2018-13
Bloomfield New
Mexico
Aztec
Farmington
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| Navajo Lake State Park, New Mexico |
Campground: Navajo
Lake State Park. $4 for electric, since I have the yearly park pass.
30 amp electric w/water and lake views. Three campgrounds, two on
lake, one, Cottonwood, is below the dam along the river. Nice shaded
sites.
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| high up on a cliff overlooking the lake |
Distance traveled: 79 miles
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| the marina has had a $3 million dollar upgrade with lots of options for getting out on the water, dining and houseboat rentals |
Again, I’ve been
in this area previously visiting Chaco Canyon NP, Salmon Ruins and
Aztec Ruins. All great ancient pueblo sites and history. I’m
hoping to explore more remote sites, weather permitting as I only
have a two wheel drive truck and the dirt roads can become slick and
treacherous with some rain expected this week.
Speaking of
treacherous, there are three ways to get to Navajo Lake, hwy 527, 539
and 511. I took hwy 539 and ended up driving across the high earthen
dam. A narrow half moon shaped road with steep drop off’s on
either side of the dam. No guard rails either. Fortunately, no
traffic was on the crossing, as I drove right down the center of the
two lane road, towing the camper. Not a good route for anyone with
vertigo or fear of heights. The other main route hwy 511 will bring
you on a route taking one up or down the steep sloping side of the
earthen dam. Another route that has no guard rails on the exposed
side of the road. But a bit more doable. Coming down the side of
the dam, I often wait for no traffic coming up the dam side and drive
again right down the middle of the two lane road. Less stress for
sure.
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| the cottonwoods early spring growth along the San Juan River below the dam |
What I do just to
get a pretty campsite sometimes. Actually the Cottonwood campground
down on the lower rivers edge would be great especially during hotter
weather as it has lots of shade among the cottonwood trees and close
to the river where fly fishing is very popular.
With the recent rain
showers, I’ve enjoyed the scent of the cedar trees and sage brush
coming through the open windows of the truck. As well as the subtle
fresh smell of rain in a dry desert environment. Isn't retirement
great when you have the time to enjoy the simplest of pleasures.
I picked up my mail,
which I usually have delivered along the way, general delivery to the
local post office. I had 9 letters containing medical bills. I
always wait until I receive the providers bill as well as Blue
Cross/Blue shield billings.. If they match, I pay the bill. And I
received new checks so I must be rich again, cause I have a slew of
new checks to use. Yippee.
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| the small community Navajo Dam below the dam |
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| neat painting by local artist/owner of many business's in the Navajo Dam settlement |
With the recent news
about the two black men who were put in handcuffs for sitting in a
Starbucks without ordering anything and being refused access to the
restrooms, I’ve noticed most all businesses out west have large
signs indicating that “No Public Restrooms” available. Yet, when
I go inside, no one questions me when I say I’m going to use the
restroom before ordering lunch, or what ever.
I’ve checked with
the local BLM regional office as well as the Forest Service office in
the area asking about locations for free camping, or other park
campsites in the area. I must say, they were less than forthcoming
with information. The BLM guest services guy even looked at me like
I was asking a crazy question. I guess I’ll have to rely on
Internet searches and Facebook groups for help.
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| many oil and gas rigs throughout this area |
This area of New
Mexico (north west corner of the state) has lots of oil and gas
wells throughout the region. They tell me it’s not as busy as
previous boom years, yet I do see lots of white service trucks with
their distinctive red/orange flags driving along all back roads
servicing those oil wells and the many pipelines that crisscross the
landscape. There’s even a well fenced in in the center of the
campground I’m at. When eastern oil wells lower their prices,
often these wells are temporarily closed down until prices go back
up, making it profitable to once again pump oil and gas deposits.
I visited the
Farmington visitor center and museum. They have an interesting
display on dinosaurs as this region is noted for many dinosaur bone
discoveries. A neat display showed one such find that included the
skin of a duckbilled dinosaur. With a touch and feel display… how
cool. Also they found a fossilized duckbill that was later CT-scaned
and they were able to recreate a 3D model of the duckbill head and
produce the sound it might have made. Listening to the deep rich
sounds like a bassoon instrument was like being transported back 66
million years to the time when it walked the land and made it’s
unique calls.
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| first time I've seen a fossil of dinosaur skin, wow |
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| and had a replica that simulated the actual sound the duckbill dinosaur might have made |
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| the trading post became a link between the Indian culture and the white man's culture |
Bisti / De-Na-Zin, a BLM Wilderness area.
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| Bisti De-Na-Zin Wilderness |
Talk about a drive
into the country. From my campsite at Navajo Lake through Bloomfield
and Farmington, I headed south on hwy 371 for about 30 minutes. This
in Navajo Nation Land and contains many of those circular irrigated
farm lands. All controlled by the Navajo Nation. The land
previously was high desert, dried out short prairie grasses. The
Wilderness area sits on one side of the highway, with a parking lot
about a mile in along a rough dirt road. Forget trying to keep the
truck clean while out here. After parking and checking out some
signage with a map of the area, I took off hiking into this
inhospitable landscape. A number of other explores were also
wandering the unusual scenery, passing each other, we reminded each
other to be careful and not get lost. As there are not paths to
follow and after walking a distance from the parking lot, one could
easily become disoriented. The morning was actually a perfect as the
temperatures were very cool, with a crystal clear blue sky and no
wind. This landscape could become unbearably hot on most summer days
in a very short amount of time. Without any paths to guide one to
the more notable sites, I did not stay all that long. Walking into
bare canyons, noting the harsh dry ground and odd formations was
enough for me in small doses.
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| a most strange landscape |
Besides, I was ready
to go into Farmington a rather nice sized town with lots of decent
restaurants and shops.
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| heading back to Farmington |
Simon Canyon
Back at the
campsite, Navajo Lake, the next day I was able to do a much closer
hike into Simon Canyon. Driving down through the small community
below the dam, past the Cottonwood campground with all of the
cottonwood’s showing off their new light green leaves, along a
three mile sandy dirt road. Stopping at the end of the road in a
parking lot. I would hike the little more than one mile each way, up
an old mining road to the top of the mesa, past an oil well derrick.
The path, if you could call it that, basically ran along the top edge
of the mesa overlooking Simon Canyon. Squeezing around boulders,
past pinon pines and cedar trees, stopping to marvel at the scenery,
I finally made it to the Navajo Pueblito. A 1700-1775 stone room
atop a large boulder. It would have contained perhaps a single
Navajo family and was considered remote and vulnerable to attack by
Apache in the area. A few years ago there was a sturdy rope hanging
down that one could climb up, using notches in the rock wall for feet
and hand holds. It’s considered in very good condition and even
still has it’s original log beamed roof. The National Park system
has stabilized it, to preserve it in such excellent condition.
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| hiking up the old mining road to the top of Simon Canyon |
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| cracked rock on edge of canyon |
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| the single room pueblito with original roof |
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| across the canyon, the moon is setting |
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| at one time there was a knotted rope you could climb since removed |
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| built by a Navajo family |
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| although it's not that old, 1700-1775, imagine a Navajo family building this just before our forefathers created the Document for Independence.... |
There are a number
of small pueblo settlements in the area all off the beaten path for
exploring, including over 300 sandstone arches. All requiring a high
clearance truck, preferably with 4 wheel drive.
I would have liked
to have joined a caravan to some remote archaeological sites the
curators of the Salmon Ruins adobe site in Bloomfield will be going
on in a couple of weeks, but it looks like I’ll be well on my way
out of the state by then.
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| early morning view of Navajo Lake |
But it will be time
to move onto the next destination, the south eastern corner of Utah.
With lots more adventures to come. After a busy morning getting an
oil/filter change and rotating the truck tires, I was also able to
pick up a few prescriptions for eye drops (glaucoma), have lunch and
get back to the campsite to enjoy a delightful afternoon overlooking
the lake.
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