In the footsteps of the Anastazi / Anasazi
CHAPTER 16

                 "scenes from the Rio Cuervo in New Mexico"



CHAPTER 16

TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

It was June 29th 2002 and 100 degrees in the shade. On this day I ventured out alone. This is always a scare as if anything goes wrong with the car, or a fall or a snake bite... I will be on my own to make it back. I had been wanting to check out the area north of the crow springs canyon and the two ponds. It was so dry as a result of the 30 year drought that two pond is now one very small pond. I left the ranch road and drove off road about two miles. I left a sign at my departure point indicating the direction I was going. I parked the car on the desert top mesa and began my hike to the edge of the mesa and the canyon walls. Except for a stampede of wild horses and one lame and wary burro most of the wild life was a rest in the shade. I had walked about two miles to reach the tree line and the edge of the canyon wall. The view was great as you can see.

It was not until I had made my way down the canyon wall and out into the canyon below that I had time to pause and look back. There it was! In the lip of the canyon next to the water shed.

The dwelling was hidden in the shelf of the sandstone wall just like Mesa Verde.

There was only one way up to it and that was in the gulley formed by the rain run off. There was a new tree growing in the gulley. I could make my way back up and around the tree to the dwellings.

As soon as you pass the tree you are in the shade and the temperature drops what feels like 30 degrees.

The dwelling is bigger than it looks. There seems like hundreds of years of black silt from the fire pit in side. A small round hole in the floor lined with rocks serves as the fire pit.



This dwelling is nestled in the hill protected from above, below and on all sides. The oncoming view is fantastic. I will come back and explore some more.





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THE AMMONITES WE FIND
COMING SOON THE ANIMALS, SCENERY, POTTERY, FOSSILS...
copyright 2000/2001/2006 Chuck Dawson Corrales NM
 

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