cool. The complete absence of light renders the current Chaco night sky almost the exact same as when the Chacoans inhabited the land between 850 and 1200 a.d.

Day 2. Rode our bikes to the Wijiji site – about 5 miles round trip. The last time we were at Chaco we attempted this but got bogged down in the mud. By the way, Chaco has gotten good rain so far this year and the canyon was the greenest we’ve ever seen it. Lots of beautiful flowers blooming. Returned to the campsite for lunch, rode to the visitors center to cool off and watch the video (a.k.a. nap in air conditioning) then quickly rode back to camp to get the truck. We rode over to Pueblo Bonito, the largest structure in the Chacoan system. I really wish I could convey to you just how awesome this structure is……We took the guided tour, as we generally do because the guides add so much to the experience with their knowledge of the history and culture. In Pueblo Bonito the excavators have found, among innumerable other things, 116ish cylindrical pots, most of which are in museums (Museum of Natural History) and other collections. Sherd remains, however give evidence of the use of chocolate at Choco Canyon. The pots are reminiscent of similar vessels found in Mesoamerican Mayan ruins. Pueblo Bonito’s corner doors, t shaped windows, hundreds and hundreds of rooms and numerous kivas remain largely a mystery to those who study this culture. After our guided tour we returned to camp for a light dinner then back to the visitors center for a lecture on the significance of the area trading posts and another viewing of Saturn and M13 through the park telescopes. All I can tell you is it was spectacular…..we saw the rings ( difficult at this time as they are being viewed (dead on) and the moons of Saturn, and M13 was so much clearer. I still cannot play dot to dot with the stars and assign names to the pictures they supposedly represent but I can appreciate the beauty of a night sky completely unaffected by artificial light. Gen. 1: 14- 16, Ps. 147: 4,5. 148:1-4.

Day 3 Rode our bikes to Casa Chiquita then went on to the petro glyph site by foot, another mile or so…ate lunch under the shade of a huge bluff. Back to visitors center for another “video” then off to Casa Rinconada. It got rather windy and cool then the rain started! We trucked back to the campsite to put up the rain fly and debated just packing it in and heading out. The roads can become impassable after rain and the park is closing down the campground the 15^th for repair. We didn’t want to get stuck here, as much as we love it because has anyone noticed I haven’t mentioned enjoyed a refreshing shower in our long list of activities at Chaco? Yeah, no showers facilities. Drinking water can only be obtained from an outside spigot and there is nowhere to purchase anything! No ice, bread, whatever…..You have to do a little bit of advanced planning to come and stay at Chaco. Anyway, we decided to stick it out and it did not rain anymore, but the wind was ferocious. Met some folks who had just come in from the Grand Canyon where they reported it had rained, sleeted and snowed!!!! Well, you know how Dennis feels about the Grand Canyon, so looks like no go again this year! After a brief nap we drove over to Chetro Ketl and explored. I can’t tell you why I don’t get tired of this place……Dinner and then off to the visitors center for another lecture, this time by a visiting anthropologist about the discovery of chocolate in Chaco. (from whence came the above information).

You really never know if, after being somewhere, you will ever get to revisit that place. And even when or if you do, you come back a different person, due to your experiences between the visits. This completes our third visit to Chaco Canyon. Dennis had to practically twist my arm to get me to go the first time. One of his I’ve always wanted to see this place, ever since I saw it in National Geographic when I was a kid. Thanks, Dennis……..I am grateful that this awesome place is one of our special memories.