October
12, 2013
A
morning at Sand Island Campground.
Early morning steam rises
off the San Juan River.
And our camp neighbors are having
breakfast and preparing for their float trip down to Mexican Hat.
Before making the trip to
Hovenweep, we walk over to the Sand Island Petroglyphs which are right next to
the campground.
Back at our campsite, more
“river runners” float by. Lots of Dads
with their little ones.
This Dad is letting his
young son row the boat – all by himself.
Off they go on their
adventure.
What fun!
Utah opens their national parks and
monuments – and Utah pays the bill.
Last night people at the
visitor center told us that all the national parks and monuments in Utah would
be open today. We pack a lunch and get
on our way for a great day at Hovenweep National Monument.
Wild
things.
Today I drive – Jack
rides. He keeps a lookout for
wildlife.
He glances back where we
came from and says, “I think I saw some wild goats!”
I find a place to turn
around, drive back, pull off as best as I can on the narrow shoulder, and get
out with my camera. We spot the goats
and slowly approach for a good picture.
Suddenly, up leaps a dog – their protector – and starts barking as us!
Wild goats? Not this time. Now that’s embarrassing. We scurry back to the Jeep hoping no one sees
a couple of silly Texans taking pictures of domestic goats. I swing onto the highway and race away.
We turn off Highway 162
onto Road 5066/402, then onto Road 401where we are forced to stop for wild
horses.
This is open range country,
so I suppose they’re not wild, but belong to someone who lives out here in the
absolute middle of nowhere.
We continue down Road 401
until we get to Route 2422/N5069/413/213, which is also, Hovenweep Road. I think this has to be the right way. Thank goodness for our Utah Benchmark map or
we would surely be lost by now.
A few miles later we reach
the entrance to Hovenweep – CLOSED!
We’ve driven 50 miles to a closed national monument.
When
life gives you lemons …
As the saying goes, “When
life gives you lemons – make lemonade.”
Well, we packed a lunch. This
looks like as good a place as any to have a picnic.
While we are picnicking
against the bumper of the Jeep, a ranger comes driving down the road from
inside the park. She’s very pleasant, apologizing
for the inconvenience, “But Hovenweep was not on the list of parks and
monuments to open today.” She is one of
the “essential Federal employees” required to show up for work during the
shutdown. She’s on her way to pick up
mail some 10 miles away – now that’s essential.
And of course, to protect the monument from people like Jack and me. Really – although she didn’t mention us by
name.
She drives over the cattle
guard and locks the gate. We help her
reposition the barricade that is meant to keep us out. She tells us there are other access points
into Hovenweep that are not blocked off.
We get directions. She heads
south to the post office – we head to north to the ruins.
Horseshoe, Hackberry, and Holly.
The narrow dirt access road
is easy to find. We turn right and start
down the road leading to the Horseshoe, Hackberry, and Holly ruins.
We follow the trodden path,
and when that runs out we follow the cairns across the solid rock surface.
Horseshoe Tower – Our first
ruin overlooking the canyon below.
Horseshoe House is perched
on the edge of a cliff.
Hackberry Pueblo – the sign
says 500 yards beyond Horseshoe House.
That's the equivalent of 5 football fields out – and another 5 football fields
back. Then the hike back to the Jeep –
in the heat. We make the trek, but are
unimpressed with the ruins. What can I say?
We walk the 5 football fields back to Horseshoe House ... and the distance back to the road. Bummer!
Then we reach Holly Ruins - JACKPOT!
Farther down the single
lane road we come to the Holly ruins.
Now this was worth the trip.
These ruins are dramatic. Our
initial view from the east.
The following picture is the ruin in the
foreground of the preceding picture looking down through the canyon. It looks like it could have been a lookout
tower with access up the rock and through the door in the back side. This is
the north view.
Tower from the west
view. Notice the sheer rock walls it’s
been built on.
Another building on the
west side of the ruins, viewed first from the north and then the south. The roof timbers are still in place.
Notice the ruin on the
right side built upright on a tipping boulder.
All I can say is, "Simply amazing!"
I
check our Benchmark looking for a short cut back to Sand Island. Got it!
Back down Route
2422/N5069/413/213, turn right instead of left onto 401, take a quick left onto
the Old Aneth Cutoff, wind around, up, and down until you come to the 4-way
intersection of this gravel road, continue straight ahead onto Road 405 and
wind through the Aneth Oil Field (really, it’s an oil field) until you finally
come out again on Highway 162. Turn west
and head back to Bluff. Short cut? Ah, no! But what a fantastic day.
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