Visit to Canyon De Chelly - Part 3

After we got to Junction Area (known for the wide area where the two canyons come together), we headed south towards the famous White House Ruins and to Spider Rock.  Have to say I liked the south canyon better.  A small creek flowed through the canyon - we crossed it 18 times - and there were so many more livestock.  Wild turkeys were too numerous to count, saw a number of mule deer, and lots more hawks flying overhead.  And - it was much colder.  We were deeper and by the time we got to Spider Rock - the walls were now over 700 feet tall, the deepest of the Canyon.

Sheer cliffs of sandstone 

At White House Ruins

Ruins in the opening and below, blends in so well

An arch - ruins below in the cave

Seems there were more homesteads on the south side also.  2 times we passed hikers, with a Navajo guide and we asked where did they come from?  DJ explained they came in from Bat Canyon, beyond Spider Rock, and hiked to White House Ruins where they climbed back out!  WOWOWOW.

Face Rock to the left, Spider Rock to right

Face Rock Ruins

Face Rock

Spider Rock almost in the shadows

Face Rock also in the shadow

Stopped at each of the ruins, DJ explained what we were looking at, who lived there, and then we came to the big centerpiece - Spider Rock.  Does not look like a spider.  The story goes - there was a woman who lived at the base of the rock who was a spinner and weaver.  Her designs were mainly of spiders.  She was a recluse, and DJ said that she was nicknamed the Spider Woman.  She would take bad misbehaving children to the top of the rock, eat them, leaving the bones at the top for the vultures.  DJ said that his parents warned him that if he acted up, they would take him to the Spider Woman who would then eat him.  DJ said that this warning did the purpose - he was so scared of the Spider Woman.  Sorta like my childhood with the Boogy Man who would come in the night to get us.
Scared us too!

Its a really deep canyon

Got to Spider Rock, the sun was dropping and most of the rock was in a shadow.  That was okay - we knew we would be visiting the next day from on top of the rim to get some good shots.  We turned around after a quick break, headed back to the lodge and pulled into the parking lot at 5:30pm.  Frozen.  Was about 45 degrees.

Follow the dirt road - you will see a white vehicle coming around

Spider Rock from the top of the rim, and in full sun

Sat on the bench and was looking at Spider Rock

Mummy Ruins from the overlook

White House Ruins from the overlook

See the vehicle?

Saturday we took the car and drove along the rims of both canyons after stopping at the visitor's center, first went along the North Canyon, then stopping back at the Lodge and packed a lunch, then followed the South Rim to Spider Rock, taking in the ruins we saw from the canyon floor the day before.  Sunday we drove home.  The significant part about our drive home - when we got into ShowLow we thought there was another wild fire - so much smoke.  Found out it was a controlled burn but stink big time!

Lots of smoke in ShowLow

Visit to Canyon De Chelly - Part 2

As we started along the North Rim, we quickly realized we were going to get dirty.  Had to hide our cameras as much as possible.  In hindsight - I would have tried to find a tour in a closed Jeep, knowing the cost would have been much more expensive.  Oh well.  We came, we saw, we conquered.

Entering the Canyon - Guides needed from here on

Along the riverbed

First Ruins

Lots of petroglyphs

A different tour

At Junction where we headed north

Ruins everywhere we looked 

Saw First Ruins, Ledge Ruins, and then got to Antelope House.  Continued on to Standing Cow Ruins, stopped at the Navajo Fortress where the US Army under Kit Carson, chased and captured/killed many Navajo while they were rounding them up to take to Fort Defiance in 1863.  So very sad.  Many children and women climbed to the top of a large rock, keeping the Army from capturing them and eventually had to give up, running out of water and food after a long period.

Got to Mummy Cave Ruins which is so named because 2 mummies were discovered in the early 1900s but because they were over 6 feet tall, the archeologists knew they were not Native People - Natives are much shorter, most only about 5 foot tall before the 1900.  DJ pointed out that the ruins were from the Anasazi (Ancient Ones) on either side of the center structure, where as the center structure ruins were from the early Navajo times.

Met up with the morning tour - they turn around at this point, we go on

Tucked under walls are summer homes of Navajo

A big kitty cat! 

See the antelope on the walls?

Tucked wayyyy under

First glimpse of Antelope House

That is an ancient symbol representing earth, wind, fire, and water.

Antelope House Ruins

Rest period - at Antelope House Ruins 

Residents are at home

Had lunch, turned around and booked it back to Junction Ruins where Canyon Del Chelly takes off to the south.  We wondered why we went north first - the sun would be on the northern ruins and not on the southern ruins in the morning.  And vice versa for the afternoon.  Sun on the ruins in the southern rim.

Sun just peeking around

Looks like a howling coyote!

Navajo Fortress - about 500 feet tall

Petroglyphs depict Spaniards coming into canyon

All summer homes have the ceremonial Hogan

Standing Cow Ruins

Interesting shapes - all sandstone!

Horses, cows and sheep roam freely

Mummy Cave Ruins

Our lunch stop

Back to Junction to head South (about 1:30pm)