I was up to hiking the next day. I decided to check out Bandalier national park. Bandalier was the home of several native tribes. They built their houses against the cliff faces and carved extra rooms into the rock.
Again, the landscape of new mexico was different than anything I had seen before. Instead of wide, flat expanses, I entered into a craggy, rocky region featuring deep gorges and tall ridges.
The kiva was a community center of sorta. It was recessed into the ground and only accessible through the portal opposite of where I was standing when I took the picture. This is where people hung out, told stories, taught trades, and what not.
More cliff dwellings.
Trees growing out of the remains of a village.
FAUNA!
I ran across two deer on the path. They didn’t seem to mind that I got pretty close to them; they’re probably used to people.
The main trail through the park, with a road in the distance.
More cliff dwellings.
Petroglyphs! You can see a man in the top right, and a dog in the bottom left of the photo.
The lines of circles are where beams were set in the rock to support ceilings.
The trail looped back to the visitor center; however, there was an extension that led to a cliff dwelling in the higher portion of the cliffs. The path led further into the woods. You had to cross several streams. Yes, that is snow on the banks.
The climb to the Adobe House.
This is a pic of the trail. A narrow walkway lined with a safety railing. One of the ladders is visible in the distance.
After climbing three ladders, I reached this kiva placed in the Cliffside.
It has a pretty nice view of the valley below.
Into the darkness!
It’s really just a hollowed out dome inside, with several smaller holes carved into the walls.
Another shot of the kiva.
One shot of the path up.
The path back down.
I ran across my deer friends again while hiking back to the visitor center.
The drive back.
Tsankawi
Another trail in Bandalier National Monument (park?) is Tsankawi. It’s a bit of a drive from the main area of the park, but toally worth it. The trail is only about 1.5 miles long and involves climbing some more ladders and forcing yourself through narrow paths. I saw some more cliff dwellings, and got excellent views of the surrounding landscape.
Wider view of the area. You can see the mountain with two hearts in it on the right (Karen pointed this out to me later).
The trail had three levels, with a large mesa at the top. Ladders reached from one level to another.
A ledge.
The path was narrow enough that, more often than not, I just walked on the surrounding rock.
A view from the other side of the mesa.
Mountains in the distance. I wish we had this in DC.
Another landscape.
The remains of a dwelling.
The first led to the top of the mesa, then snaked around the side.
View from one of the cliff dwellings.
The path through the park took a variety of forms.
Taos
My plan for the day had been to visit Bandalier then head up to Taos, then race back to Santa Fe to meet Karen for dinner. This seemed like a good plan at the time. The problem was that I spent far too much time in Bandalier (and, admittedly, got slightly lost on the way to Taos). So, when I finally did reach Taos, I didn’t have time to do, well, much of anything at all. The thing I had wanted to see the most was the bridge over the Rio Grande. This impulse was strengthened when I first saw the magnificent gorge that the Rio Grande cut through the landscape.
The gorge that the bridge crosses.
I tend to like bridges. Not so much crossing them, but I like looking at them and the idea of them.
Another shot of the gorge, looking North, I believe.
The Rio Grande
So, I’ll admit to some anxiety while crossing the bridge. Every time a car would cross, the entire thing would vibrate. I –like- looking down from heights. I just like doing it more when I feel physically secure. Vibrations tend to reduce this.
The gorge.
Shot from the middle of the bridge.
Shot of the river looking south.
I made it back to SF a bit later than I intended, but it was still relatively early. Karen and I met up with Jaymin again for dinner at an Indian place. Joining us was one of Karen's co-workers, Renee. I really appreciated the chance to meet Karen's friends. I had told her that my goals in visiting were not limited to seeing new and crazy places, but to see get a picture of her life in Santa Fe. Anyway, Renee is a musician, and also involved in Art Therapy. Her and Jaymin decided to form a band, "Second Baby." I hope for their success. It'd be cool if I could say, ages hence, that I was present at the formation of something awesome. In the mean time, I look forward to hearing what they make.
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