Bluff, Utah (10/6/2017)

Early Friday morning, I picked up where I'd left off the afternoon before, at the north end of Comb Wash Road.  My directions told me the road into Lower Mule Canyon was one mile from the highway.  Sure enough, this was the road I was on yesterday that appeared to be a dead end.  I could see why it looked that way, since it fell abruptly into a sandy wash and bushes encroached on both sides.  It was a rough, sandy track that made me grateful to have the LRJ. 

After a quarter mile, I saw a couple sitting outside enjoying the beautiful morning.  It was surprising to see they were camped there in a truck-camper. Stopping to chat with them, I was told they enjoy camping in such remote spots with no one else around.  Once they learned I was searching for the ruins, they gave me valuable info that saved time and effort in finding the ruins.

I was told the ruins are on a ledge about fifty feet above the canyon floor.  People who simply walk into the canyon will see them, but not have a way to climb the sheer wall.  However, near the car park is a way to go up the slope and climb through a gap in the huge rocks.  Once on the bench, a very narrow ledge required careful placement of each step for a short distance.  Thereafter, the ledge was plenty wide and the ruins were scattered along it.  The entire site was clearly chosen for defensive reasons.  The gap in the rocks could be closed or guarded, and the narrow ledge would be dangerous in the dark.

One ruin was located on a higher ledge, probably requiring a ladder to access.  Notice there was no room to walk around the stucture, since it was built right to the edge. 

Several other ruins were basically large piles of rubble, so I hiked out and went into another large cove in the canyon.  Here were quite a few ruins, some very high on the cliff.  I decided it was too much trouble to attempt climbing to them.  Not sure I could have made it, anyway.

Just a few miles up the highway was the second item on the day's agenda, Arch Canyon Overlook.  Arch Canyon is about twelve miles long with several arches that led to its name.  I once drove about six miles into it on a nasty little trail more suited to ATVs.  Numerous stream crossings with steep banks, large holes and larger rocks just wore me out.  Even the road to the overlook was no bargain in places, but the view was definitely worth it.

The "road" ended just feet from the canyon rim, right above a "pour off" that would make a beautiful waterfall on a rainy day.  Not far away, some metal stairs led out onto "The Point", which allowed views in both directions.  Occasional gusts of wind made me realize I wouldn't be comfortable on a really windy day.  It's more than 800 feet to the bottom.

By walking a few hundred yards along the canyon rim, I could see ruins tucked into alcoves down below.  I have no idea how the occupants were able to get to their homes.

The final thing on my list for the day was a place called "Cave Towers", located on the rim of a tributary to Mule Canyon.  I had tried twice before to find these ruins several years ago, but I am known to be persistent.  Actually, I had little or no directions then, but felt I now had better intel.  It turned out that the Utah School Trust now owns the property, likely obtained in a land swap with the BLM.  In any case, they have plowed a road to a parking area, and a "try it if you dare" track that goes even closer to the ruins.  After taking the dare, I was only a couple hundred yards from the rim.  Although these are some of the newest ruins, most were truly dilapidated.

Once again, ruins of living quarters could be seen below the rim, probably not too hard to reach.  However, my day had been long, so I didn't make the effort.

Bluff, UT (10/5/2017

After arriving in Bluff on Wednesday, I spent Thursday morning driving around town, just getting re-acquainted with the area.  Although the town is very small, it has a lot of color and history dating back to when the Mormons first settled it in 1880.  A very complete museum and replica of the original town and fort is interesting, but I've seen it before.  The Twin Rocks Cafe and Trading Post has been here for many years, and a few homes were built in the 1890s.

The county is named after the San Juan River that flows through it, and is made up of innumerable canyons and ridges.  Every time I come here, I try to find new places to explore.  With more than 200,000 archeological sites in the county, there is always the adventure of trying to find some that are new to me.  This was how I spent most of Thursday morning, but had no luck finding ruins or rock art.  The canyon I hiked is said to have ruins, but I didn't find them.  Exploring some back roads in the LRJ, I did come to a nice spot overlooking the river.

In the afternoon, I decided to drive the Comb Wash Road, which parallels Comb Ridge for about twenty miles.  The ridge itself is about 100 miles long.  This photo shows only what I was able to fit into a single frame.  It does show the sheer cliffs and boulder field along the bottom of the ridge.  In general, the road stays several hundred yards from the base of the ridge, thus avoiding the boulders.  The trail is actually part of the route take by the Mormon settlers when they came here in 1880.

When the ridge was uplifted, lots of colorful sandstone and bentonite (volcanic ash) was exposed.  Erosion is gradually exposing even more.

I didn't expect to find ruins along this west side of the ridge, because the cliffs are so steep and smooth.  The east side of the ridge has many canyons and more gradual slopes, affording the ancient Indians better home sites.  Further, there was much better access to permanent water sources on the east side. 

With all the boulders around, the Indians used them to create petroglyphs, pecking designs into the rock's surface.  For some reason, there are quite a few of these on this side of the ridge.

I had read of a spur road leading into Lower Mule Canyon, where ruins can be found.  I tried several roads, but wasn't sure of the right one.  At one place there were several campers parked under the cottonwood trees.  I asked a lady there if this road went into the canyon.  She thought it was a dead end, and it did look like it.  Besides, it was getting too late to start exploring a new place, so I left with a plan to return the next day.

Dolores, CO (10/3/2017)

Well folks, I've run away from home again, getting an early start on my winter trip.  Just to confirm the wisdom of my timing, Mother Nature has given Montrose several mornings of freezing temps, and a layer of ice on the windshield as I was getting ready to depart.  Definitely time to head South. 

As I passed by Telluride, toward Lizard Head Pass, I realized my recent trip there was about a week too early.  Fall colors, now at their peak, were simply magnificent.  As always, it's very difficult to find places to stop the motor home and take photos, so I took a few through the windshield, trying not to include the bug spatters.

Nearing the town of Dolores, the trees were mostly evergreens so fall color was limited to scrub oak and other small shrubs.

The main reason I stopped in Dolores was to visit the Anasazi Heritage Center, part of the Canyons of The Ancients National Monument.  This large park, more than 175,000 acres, was established in 2000 to preserve and protect the largest archeological region in the country.  Over 6000 archeological sites have been discovered here so far, but not many have been excavated.  Some that have been excavated were covered again to better preserve them.  Only a few have been made accessible to the public.  Two of these, named Escalante and Dominguez after the two Spanish padres who explored this area, are located at the Anasazi heritage Center.

Escalante Ruin is on top of a hill, requiring a half-mile hike that gains 500 feet in elevation.  My out-of-shape legs were feeling weak long before reaching the ruin (he is 75 now), so I stopped for a breather and a view of Sleeping Ute Mountain.  Frankly, I have a little trouble seeing the shape of an Indian chief, but the Utes consider it sacred.

 There were also good views of McPhee Reservoir, created to provide irrigation for the Montezuma Valley, but now considered the premier recreation area hereabouts.  Many miles away, the snow-capped La Plata Mountains can be seen.

The actual ruin has only been partially excavated, and the condition of the walls suggests to me that some level of restoration took place.  It is an interesting example of housing built in the open, as opposed to the cliff dwellings I like to find.  The hillside would have made a good spot for growing corn and squash, staples in the Anasazi diet.  The kiva (the round room) is in especially good shape.

Walking back to the Visitor Center, I saw the Dominguez ruin, small and not very impressive.

The museum at the center houses a large variety of artifacts found in the excavations, as well as a few replicas of Anasazi construction techniques, murals depicting daily life and lots of modern day paintings by local Indians.  Some of the pottery and weapons were obviously reconstructed from pieces found at the sites.  Anasazi pottery was strictly functional, with little color.  Their descendants, (the Hopi and Zuni) introduced color, now routinely found in all native pottery.  The building itself has an appearance similar to the ancient pueblos.

My next stop will be Bluff, Utah to meet some friends and go exploring for Anasazi ruins in a more natural state, without protection or restoration.