Day 5 – Bandelier, Aztec Ruins, and Durango

Day 5 – 5/17/2021 – Bandelier, Aztec Ruins, and Durango

This morning we leave Albuquerque and drive north on I-25 towards Santa Fe.  We are headed to the Bandelier National Monument and on our way; we are passing Indian Reservations and several Pueblos.  Much of the land here is flat with mesas jutting up here and there. 

Not traveling all that far, we pass a vineyard.  The grapes vines, look in good shape from our drive past. 

As we near our turnoff from I-25 we see this mushroom shaped rock near the side of the road.  We have been seeing many different shapes in the rock formations.  At least we can recognize a mushroom.

Some of the overpasses are decorated as we near Santa Fe with symbols such as turkeys and other animals.  This one was interesting.  It is not important what the symbolism is, the pictographs just look good. 

Back in more rugged country, we begin to wonder what the Bandelier site will look like. 

Check out the layers of rock at this location; dark at the bottom, then lighter stone in the middle, and finally more dark stone at the top.  The rock formation near the base of the cliff has holes where an animal or bat could take cover.

Very near the entrance to Bandelier National Monument, we turn a corner and look at what we see.  I think that is a radio telescope, but not sure.  Maybe it is a phone to E.T.

Shortly after entering the Bandelier National Monument, we come to our first overlook.  This is the valley where the Monument is located.  We will know more when we get down to the Ranger station.  You can see where the vehicles are at the bottom of the valley. 

We finally see a yucca plant that is flowering, most of the yucca we have seen have the flowers that have gone by.  We usually see a large number of them along the road and at different places when we stop.  This one is at the overlook.  It looks to have just started to flower.

We make it down to the Ranger station and get ready to begin our hike to the ruins.  As we begin walking, we come to a cactus that has flowered.  As you can see, the flowers have nice color.

The path from the Ranger station opens up to reveal the cliffs with many pocked caves.  It is easy to see how one might make a small cave larger to stay in. 

Along the path, we come to a great circle of ruins.  It is difficult to view all of the rooms this close.  Here is a look at some of the rooms and as you can see, the walls are not very high giving a flat appearance this close. 

Following the path as indicated, Carmen sees this flower just off the path.  As usual, like me, she had to get a picture of it, and before me.

As we begin to climb the stairs to see the caves used for living space, we see this rock wall.  It looks like the wall was covered with plaster that has deteriorated with time. 

A couple of sentinels protecting the ruins from harm, or at least just to appear they are.  The stone carved over the years by wind and water certainly makes it look like two stone figures.

Climbing up several flights of stairs a passing a few of the caves that did not have a ladder, I looked off to the ground level and see the full ruins below.  Not sure as to why it was build in a circle or it built before or after the use of the caves and buildings along the wall, but it is interesting.

Discovering the caves that were used we come to one of the caves that has a ladder.  I decided to go explore the cave.  Carmen took my picture as I reached the top of the ladder.  I have my camera vest on with water and decided that with the extra weight and these old bones and knees that would not like bending more than it should to enter the cave mouth, so that is as far as I got.

While we are crawling up and down the narrow path, I catch Carmen coming around one of the bends.  Look at the rock formations on her left side.  Some or the rock is sharp and all with holes worn into the rock.  I could actually see the inhabitants stashing weapons in the holes ready for use when needed.

Look at all of the holes in this rock face.  It is amazing how this rock wall was created.

Reaching another of the ladders leading to a cave location, I told Carmen to go up and look.  Well, that didn’t go over so well, but she did stand at the bottom of the ladder.  HaHaHa.  She said I'll pretend to climb, but didn't start up the ladder.

Moving from the first section of the ruins called the Cliff Dwellings to the Pueblo Cliff Dwelling section, I see this lizard and I have to get a picture.  It was in a burrow right next to the walkway.  

Beginning the next section of Bandelier, we see these caves.  Some look enlarged as was needed by the people who lived here.  It is obvious that people back then were not as tall as they are now, because some of the caves are short. 

It is clear that the holes above and below the cave entrances were made for wooden poles.  These apparently used for floors and ceilings.  The larger opening was probably a niche or shelving for the occupant.

This section clearly shows the blackening of the ceiling section caused by a fire; for heat or cooking or both.  The small caverns could have been used as an oven. 

Surely, this section of the wall held a high rise.  You can count three levels of holes where wooden poles fastened to the wall to create floors and ceilings, and another cave section above the last row of holes making this a four-story dwelling. 

Proceeding along the cliff dwelling wall, we find this original wall painting.  Protected from the weather and vandals by a Plexiglas covering, it is still visible from the walkway.

While we were looking at the pueblo dwelling area, I happen to notice something on the wall.  Upon further examination, we find that there is some wall art or pictographs, depending on how you look at it.  It is difficult to tell if these were created years ago or created as graffiti in recent years.

Finishing up viewing the ruined dwellings of the two sections we decided not to go to the last cave opening, since it is about a half mile away.  As we begin to walk along the loop path, I see something out of the corner of my eye and sure enough, I see another lizard.

What?  A squirrel just jumped up on a rock right in front of me and posed, looking like a pointer.  I said, “Don’t move yet”, and it stayed right there until I had my picture.  Nice of him to do that for me, these new Mexico squirrels are so accommodating.

Wouldn’t you know, while we are walking back along the loop trail to the car, we pass more flowers.  What this flower is we are not sure, but the starburst pattern is pretty nice.

Another flower that is not common, at least to the flowers we have seen before.  This one seems to be attached to a vine of some sort, so it is probably a weed, but still pretty.

Finally, before getting back to the car we see another cactus abloom.  It is only the second cactus that we have seen with flowers.

Leaving Bandolier National Monument, we are on our way to Valles Caldera National Preserve and not more than 5 miles into our drive we pass by this coyote.  Oh my word a coyote!  This is the first Coyote we have ever seen in any of our travels.  We are still looking for deer, Elk, Moose, Bear, and Bison.

After the excitement with the coyote, we come to Valles Caldera National Preserve.  This is a really large expanse created by a volcano ejection and then collapse of the cone.  You can see other dome like hills in the background made by further magma leaking and eruptions.

Driving for a little while we pass this rock grouping that had several people rock climbing.  You can see the climbing system already along the rock wall for climbing.  I do not remember where we were, but we were on route 4 when we saw them.

We pass many rock formations and different coloring within the rock; some red.  This is one of the different sections we have seen so far; looks like dragons teeth.

Not long after we made a quick stop at the Jemez Soda Dam a formation that has built up over the centuries with calcium carbonate deposits that bubble up to the surface at this location.  The river flows under the dam, which is still building and growing.  The dam is 300 feet long, 50 feet high, and 50 feet wide.

Now in Aztec, New Mexico, we are stopping at the Aztec Ruins National Monument.  Just making it before they close, we’ll get about an hour to view the ruins.  Moving along the self-guided half-mile through the ruins, we get a good wide-angle look at the various rooms including a kiva. 

One structure had three doorways, so I decided to go through them to see where the archways led.  Here is Carmen on the outside looking in at me three rooms away.  Well, as luck would have it, as I entered the last room, which I had to bend in half to get through, my heel caught and I fell through the opening, skinning my knee.  The rooms were all closed with only the one entry/exit, so I had to return the way I came; with better luck this time and not hurting myself again.  But, I got the picture!

At one section, you followed a path and it did indeed go through a small doorway, only one this time and there is an exit.  From there you entered rooms and a much larger exit.  The rooms gave a good idea of the ceiling structure and why the holes in the walls.

Now we come to the west wall of the Aztec ruins, which has these two green stone strips.  (I know they are green because I was told.  I thought they were grey.)  When asked about the strips, it is a mystery and they have no idea.  In any case, here is the wall and the green stripped stones.

Before leaving to get to our hotel, still another hour and a half away, I get a panoramic picture of the ruins.  I know it is a wide shot, but you get the full picture.

We are in a hotel overnight in Durango and tomorrow we head to Montrose, Colorado and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison.