Going Back in Time

It's interesting to think what life was like 50 years ago (heck, I can even remember that a bit).  But 100 years ago?  How about more than 1000 years ago!  That's where we were transported when we visited Chaco Culture National Historical Park, in the middle of nowhere, NM.

To get to nowhere, you must of course travel along 16 miles of increasingly poorly maintained roads. Otherwise you might think you were going somewhere ;-)

Really Bad Road, Chaco Culture National Historical Park (NHP), Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

We Survived!, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Could Be Worse, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So we survived the trip.  And as you can see by the above photo, it must have been worse for the other guy ;-)  It was a little daunting to see a sign at the beginning of this sojourn "Campground May Be Full - Have Alternate Plans".  What might those be?  Turning around and driving back out at night?  Egad.  Fortunately, we found a spot to camp.  And the next day, took a rather warm hike along the canyon wall.

Time Travel Machine, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Time for a Sunny Walk, Wijiji Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Canyon Walls, Wajiji Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Impressive Masonry, Wajiji Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Pictograms (look carefully), Wajiji Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The Chaco Culture National Historical Park was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Center in 1987.  The Chacoan people were the ancestors of the various Pueblo peoples that later lived throughout the region.  This location housed community buildings and trading routes covering a vast area.  And this Fajada Butte was considered the center of the center.  

Center of the Center, Fajada Butte, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Tuning In, Una Vida Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Colorful Lizard, Una Vida Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Nice Hike, Una Vida Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Petroglyphs, Una Vida Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The following day, I went out again around sunrise to take one of the longer hikes (Pueblo Alto).  I didn't realize it was a hike that took me up onto the mesa, thought a hidden, narrow, crevice with just enough width to get through and on top.  The views were amazing, and gave a good perspective of the size of these community building ruins.

Hidden Stairway to Mesa, Pueblo Alto Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Looking Down at Sunrise, Pueblo Alto Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Massive Buildings and Kivas, Pueblo Alto Trail, Chaco Culture NHP, Nageezi, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

And once again, if you have the bandwidth to watch a 43 second video, this might give you a little more perspective:

Overall, a very interesting place, which gets you thinking of what it must have been like living back from 850-1250AD.  They did not have horses or pack animals, and were not using the wheel.  And yet they traveled great distances and created these massive buildings for which foundations are still visible and show the incredible craftsmanship.  They also were studying astronomy.  Pretty interesting to imagine.