We headed back the 30+ miles to Canyonlands National Park for the day and evening. It seems that today is the day for exploring ancient dwellings. We started out with a 2.1 mile mile out to the Aztec Butte. It was a 500 foot climb to the top of the steep butte. The climb up the butte was all on slickrock and on at least one occasion, Matt had to take my pack so I could make it up the steep section. It was well worth the climb to see 3 ancient grainaries that are estimated to be construction in 1200 AD. I'll have photos of it later on.
The second hike was to a site that is not normally on the map. It is considered an archaeological site that is only available if you ask for it by name. The hike is not well marked so we had to constantly watch the trail markers when they existed. The first part of the hike was fairly easy, but to actually get into the site was a bit of challenge. We had to hike down about a 1000 feet and then back up through boulders and loose rock to the alcove hanging in the middle of the sheer rock. The hike definitely made us think of how hearty the Ancient Puebloans must have been. However, the site and solitude were well worth it.
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| What a peaceful, quiet place - The size and grandeur of the alcove seems at home with the simplicity of the structure - What a perfect balance |
We ended the evening by doing a sunset shot of Green River Overlook and eating our picnic dinner on a site near the overlook.
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