Bluff, UT (10/8 through 10/10/2017)

I learned of a ruin near Bluff, called Poncho House, that was said to be the largest ruin in the state.  I was given two sets of directions.  One route was longer and went into Chinle Wash, a large series of canyons.  A hike of unspecified length would be required to reach the ruins.  The second route was shorter, ending at a place on top of the ruins, leaving a climb of unspecified length down into the canyon.  I took the shorter route, just to check it out.

After a couple of wrong turns, I felt like I had arrived at the designated spot.  However, there were multiple levels of canyon rims and a fair distance left to walk.  I could see a way to descend the first rim, but the second appeared to be a sheer drop.  Given the difficulty I could see, and the distance involved, I decided this approach was not for me.  I settled for some nice views into the wash, including Monument Valley off in the distance.

Later that day, old friends Win and Yo, along with new friends Robert and Doris, arrived in town for our planned visit to various ruins in the area.  Both couples have Jeeps and enjoy exploring Utah's vast wilderness areas.  We discussed plans over a lovely dinner at Comb Ridge Bistro.

The next day, we got an early start and drove to Cottonwood Wash near Blanding, then took the road to the top of Comb Ridge.  We were looking for a trail to Tower Ruin, situated near the bottom of a canyon.  This took a while because it had been several years since I was there.  The ruin is definitely worth the effort.

 

Next we went looking for Over & Under Ruin in the same general area.  Unfortunately, our directions were somewhat vague and we never located the ruin.  We did get a real workout, however, hiking up and down the large expanse of slick rock.  We finally stopped searching when the strong, chilly wind got to be too much.

We finished off the day by driving into Lower Mule Canyon for views of the several ruin sites there, then driving back to Bluff via Comb Wash Road, where we checked out some of the petroglyphs.  A pleasant dinner at the Cottonwood Steak House was icing on the cake, even though everyone passed on dessert.

The following day started with a drive on Lower Comb Wash to see River House Ruins.  Along the way, we stopped to see the remains of the Barton Cabin that served as a trading post in the 1880s.  The proprietor was fatally shot by a Navajo man in some dispute over a trade.  We did some exploring along the river, where Robert discovered some Anasazi ruins and rock art we had been unaware of.  Yo proved to be really good at finding potsherds among the rocks covering the ground.  All in all, it was an enjoyable adventure.

Continuing on the rough road, we quickly came to River House Ruins, one of the more popular sites in the area.  All the river rafting tours that pass here stop for a while.

 Some folks call this the Snake House Ruins because of the very large pictograph of a snake.

 The Anasazis were short people, but some of the doors were very small and would require going through on hands and knees.

 Later we stopped at San Juan Hill, where the Mormon settlers finally managed to cross the imposing obstacle presented by Comb Ridge.  It was the end of an arduous six-month journey that allowed them to establish the town of Bluff.

We then drove to Sixteen Room Ruins on the Navajo Reservation.  This site is actually just across the San Juan River from Bluff, but the footbridge across the river was washed away some ten years ago.  Now it requires a twenty mile drive to get there, rather than a short hike across the bridge.  This ruin is one of the few that face north, so the sun never hits it directly in its high alcove. 

It was a lot of fun spending a few days with good friends, sharing some adventures in the wilderness.  They were headed for Moab, while I'll be in New Mexico for a few days.