Four Corners/Hovenweep/Canyonlands National Park - Island in the Sky - July 5, 2002

It is about 7pm here is Moab. And it is hot. Well, hot isn't exactly the correct word - humid is better. A bit of a shock after Mesa Verde, where I actually had to wear my sweats to keep warm at night. I estimate the sun will set about 9, which is when I plan to go to bed. Not to sleep I don't think. At least, not right away. Between the heat and the noise, that may take some time.

I am staying at a privately owned campground in Moab, not at the National Park. There are some advantages - I don't have to be so careful with the food as there are no large (or small) animals to make off with whatever I drop. There are some disadvantages - it is near the highway and everyone is packed in here pretty close.

But there is running water. And showers, which I will make use of shortly. And a pool, which I think I knew about but can't make use of as I have no suit. Oh, well. (NOTE: I ended up buying a cheap suit the next day and did make use of the pool.)

I actually arrived at about 5:30. I am getting pretty good at setting up camp stuff, because that was done,I'd eaten and cleaned up from that, and I took a quick walking tour of the place prior to starting this entry.

I left a very cool Mesa Verde pretty early. It seems like a long time ago now. I decided to alter my original plans, and visited the Four Corners Monument, Hovenweep National Monument, and Canyonlands' Island in the Sky District National Park.

The first was really a non-event. You just go, pay, stand in the middle of the bronze star, and have someone take your picture. (NOTE: Indian Reservations surround the Monument at the corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The Navajo live in the three of the four states, the Utes live in Colorado. I can't say for certain, but I believe th e Navajo run the Monument. I entered and left from New Mexico. I parked in Arizona. My picture was taken with me standing in Colorado and Utah.)

The second stop was a last minute decision. And you really have to want to see it as it is the middle of nowhere. Hovenweep is actually a collection of very old Indian dwellings. To see some of them, you have to drive on unpaved roads. I stayed at the visitor's center and just did the walk around the Twin Tower, Square Tower, etc. (NOTE: I stayed on the paved roads and visited Little Ruin Canyon, where the Square Tower Group is located. Couldn't think of the name when I originally wrote the entry.) It was a mile and half walk, and very warm, no shade. Stupid me forgot her hat and sun screen. But I did not get burned too badly.

NOTE: Here is what the literature says about Hovenweep. "The canyon and mesa country north of the San Juan River contains a number of archeological sites where the ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians once lived. Today, round, square, and D-shaped towers at the heads of canyons are the most visible remains that mark the location of once-thriving communities. Though these structures have seen no human inhabitants in more than 700 years, they are still impressive. Since modern Americans have become acquainted with Hovenweep, all have wondered why these towers were built and what the communities were like that the inhabitants created.... Most dwellings have been constructed directly on the edge of a canyon, not a most practical location for safety and accessibility. Some structures have been positioned over isolated and irregular boulders. Many are associated with springs and seeps near the heads of the canyons. These positions suggest that the inhabitants were protecting something, if not themselves, then perhaps the water, always a valuable commodity in an agricultural society."

Canyonlands is also out there, as most National Parks seems to be. It is north of Moab. I drove out there before camping, as I actually arrived in Moab about 2:30 and couldn't see not doing something. Due to blisters, I only took short walks or hikes at Canyonlands. Very impressive views - too bad there was a lot of haze. But I did get to the Grand View overlook, the Green River overlook, the Mesa Arch, and the Schafer Valley overlook.

And, now, here I am. Tomorrow, I visit Arches National Park, and that will be a long and hot day. Very long and very hot.

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