CHACO CANYON

I VISITED CHACO CANYON WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER WHEN I DECIDED TO EXCAVATE AT SALMON RUINS. SOME OF THE CREW TOOK A DAY TO VIEW CHACO CANYON. WE VIEWED THE WAY THE RUINS WERE BUILT AROUND A SEMICIRCLE AND ENJOYED THE KIVAS AS WE COULD ENTER SOME VIA A WOODEN LADDER.

I REMEMBER READING ABOUT SOME OF CHACO CANYONS PETROGLYPHS THAT WERE IN A CAVE AND WERE ALIGNED TO THE SUNRISE DURING THE SUMMER SOLSTICE. ALSO I HAD READ ABOUT THE TRAILS IN THIS PARK THAT LED TO MEXICO.

WE MET SOME ARCHAEOLOGISTS WHO WERE WORKING THERE AND THEY WERE SURVEYING AND MAPPING IN SOME OF THE RUINS DURING THE 70'S. IT WAS A HOT SUMMER BUT WHEN I WAS 20 I DIDN'T MIND THE HEAT.

APPARENTLY THEY HAD SOME VALLEY CROPS IRRIGATED FROM THE HILLTOP CLIFF RUNOFF DURING THE SPRING AND OCCASIONAL SUMMER SHOWER. OTHERWISE THE AREA LOOKED FAIRLY BARREN.

BUT AS I LEARNED FROM MY WORK AT SALMON RUINS THESE NATIVES WERE ADEPT AT USING EVERY NATIVE GRASS AND BUSH AVAILABLE TO THEIR AREA FOR FOOD OR MEDICINE. THERE WAS SATURDAY CLASS DELIVERED TO US DURING OUR VOLUNTEER WORK AT ANOTHER SITE. THE INSTRUCTOR SHOWED US THE VARIOUS NATIVE PLANTS AND GRASSES THAT THE PREHISTORIC PUEBLOANS USED AND PREPARED FOR FOOD.

I DON'T REMEMBER MANY OF THESE AS I HAVEN'T LIVED IN THE DESERT FOR MANY YEARS.
BUT WE DID HAVE FUN EXCAVATING THE SMALL RUIN NEAR SALMON RUINS AND TRAVELING TO NEARBY SITES.