Butte

After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel, loaded on the bus and headed out north and west toward Chaco Canyon, and then on up to Farmington NM. Along the route Rich described the geological features and the flora and fauna. For example, in decreasing size there are plateaus, mesas, buttes, and pinnacles. We saw lots of sandstone, shale and volcanic rock. At numerous places along the highway, we passed 7000 foot elevation signs, and at one point we crossed the Continental Divide. The dominant trees along most of the route were junipers, with some cotton wood trees in the river bottoms and later there were ponderosa and some firs and spruce. Lots of gas and oil drilling, including fracking, although lower crude oil prices have had a significant economic impact.

Park Entrance

When we reached the vicinity of Chaco Canyon, we switched to a small school bus to travel twenty-something miles into the national park. Most of the road was okay, but there is one stretch of several miles just outside the park that was very rough with some serious bouncing around. We crossed one wash with a fairly good stream flowing over the road. Our driver just gunned it and we got across with no problem. I asked him later if this was the most water flowing and he said that he had never seen any water at all.

We had box lunches at the Park visitor’s center and then drove on into the canyon.

We began our exploration of the canyon ruins at Chetro Ketl.

Typical wall

Kiva

Masonry variations

We then walked along the face of the rock amphitheater with several petroglyphs and interesting rock formations.

Petroglyph

Petroglyph

Petroglyph

Excavated Chamber

Little Threatening Rock

We then walked on the major site Pueblo Bonito, partially destroyed when Threatening Rock fell in the 1040’s. This was the major ceremonial site and center of the Chaco Culture.

Rich explaining things to group

Pueblo Bonito Plaza

Great Kiva

Hampton Inn

We finished our exploration of the canyon with a quick walk around the ruins of Casa Rinconada, which are thought to be residential structures as opposed to the ceremonial structures of Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl. We then headed on up to Farmington NM (located at the confluence of three rivers: the San Juan, the Animas, and the Plata) and checked in to the Hampton Inn.