a walk into the past

A WALK INTO THE PAST
one of the highlights of our trip to southern utah
is that the owner of this mcr place mr db knows the area so well
he knows the history of the area probably better than folks
who have lived there all their lives
especially when it comes to the anasazi indians who
loved in the canyons where the ranch sits
they lived for miles and miles in those cliffs
in the ad 1000+-
then they just poofed disappeared
they were there when the mesa verde ancestral puebloans were there
in southwestern colorado
probably the best known sites in that area

mr db has been exploring this area since he was a kid
and has developed a love and appreciation for the area and
its history

because of this knowledge and respect for the land and its
history
the local landowners allow him to explore their properties

we the ogd and my wife she and the wwoofers get to benefit by
going on long hikes with him to areas that no one really knows about

some sites he has discovered have stimulated archaeological evaluation
of the sites

how he found these places on those cliffs and then remembers how
to get them is amazing to us
our hike was 5-6 hours long
but was well worth it

we drove down the canyon for several miles
then off the road we went down a dirt road
which stopped
now i was skeptical even though we had done this last year
and was amazed at what we saw

we werent disappointed again this year

now we left at noonish in the middle of the day when the
temperatures were in the low to mid 90s
luckily the humidity not like austin is low so the heat is more
tolerable
it reminds me of the high dessert we lived in while in college

luckily we carried a lot of water in our back packs
walking at a good pace not too fast
i think mr db was use to moving faster when he is with
younger folks or by himself

ok so i got real hot but i kept up my water intake as i went
since ive seen a lot of folks in my career with heat exhaustion
severe leg and muscle cramps from dehydration
plus
we took our time took some breaks under shade
especially those small caves in the cliffs
man i could live there

i did think a lot as we walked across the canyon floor
up the canyon walls thinking how in the hell did those
anasazi indians live here
water food was sure a problem
there is a river that runs through the canyon
but its dry part of the year with areas where the
water is present

i think they mainly ate corn and beans called anasazi beans
which i am able to buy at our local supermarket
they have a good sweet flavor and dont have to be cooked as long
as other beans
and what my wife she likes is they produce less you know what
flatulence

we hiked up to this small area where the petroglyphs were
and dogs hank and jack took a break
it was amazing at times they seemed to know exactly where
we were going

i did share some of my water with hank the ranch dog

then we climbed up to the tower rock where we are told you can
stand and see four states-utah colorado new mexico arizona
my wife she and i didnt make it to the top
but we came close
there was a jump from one rock to another that was an
upward jump i didnt want to do

you cant really appreciate it in this picture but there is a dwelling
under the left side of the large tower rock

then off we went across the valley to the other side of the
canyon
up the wall of the cliffs
i was wondering whattheheck are we looking for
then seemingly out of the blue
or turquoise

we saw this long row of petroglyphs along the cliff wall
how did they get up there to do that

there was the area where they ground their corn
you could see where the rock has gotten smoothed out
they decorated the work site carving pectros in the rock

then there was what i called the peace symbol one
my favorite one of course

then the large tourquoise petroglyph that stood out over the rest
the final destination of the hike
worth all the effort

good job again mr db

as we made it back to the truck i put the mouthpiece of
my camelback in my mouth and as i began to suck in the
remaining water all was left was air
good timing on my part

i survived the hike
but
in the end it was worth it

when we left that last day
we took a deep breath
i even climbed up on the roof and looked around the ranch
took in its beauty
thought of all the new friends we met
our interactions with these interesting folks
and
realized that people would actually pay to spend five days here
to do what we did
and
we got to do it all

we are ready to return already

the organicgreen doctor