3. Monument Valley KOA
Welcome back. The Ride
"Life Elevated." For sure. Again, the "journey" provided me with an endless number of "Wow" moments. From 4,000' to 7,500' in elevation, roads disappeared into the horizon again and again. The scenery and its different rock formations constantly changed every few miles. I've been to the depths of caverns and the bowels of a dam; to the heights over peaks and now, in Monument Valley, I'm in a place "Where Time Stands Still." Let photos tell the story:
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| Spectacular views |
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| The drive from to one horizon... |
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| ...after another... |
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| ...after another. |
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Site 47 in KOA run by Katy and daughter Chloe. Two weeks into owning the franchise.
Originally from Ellenville, NY and recently from South Carolina. |
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My view across the road
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| A sunset in Utah around 7:30 p.m. first night. |
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| ..and its reflection off the mesa in front of me. |
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| Sunset 2nd night |
The following day, Tuesday, March 15th at 8:00 a.m., I was ready for my day's outing, a private tour with the "Monument Valley Tribal Tours." or, in the Navajo language, "Tsé Bii'Ndzigaii (The Valley Within the Rock.) Truly, a place where the Earth meets the Sky.
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My new friend for the day, Larry Team, a full blooded Navajo tour guide picked me up at
the KOA office. We would travel to Visitor's Center to pick up two more people. |
What a nice guy. He told me each tour guide, all Navajos, have their own presentation about the land and the culture. He soon became bored of the same presentation and decided to share knowledge he'd gained by listening to his "grandpa." I also learned, at 14, he left his parents to reside in a "dormitory" to get his education. His electives were the Navajo language and the culture. Twice married, he's a grandparent, lives 45 miles south of where he works and owns 20 head of cattle and some sheep which he enjoys tending to after a day's work. He would sell one to purchase hay/feed for the rest.
Although the KOA campground is in Utah, the tour was entirely in the Navajo Nation, the Arizona part whose border is about three miles to south. Being in that Nation requires obeyance of their laws. They vote every two years for a President but follow all the U.S. Federal laws in addition to their own. After Larry took my temperature, I needed to have a mask on in and out of the vehicle...although Larry gave the okay to remove while outside when we stopped and took photos of all the sites he shared. Before entering Monument Valley, I had to pay $20.00 for a 48-hour pass as he registered at the entrance. The Navajo Nation is close to 30,000 square miles and where we traveled (in Monument Valley) there were only 12 original families. The afternoon portion of the tour took us into Mystery Valley.
After driving to the Visitor's Center to meet Chris and Dean who were from Prince Edward County in Ontario Canada, we were on our way. I've selected just a few of the 100± incredible photographs of what I've seen for this blog. I received a wonderful Navajo education from Larry, a WOW day for sure. Every monument, butte, and mesa had a name, most derived from Harry Goulding who settled here in the 1920's. Of all the named monuments, only one bears a name given by the Navajo. Larry knew the names of each and every one of them. At one point on our tour, while parked in front of a majestic monument, Larry shared a ten minute talk on the Navajo Creation beliefs and history including that dark period in our history that's referred to as the "Death March" or "The Long Walk"; the history of the WWII Code Talkers, the last of whom passed away in 2014. Much handed down from his grandpa. Truly fascinating.
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| Monuments l. to r: Praying Hands, Sentinel Mesa, Rabbit Ears, King on the Throne |
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Ford's Point named after filmmaker, John Ford and site of
many John Wane movies. |
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From that point you see the nuns or the Three Sisters monument. The left one has the hood
with hands clasped |
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As in most tourist areas, tables bearing Navajo crafts and jewelry abound.
This site near the Three Sisters had some pets as well. |
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Thunderbird Monument: Indian head facing to the right
with feathered winds sprawling down toward the lower left |
Passing by the Hogan Village, we saw the two types constructed of Juniper or cedar, bark, sand and water for dried mud. Doors must always face east. The two types are the dome shaped or Female Hogan and the cone shaped or Male Hogan. Today, they're used more for ceremonial occasions. In summer they're usually 20% cooler inside and in winter, a small fire's heat will be retained. In the Navajo culture, there is always balance. The Female Hogan is where the young female stays when her menstrual cycle begins and the Male Hogan or 'sweat box' is where the young male stays upon the onset of puberty.
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| Female Hogan |
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| Male Hogan |
Each natural arch that had an opening at the top had its own name. Chris, Dean, and Larry climbed the steep slopes to stand beneath a few of them.
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| The Sun's Eye Arch |
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I stayed at the bottom took pictures and cheered them on.
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The afternoon tour took us into Mystery Valley where the Anasazi (Navajo for "Ancient Enemy") once lived. Their disappearance remains a mystery but their existence long ago is a sore point to the Navajo who do not recognize them as their ancestors. Today, it's believed the the Hopi, Zuni and Pueblo Indians trace their lineage back to the Anasazi. Read about them HERE.  |
A tourist with another group and her Silver Lab; in the bright sunlight it's fur
took on a greenish tint. A very unusual sight. |
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| They were also entertained by a Navajo musician. |
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When manganese within the iron rich sandstone combines with water, rocks take on a
patina or "desert varnish" into which petroglyphs are scratched. Larry brought us to
many rock formations with such etchings |
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| Pottery shards remain at one site near petroglyphs. |
Note the dark red, iron rich sand. For the Navajo, red is a sacred color and is important in the four stages of their life. Before birth, a mother will rub the cradle board to bless the beginning of the child's life. At the moment of the first laugh, the child has the red sand rubbed on its cheek; when the female child enters puberty, she is once again 'anointed' with sand and finally, upon death, the red sand is applied before burial.
Thanks for taking the time to read. I tried to keep this one short and sweet. So much learned.
Turquoise, the "Stone of Life," for example. While driving, Larry showed us a nugget he carries in his wallet. I decided I too would carry a nugget for health, happiness and fortune. But obtaining one was not easy. I wanted a nugget not a piece of jewelry. This "living mineral" is found in New Mexico. It was on my way to Colorado when I stopped at Four Corners Monument. There I found an elderly Navajo seated at her kiosk selling jewelry. I asked for just a small nugget. No, she had nothing like that. She then rummaged through her things, found one and gave it to me. I offered payment and she declined, thus making it more special for me. See you there in Ouray.
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Sunday I had purchased tickets for a tour of Cave of the Winds. This also proved to be another one of those "Wow" adventures. And it's yet another "accidental discovery". The ancient Apaches spoke of a cave near Manitou Springs where the Great Spirit of the Wind resided. Two brothers, George and John Picket, were the ones whose candles flickered near a crevice in the rocks and the rest is history which can be read about from the link above. "Slim Jim," manager and himself a spelunker, was our guide. As for photos, lots taken, few shared.
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