Today turned out to be a super crazy busy one. We wanted to see several of the National Monuments in SW Colorado and I think we managed to cram them all in! Our day started with breakfast at the superb Retro Inn. If you’re ever in Cortez we’d highly recommend it. There was an amazing spread of different breads, bagels, muffins, and about 10 different jams to spread on them along with cereal, fruit, eggs, and more.
Our first stop of the day was the Anastazi Heritage Center where we met a BLM employee who is either scared of everything or thought we should be kept away from everything we planned to do. I’ll add notes about his warnings as I go. We did manage to get some useful maps from him along with all the awful advice he gave us though. Next, we backtracked to Cortez to pick up tickets for our fourth and final tour at Mesa Verde, Long House. Happily all our plans came together pretty well there, so we should be in for a nice couple of days.
Then we set out on what the BLM guy told us was a road that was sure to kill us – US Hwy 491 south of Cortez. The way he told it it was a perilous stretch of road on which people die daily due to the “Monster Trucks” among other hazards. In reality is was just another highway like the tens of thousands of miles we’ve driven before. Sadly, we didn’t even get to see a monster truck.
Our reason for driving that way was to visit the tiny, isolated, and seldom visited Yucca House National Monument. We were warned that we’d be bitten incessantly by “rattlesnakes and red ants”. When I told him that wasn’t a problem, we would just wear boots he seemed skeptical, but appeased. We’d read that visiting Yucca House was an adventure in itself since the only access was from a rancher’s driveway. I’d also seen an article in the Denver Post from a year or so ago that this rancher had filed suit to have the access terminated but had lost. We passed two no trespassing signs on our way in, but since we had good directions pressed on and found the monument.
As BLM guy had told us there wasn’t a lot to see there if you didn’t know what you were looking for. We had taken some time to figure out what we were looking for though and managed to located the remains of many of the structures that had once made this site a large village. Although BLM guy and the rancher hadn’t scared us off the NPS sign indicating some kind of rabbit death plague in the area did so we didn’t linger long.
From there we headed back north on the death road, again noting a dearth of monster trucks to the Sand Canyon Pueblo. Like most of the settlements in this area it lies at the end of a canyon near a natural spring and the remains of many structures are visible. Although none of them are well preserved it was cool to stand in the same places where the people who had built them were 800 years ago.
We once again doubled back through Cortez, making a disappointing lunch stop. How the hell is 8 chips with stuff on them nachos? Come on Lizard place. Not cool. Anyway, we had planned on hiking Sand Canyon (the other side of the same one we’d been to earlier), but must have missed the trailhead. It may have been because what we did find was a Guy Drew’s winery where we enjoyed samples and picked up a bottle for this evening. The wine was tasty and the complex of buildings the owners built was beautiful. We also picked up some great dinner tips for Cortez. It’ll be nice to enjoy something other than pub food for a couple nights when we return.
It may have been for the best that we missed it. BLM guy was certain we’d be eaten by some kind of fly that lives there. He told us our bug spray would have no effect and the only thing that would save us was a layer of Ben-Gay. Like morons we believed him and bought some. I guess it’s a good addition to our first aid kit?
In any case, we eventually made it to Hovenweep NM. After making the obligatory visitor center stop we made our way to the campground to discover that we had our choice of any spot. Yes, we are the only people here tonight. We hiked the square tower area’s 2 mile loop in 100+ degree weather once again. I’m looking forward to the cool of the mountains in a couple days. Hopefully they won’t disappoint. The structures here at Hovenweep are by far the best we’ve seen so far. There are many that are still unbelievably intact and we were able to walk nearly right up to them.
Fred once again proved his worth taking us down a sandy 4×4 road to visit a couple other structures after the girls claimed their 8th junior ranger badge of the trip and we’d watched the 18 minute video about Hovenweep as an excuse to spend extra time in the air conditioned visitor center.
Then it was time to return to our campsite. When we got there the temp was up to 102 degrees and none of us wanted to get out of the car. We enjoyed a dinner of meat, cheese, crackers, and chips inside Fred’s cool. As the sun started to go down we braved getting out to set up camp. Sitting here now any typing this the temperature has actually dropped to a tolerable level and the scenery and silence are beautiful. It was a crazy busy and fun day. In fact it’s almost hard to believe that we packed so much into just one day.
