It was a windy ride for the almost seventy mile trip to Hovenweep a National Monument of ancient ruins that has sections in both Utah and Colorado established in 1923. Most of the trip was through wide open sage brush plains with a few dips into the rocky canyons. A lot to the trip was through the Navajo Indian Reservation and we were disgusted to see all the cans, bottles and other trash along the roadside. Hovenweep is a Paiute and Ute word meaning "deserted valley".
Along the canyon rim in the park are a number of structures that have been abandoned for over seven hundred years. The ancient Puebloans thrived here for many years until the 1200s and built amazing stone buildings that have endured for centuries. Tall towers, outlines of multi room pueblos, tumbled piles of shaped stone, small cliff dwellings, pottery shards, and rock art lie scattered across the canyon landscape leaving little doubt that a sizable population once lived in this ruggedly beautiful high desert setting. We walked the half to three quarter mile rim trail fighting to stand upright in the strong wind and returned the same way instead of finishing the loop that descends eighty feet into, crosses, and ascends from the canyon floor. The intricate stonework, finely hewn stones, sharp corners and smooth curves showed what great architects they were. Archaeologists consider the structures to be the finest example of ancestral Puebloan masonry found anywhere.
We then drove northeast into Colorado through amazingly green fields of crops to Canyons of the Ancients National Monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management instead of the National Park Service. The monument contains the highest known density of archaeological sites in the U.S. This is an "outdoor museum" over many acres of land and the only developed site is Lowry Pueblo. Lowry Pueblo is a multi-roomed pueblo that has been stabilized and covered with a roof for protection from the elements. We were allowed to enter the pueblo and get the feel of how small the rooms were and to take a few photos. Near the pueblo was a large Kiva or ceremonial pit that has been well preserved.
After leaving the pueblo, we drove to McPhee Reservoir to see if the campground there was somewhere we might want to stay. We decided that it wasn't but drove to the reservoir overlook to see what the paddling might be like. Due to all the water drawn off for irrigation, the water levels were very low. We will keep on looking.
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| Heading to Hovenweap |
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| Eroded Boulder House Is Between Ted and the Sign |
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| They Were Skilled in Geometry |
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| Trail Was Easy to Follow |
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| We Might Call this a Condo |
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| Eroded Boulder House from Another Angle |
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| Approaching the Castle |
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| Thw Wind Was Blowing so Hard My Hat Was Crooked |
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| Castle from the Back |
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| The Sleeping Ute, I Was Ready for Some of That |
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| The Soil is Alive With Microscopic Critters |
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| Excellent Bench |
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| The Wind was Gusting |
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| Too Pretty to Step On |
We then drove northeast into Colorado through amazingly green fields of crops to Canyons of the Ancients National Monument managed by the Bureau of Land Management instead of the National Park Service. The monument contains the highest known density of archaeological sites in the U.S. This is an "outdoor museum" over many acres of land and the only developed site is Lowry Pueblo. Lowry Pueblo is a multi-roomed pueblo that has been stabilized and covered with a roof for protection from the elements. We were allowed to enter the pueblo and get the feel of how small the rooms were and to take a few photos. Near the pueblo was a large Kiva or ceremonial pit that has been well preserved.
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| Irrigated Fields in the Desert |
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| More Fields |
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| On to the Lowry Pueblo |
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| Roof Structure Added to Protect |
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| Allowed to Walk Inside |
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| Caution Signs Not to Touch Steel Supporting Posts During Lightening Events |
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| Symbols of Summer and Winter |
After leaving the pueblo, we drove to McPhee Reservoir to see if the campground there was somewhere we might want to stay. We decided that it wasn't but drove to the reservoir overlook to see what the paddling might be like. Due to all the water drawn off for irrigation, the water levels were very low. We will keep on looking.
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| Lake McPhee Reservoir |
On the ride home, we could see rain storms all around us. Except for a few drops, we made it home fairly dry. It did rain in the evening and into the night, however.
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| Threatened Rain on the Way Back |
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