2018-13 Bloomfield, Aztec and Farmington New Mexico

2018-13

Bloomfield New Mexico
Aztec
Farmington

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.

high up on a cliff overlooking the lake

Distance traveled: 79 miles

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.

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.

the small community Navajo Dam below the dam

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.

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.

first time I've seen a fossil of dinosaur skin, wow

and had a replica that simulated the actual
sound the duckbill dinosaur might have made

the trading post became a link between the Indian culture
and the white man's culture

Bisti / De-Na-Zin, a BLM Wilderness area.

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.

a most strange landscape

Besides, I was ready to go into Farmington a rather nice sized town with lots of decent restaurants and shops.

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.

hiking up the old mining road to the top of Simon Canyon

cracked rock on edge of canyon

the single room pueblito with original roof

across the canyon, the moon is setting

at one time there was a knotted rope you could climb
since removed

built by a Navajo family

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.

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.

More photos:

Bisti / De-Na-Zin

Simon Canyon

Navajo Lake and Farmington