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Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde -- A Running Thread
Posted By: Colorado CJ, 08-15-2013, 10:02 AM

I spent the last few days with my brother and nephew in the four corners area. We visited Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde, and a lot of country in between. It was a fun short trip, wish it could have been longer, but my Nephew had to get back in time for school to start.

As usual, I took a lot of photos. It will take me a while to process all the better photos and post them, so this will be a running thread with a few photos posted at a time.

We start at Chaco Canyon, an awesome area with some very neat history. I was surprised how few people where there, at times it was like we had the whole canyon to ourselves.


Here are the first two photos I've finished processing so far. This is Fajada Butte. The top of this butte is where the Anasazi sun dagger calender is located, but it is closed to the public :cry)





Later in the evening, we laid on the ground for a few hours, watching the night sky and catching about 30 meteors, a few being bright enough to leave vapor/smoke trails. Here's a shot I took during a lull in the meteor shower.




During the second day, we explored the different Great Houses in Chaco Canyon. These photos do NOT do them justice.

It is hard to believe these are 1000 year old ruins and hard to imagine the labor needed to form these individual stones, as well as cutting and hauling massive trees for hundreds of miles to this dry canyon, all by hand, and all by simple stone tools.

The back wall of Chetro Ketl





Pueblo Bonito is a HUGE structure that covers many acres. You can see where there were up to 4 story high rooms and massive kivas. There is a section that you can walk into and explore. It is awe inspiring to see it in person.




The black and white treatment didn't work for this one.





I'll be updating this post when I get more photos processed.

Last edited by Colorado CJ; 08-15-2013 at 01:56 PM.
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08-17-2013, 11:47 AM   #16
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QuoteOriginally posted by daacon Quote
Wow Wow Wow and more WOW- can you share you set up / details on the night star shot - it's beautiful.
Thanks! I was using my 14mm f2.8 set to f4, 6400 ISO and 25 second exposure. In post, I changed the curves a little and changed the opacity of the curve using the overlay blending mode until it looked right. I then changed the black point to get the night sky back to the normal darkness you see naked eye, instead of the overexposed blacks you get when doing long exposures.

Hope this helps!

QuoteOriginally posted by kerrowdown Quote
I like the first image a lot, well done.
Thank you!

QuoteOriginally posted by leptim Quote
Some really great shots CJ....
Thanks!

QuoteOriginally posted by Bob Harris Quote
Wonderful photography and narrative CJ, in all of our travels we have not visited here. I'm really not sure why but your photos made me put it on my list.
Thanks Bob. Just be sure to call ahead before you visit to check road conditions. There is around 25 miles of dirt road and it can get very slick/muddy if it rains. Also be sure to go by the route stated on the Chaco Canyon website. There are a lot of BIA roads out there that just turn to trails, and if you go in the back way (from west to east), you'll have to cross Chaco Wash, which gets like quicksand even if just slightly wet.

I didn't look at the website for the directions and ended up going the back way. Once I got to the wash, I tested it by walking and nearly got stuck out there . It was FUN though!

QuoteOriginally posted by monoloco Quote
Beautiful! Every image is spectacular, very well done. I particularly like the B&W images.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed them! I also like the B&W shots personally. The color versions look no where near as good and rather "flat" because of the time of day and nearly uniform coloration.

08-17-2013, 11:49 AM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by Sailor Quote
Gosh, I almost missed this thread - I'm sure glad I didn't. Those B&W landscapes knock me out.

Jer
Thanks Jer, really glad you like them! Just wish I shot more photos while there. This time, because I was with family, I really didn't spend much time taking photos, just exploring the area. I'll probably go back this winter for a purely photography related visit.

QuoteOriginally posted by normhead Quote
Some great images CJ... thanks for positing.
Thank you!

QuoteOriginally posted by Jimbo Quote
Beautiful location and beautiful images to match! Cheers JIM
Thanks Jim, more coming up!
08-17-2013, 12:20 PM   #18
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As we continue.... That evening and into the night the heavens opened up and it rained for a few hours. We had planned on staying at Chaco for the whole vacation, but my nephew has never been in the area and I wanted to show him just a little of Mesa Verde. So, the following morning, we packed camp and headed out. Because of the previous rain, there were a few muddy patches on the road that were slicker than snot. It made for a fun ~25 mile ride out of the park until we hit pavement. Good thing I had an all wheel drive car, even then we were a little sideways at times, it was FUN though, just glad we didn't get stuck.

Roughly 100 miles later, we arrive at Mesa Verde, in Southwest Colorado. This area is much different than Chaco. Instead of almost no people, Mesa Verde is PACKED with tourists from all over the world. Another difference is that Chaco is famous for its Great houses that are situated on open tableland, where Mesa Verde is famous for its Cliff Dwellings that tenuously cling to the side of cliffs, usually with a sheer vertical drop to the canyon floor. So, different construction techniques were used between the two as well as a completely different way of life for the Anasazi who lived here.

One other thing I liked about Chaco was that the whole place was open to explore at your leisure (you still need to stay on trails) I didn't see a park ranger anywhere during my visit. Mesa Verde, on the other hand, is a very structured environment with strict time tables and very little freedom to view the sites at your own pace. Many of the areas on top of the mesa are open to walk through without a guide, but just about every cliff dwelling has to be seen in a guided tour where the park ranger talks for 55 minutes and you only get one or two minutes at the end to take a few photos and look at the site. You are then ushered off to make room for the next group. Leaving little time to actually enjoy the site. Only a few of the thousands of sites are open to the public.

I understand why Mesa Verde has to be run like this though. There are so many people who visit on a daily basis that it really can't be run any other way. I MUCH prefer the "go at your own pace" experience you get at Chaco though.

Enough rambling, on to the photos!

The first cliff dwelling we visited is Balcony House. This is a pretty fun cliff dwelling tour to go on as you have to climb tall wood ladders, crawl through tunnels and climb up the cliff face while all you have to hold onto is a chain set in the stone. Probably my favorite of the bunch. It is a smaller cliff dwelling, but is very well preserved.




Balcony House was built with defense in mind. Here is the original entrance to the alcove where the cliff dwelling is located. There are two 8-foot SMALL tunnels with a central area to stand in. We are bigger guys (not fat wise ) and have to go in sideways as our shoulders don't fit.

This was a defensive fortification built later in Balcony Houses occupation. It is theorized that someone was on guard in the central area of the tunnel, only letting those pass he recognized. All others had their heads caved in as they tried to crawl through.

My brother going into the tunnel




Next up, Cliff Palace. This is the largest cliff dwelling in the park. You access the alcove by a number of stairs, some carved from the native rock.




I REALLY wish I had more time here to take photos, without all the crowds getting in the way.




This is a shot taken from the entrance to a 4 story tower block. The original floors have crumbled, leaving some of the substructure behind. You can see on the third level how these structures were originally plastered. The plaster and decorative paint are untouched, original work from roughly 800 years ago.





Up next, Spruce Tree House and Spruce Canyon
08-19-2013, 07:18 PM - 1 Like   #19
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Time for the last few photos.

Later that day we went through the museum. The museum is filled with pottery, jewelry, stone tools, sandals and bits of woven cloth on display. It is a great place to spend some time in and sit in awe of what these people could accomplish with very rudimentary tools, especially the fine woven cloth.

Below the museum is Spruce canyon, in which Spruce Tree House sits. This is the one cliff dwelling that is open to everyone, no tours needed for this site. The downside to that is it is always crowded and it is hard to get photos without people in them.

Spruce Tree House sits in a very large, deep alcove. There are springs at the beginning of the canyon and a small stream runs down the center. It is almost a tropical environment with large trees and a lot of ground vegetation. The temperature in the cayon bottom is at least 20 degrees cooler than up on the mesa, I can see why they built here (I'd love to have a house there as well).







As I said, the alcove that Spruce Tree House sits in is very deep. There are alleyways and buildings going all the way back into the alcove. This must have really been neat looking when it was being occupied, fires lighting the alleys between buildings.




There is one reconstructed kiva at Spruce Tree House. It is interesting to go down into and see how they once made the roof structure. For some reason the fire pit and sipapu is not present in this kiva, probably to prevent the tourists from tripping.





After visiting Spruce Tree House for a while, my brother, nephew and I headed down the trail that takes you to the bottom of the canyon. It is a nice hike, and has a good view of the canyons.




That evening we laid in our bedrolls and watched the stars and fell asleep. I awoke in the early morning with a coyote yipping just a few feet away. He moved off after a few sniffs in the wind and I fell back asleep.

Well that's the end of the trip. I am hoping to get back out to the four corners this fall. Instead of exploring the ruins inside of parks though, I am planning on heading out to Cedar Mesa and Comb Ridge to hike into some of the lesser known areas where these cliff dwellings are very numerous and almost untouched since the Anasazi abandoned them 1000 years ago.

08-22-2013, 06:10 AM   #20
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really enjoyed this thread CJ, you were truly walking among the Ancients. Great photography as usual that we expect from you, thanks Bob
08-22-2013, 07:17 AM   #21
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Simply wonder-ful, CJ. Thanks for sharing this adventure!
08-22-2013, 06:14 PM   #22
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Chaco Culture National Monument is a wonderful site that opens mysteries to spirituality, archeology, and culture. My wife and I were moved by the richness of the ruins. We hiked several trails and enjoyed the nearly dark nights. It certainly is not heavily visited and thereby allows visitors to truly experience the early people's beliefs and society. We highly recommend this national monument to all. Just bring plenty of water and other essentials. As the signs warn all travelers there are no stores in the park. It was a highlight that we wil never forget.

08-22-2013, 06:26 PM   #23
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Fantastic series, really makes me want to go there as soon as possible. Lovely photographs.
08-23-2013, 06:19 AM   #24
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As others have mentioned what a great series ! Thanks for taking us along CJ.
08-23-2013, 10:08 PM   #25
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Superb photography and artistry. Thanks for posting.

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08-24-2013, 08:05 PM   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by Colorado CJ Quote
Thanks Bob. Just be sure to call ahead before you visit to check road conditions. There is around 25 miles of dirt road and it can get very slick/muddy if it rains. Also be sure to go by the route stated on the Chaco Canyon website. There are a lot of BIA roads out there that just turn to trails, and if you go in the back way (from west to east), you'll have to cross Chaco Wash, which gets like quicksand even if just slightly wet.
Your photos have just about convinced me to go to Chaco next month...now there is just the issue of getting the rental car stuck in the quicksand...


Steve
08-24-2013, 08:28 PM   #27
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Wonderful work. What a fantastic place - I'll have to add it to my list of places I may never get to. ;D Really like the night sky shot, though.
08-28-2013, 05:05 AM   #28
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Wow, really great shots and TFS ... J
08-28-2013, 05:17 AM   #29
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stunning venues, equally stunning captures... the dof and detail are outstanding, and the b+w processing really
makes these pop ..... dave m
08-28-2013, 06:20 PM   #30
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CJ, sort of ironic but Terri is reading a book called the Visitant about the Anasazi while they were at Chaco Canyon. She really enjoyed viewing your photos of the area and comparing them to the descriptions within the book.
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