February 16, 2009

An Acrophobiac's Nightmare

A few years ago, we explored an unusual Anasazi ruin in a remote area near Bluff, Utah. (in the Four Corners area, so called because it's near the intersection of 4 state lines.)

The site above, located perhaps a hundred feet below the top of the cliffs, is difficult to find. Click on the photo above to see 2 people standing at the level of the ruins.
Access looks impossible, but it's not as bad as you might think. The approach is from the opposite side of the canyon, down a narrow ledge that must be traversed single file - scary, but safe enough if you're careful. After reaching the site level, you can walk around in a semi-circle (out of sight to the right in the above photo) to the ruins.
Along the way, you'll pass a spring with vegetation growing in the rock cracks where the water seeps through.

(The black dog at the bottom of the photo is hard to see in the sunlight, but she's lying a pool of water.)
Some of the ruins are quite well preserved. This home is complete with a window (or maybe it's a door?)
Steve climbed down into an enclosed, rounded structure called a kiva. Note the convenient shelf for storage.
Probably the people chose this site for safety from enemies. They most likely grew crops on the land above.
Can you imagine tending a 2 year old while living there? I've often thought they must have tethered the children until they were old and wise enough to avoid the edge.
For photos and tales from other worlds, click here.

30 comments:

  1. Wow Janie.. that is amazing. One of my good friends stuck her feet and hands in all four states at Four Corners a few years ago. My sons also did a Vacation Bible School somewhere northeast of Four Corners --when they were teens. I didn't go---wish I had though!!!! Can't wait to get out there and explore that area!!! Totally amazing pictures. It really makes you think about those who lived there many years ago. Wooooo!!!
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  2. Great tour and captures. Looks like a well preserved site. If you were born there survival would depend on learning to stay away from the edge. Many cliff dwellings were accessed by hand and toe holes up to the top.
    Thanks for sharing. I'd love to see a rather undisturbed site like that.

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  3. It makes you wonder how the human race survived when you see some of the places they inhabited.
    Great tour and though I usually love history I'd have to pass on this one...far too scary.

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  4. Janie,
    I can't imagine those heights. I am not good with UP. How they survived is a point of wonder and respect for me.

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  5. Beautiful place.Excellent post and photos.

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  6. Hi Janie, I love to read about all the historical places you discover. This is so interesting, yes it would have been a precarious place to have a toddler walking around on his unsteady, tiny legs. One sees every where in the world that people live in caves or have build in not accessible place to be better protected.

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  7. This is an ld ruin I'll probably never see in person so thanks so much for shoeing us some photos of it!

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  8. But Janie, who lived there? I love the place, I would have a field day exploring and imagining what it would be like tending a two-year old - or just oneself, for that matter - without falling down the cliff! How steep was it?

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  9. Beautiful. I've seen some of the ruins at Canyon de Chelly, which are more accessible but not quite as dramatic.

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  10. Wow - that first photo is truly awesome! Nature is magnificent.

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  11. It really made me think how they survived there and for how long? :) Oh well, life is simple.

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  12. These are great shots of such an interesting and beautiful place. I agree with you that they would almost have to tether toddler. Hard to imagine how it would work out otherwise.

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  13. you have much courage to hike around here! Thanks for your beautiful shots!

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  14. Really amazing and it gets me wondering how people lived on a harsh environment and survived with their kids. Hey, how did those dogs got there when it seems that path is very difficult to traverse?

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  15. Esther: The Anasazi people lived in cliff houses like this all over the 4 corners region, maybe 1000 years ago. I don't know how long this particular site was inhabited, but some were lived in for hundreds of years.
    The word Anasazi means "ancient ones" in the Navaho language. They are believed to be ancestors of today's Pueblo Indians.
    The drop-off from the ledge these dwellings are built upon is straight down, hundreds of feet. No one would survive a fall.

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  16. Marites: The dogs we've had are pretty good climbers. They can usually go anywhere a human can manage. Sometimes they have to be helped over a huge boulder, but most of the time they'll find a way around any obstacle. In this case, we were with 2 older dogs. They were cautious, but didn't have any problems.

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  17. 'tethered the children'! lol! Good idea though.

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  18. Looks well worth the effort to get to...what a wonderful place

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  19. What great pictures of a truly amazing site. Thanks for sharing it with us. I think it would be wonderful to be able to actually visit it in person.

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  20. Amazing adventure. Thanks for sharing with us.

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  21. wow! thank you for the amazing adventure!

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  22. I just love your tours! As far as living there in the long ago, I suppose it is a matter of adapting to one's environment. It will be interesting to see what the people of the far ahead think of our high-rise condos - ha! (not to mention our music...)

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  23. That is my husbands dream..right there..someday!
    Thanks for the view
    KK

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  24. You wouldn't catch me up there!! It's so beautiful there but from afar, if you don't mind.

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  25. What a wonderful place! Thank you for this great post.

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  26. Wow - I'm sure all those tethered children grgew up to be great landscape painters.

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  27. We have gone into some of these kind of caves and cliff dwellings and yes your right about the children, i wonder how the level of stress was for these people with toddlers. I could not imagine having kids in some of these places that we have been to see.
    Great photos

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  28. Yes, a nightmare! I've never been afraid of places like this... until I had children. No, I cannot imagine the 2-year-old being raised there. Maybe it was like a hot stove and they learned early. My fear with kids is just that they are so daring and think they are invincible. They don't always see danger. I could probably never take my kids there until they are MUCH older. A shame because we live close.

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  29. Oh my, I'm overwhelmed! What a beautiful mystical place!

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