Chaco Culture National Monument

Yesterday we drove 68 miles, much of it on washboard dirt road, to the secluded center of Chacoan Culture, Chaco Canyon National Monument. There are multiple ruined pueblos here that dwarf all others we have visited in size and complexity.

According to the National Park Service, the Chacoan culture's emergence began in the mid 800s and continued for 300 years. There is a grand scale of architecture using precise masonry techniques unique for their time. Massive stone buildings (Great Houses) with hundreds of rooms were planned in advance, and completed over the course of centuries. Each Great House is unique, but all share recognizable architectural features.

The Great Houses were often oriented to solar, lunar, and cardinal directions. Lines of sight between them enabled communication. Sophisticated astronomical markers, communication features, water control devices, and formal earthen mounds surrounded them. They were set in a landscape surrounded by sacred mountains, mesas, and shrines that still have deep spiritual meaning for their descendants.

By 1050, Chaco was the ceremonial, administrative, and economic center of the area, with a large sphere of influence. Roads linked dozens of Chaco Canyon great houses to over 150 others in the region.

In the 1100s and 1200s new construction slowed and Chaco's regional role declined. In time its inhabitants shifted away from Chacoan ways and migrated to new areas, reorganized their world and eventually interacted with foreign cultures. Their descendants are the modern Southwest Indians, who continue to see Chaco as an important stop on their clans' sacred migration paths.

To us, this great complex is evocative of the great stone cathedrals of Europe, many of which were constructed during the same years as Chaco. It is unfathomable to consider the amount of work that was required to construct these buildings without the use of metal tools or earth moving equipment. Experts believe the function of Chaco was primarily spiritual, as each pueblo contains multiple kivas.

Tomorrow, we hit the road again for a short 75 mile trip to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.

I discovered an electric trailer brake wire that had come loose and was rubbing against a tire. The insulation was completely gone from the wire, and was in danger of shorting out. Good thing I looked!! I was able to fix it before it could have caused an accident. Can't be too careful!

May 18: On to Mesa Verde

Ahh! The adventure continues . . . We left Bloomfield, NM this morning, hauling the trailer a short 68 miles to an RV park very close to Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado. The GPS took us on a rural route that was quite beautiful – idyllic ranches, small towns, and views of valleys and mountains. I noticed that the temperature was dropping precipitiously, first into the 40s, then the 30s. Rain was falling intermittently. The road continued to climb, and heavy, wet snow began to fall. We finally topped out at 8,400 feet in a serious snowstorm. Luckily, the air temperature remained above freezing, so there was no accumulation on the road.

No sooner had we set up the trailer in a somewhat muddy campsite when it began to snow again. The manager here informed us that we can expect up to 3 inches of snow accumulation tonight. It is too bad that I didn't think to include tire chains. Also, the truck tires have very little tread wear left, so I don't want to drive on snow-covered roads, even with four wheel drive. As I write this, it is 3:30 P.M., and the outside temperature is a cool 40 degrees. We'll see what happens!