Southwest Field Exploration Part 4/4

With the 2nd night coming to a peaceful end, I was happy to finally leave the campfire and get some sleep. I was exhausted. The first field day had kicked my ass and I fell asleep quickly. I had a weird dream about being an Anasazi traveling around the mesas but I couldn't remember it clearly. I got another amazing night of sleep and I woke up in the morning completely refreshed. There was once again ice on my tent however day 3 was extremely cold. As I stepped outside my tent, there were no clouds above and the sun was still on its way over to our side of the sphere. I put every bit of clothing on I had and went and made breakfast again. Everyone in the camp was groggy because of the cold and darkness but as soon as the sun came up everyone came back to life.

Giving a presentation before we left


Angie showing us how to read a map


Before we embarked out on our trip, we did another preliminary stretch. While stretching, Angie and Cody went through our days schedule and it was not as intensive as the previous day. This day we were going to hike to the top of the comb ridge and catch some views. Then we would get lunch and go to a final site before leaving back to camp. I spent a great bit of effort stretching... I would need it. At about 8:00 a.m., we took off on our adventure.

We first traversed onto the comb regions sandstone. We hiked a few miles south and searched for a high ridge to scale up. Once we found one, we began hiking up. This is where all that stretching paid off. We were going straight up a sandstone mountain. I was not used to this kind of hiking at all for it was also very difficult. One slip, and your going to have a rough tumble down. This was pretty extreme. The whole time, I was thinking how the ancient puebloans pulled this off. The didn't have sophisticated hiking boots or adequate equipment. However they managed to pull it off like no problem. For us however, it was a challenge. When we got to what I thought was the top, was only half way. I was exhausted and scared because of how high we went. But we had to keep going. There was one more ginormous from the Lion King. This rock was huge and we were going straight up it. On the inside I didn't want to do this but I had to.

Jake showing the instructors a sweet view


What I thought would take 10 minutes ended up taking almost 30 minutes to scale this crazy thing. When we got to the top, it wasn't the top. There would be still another hour of hiking to get to a point that see's over the ridge. Angie and Cody had miscalculated the trek and said we would have to reach the top of the ridge from our 1st site of the day. Since we spent so much effort hiking, we decided to hang out and see the incredible view while eating lunch. It was awesome to be eating lunch in the 80 degree weather, while still seeing mountains all around use covered in snow. It was almost very spiritual being up there. It was as if the Anasazi were right there showing us what life was like years ago. It was a great feeling, however I wanted to get down! I was getting weazy being that high up.

Pride Rock was HUGE


Lunch at the top of pride rock


presentations at the top of pride rock


Instead of going down, we began scaling the comb ridge sideways. Yes sideways. Angie and Cody knew that it would be easier to get to our site if we stayed relatively high up. So that was what we did for the next hour. When we got to the canyon we needed to be in, we hopped in and began working our way up again. Eventually we would hit our next site. This place was covered in crumbled sandstone and was very hard to move around. However, this site was not an actual site where these people lived. This was a place strictly covered in rock art and pictographs. They were everywhere. The presence of these people really made their appearance at this site.








After we spent about an hour checking out the site, We decided to work our way up to the top of the ridge once again. I didn't think we would make it to the top because of what happened earlier. Sooner than later, we hit the top and my stomach dropped. I was speechless by what I was seeing. Everything could be seen from 360 degrees of view. We continued to hike to the tip top and when we reached the tip top, I got super freaked out. The top of the ridge had a straight drop down of like 2000 feet. One mistake up there would be the last of you. I kept good footing and ground. When we took our group picture, it was the highlight of the trip. This view really touched me and I could just feel the puebloans sitting right there next to us.





After we spent time on the top ridge, it was time to head home. I had learned so much on this trip... What a great way to celebrate everything we did over the few days. The hike down was hard but it was more depressing than anything. I didn't want to leave.

Southwest Field Exploration Part 3/4

Continuing from part 2, we were just getting done with exploring the monarch ruin site. We moved out of the cave area and hung out on the rocks for lunch in the warm sun. While that was going on, Angie and Cody our instructors were giving us a lesson on the culture and behavior of the people that lived in Monarch cave 1000 years ago. We spent a great deal of time in deep conversations on what life may have been like for the people back then. Everyone had their opinions but I was under the assumption that my theories were right and theirs was wrong. Angie and Cody explained to me that in archaeology, everyone's opinion is accounted for. Because we don't really know exactly what went on, everyone's ideas are valid. The more I thought about it, the more I agreed with them.



After lunch, we had our last goodbyes and off we were again to another site. We spent the next hour straddling the cliffs trying to get on top of the comb range. Once we were finally out of the canyon and on the sandstone, the environment took a complete change. No longer was there water, life and plants around us. As soon as we got on the sandstone, it was a barren wasteland that went on as far as the eye can see. I was completely mind blown by how quickly things can change in a desert environment. It was simply incredible. The one thing I did like about this was how easy it was to travel. No longer were we hopping over streams, loose rock, steep cliffs, etc. We were simply taking the highway over to our next destination.



On our way to the 2nd ruin site, we passed a giant pond that was eroded into the rock. For me and the rest of the students, the water looked barren and lifeless. So we just passed it like it was no big deal. To Angie and Cody however, this waterhole was a desert concentration for life. They told us if we looked into the water for a few minutes, we would start to notice this waterhole come to life. Thats exactly what happened too. The more I looked into it, the more little creatures and bugs I began to see! Cody gave us a class presentation right on the spot. He opened up one of his books and read us an article on desert pond life. Time and time again would I be continually amused by this desert environment. There was just a sea of knowledge to be learned and we had barely chipped the paint.

Angie showing us the complex life systems in water holes


When we closed in on our 2nd destination of day 1, I was getting super tired. I had to fight my weakness for there was still the trek back. We hopped into another canyon and began walking deeper into it. Once again, the further we walked up the canyon, the more little artifacts I started to see on the ground. At this point I knew we were getting close. Sooner than later, we closed in on our destination. I am not sure of the name of the 2nd ruin site but boy was this one amazing! From what I could perceive, there was 2 levels on this site. The top level was beyond our capabilities of getting there but the lower level was open for our inspection. This site was much larger with a big emphasis on the brick style of structures. we found corrugated gray and elaborate black and white pottery. This led us to the conclusion that it was from the Pueblo III era.

this is the station where they would sharpen their work tools. Notice the indents in the soft sandstone


Behind the structures was the cliff dwelling. Under the cliff dwelling was an opening that went into a cave. This cave had to have significance to these people for it was huge. I could imagine the entire group that occupied these dwellings used to hang out in the cave during hot summers. It was so nice and cool to be inside the cave. Inside was loaded with pictographs and petroglyphs all across the inside wall. I was once again mind boggled.

its hard to see... but this is a petroglyph of a husband and impregnated wife


black and white pottery = Pueblo III Era

black and white pottery = Pueblo III Era

more cave paintings



When we hopped out of the cave, we began to explore more of the ruin site. This area was loaded with rooms and kivas. This led us to the conclusion that this site was officially Pueblo III. No more speculation at that point. It was known that it was a Pueblo III site. All along this cliff was kiva after kiva, room after room. This society was much larger than the monarch site. It was fascinating to see differences between eras all in one day! I felt so privileged to be able to visit sites like this. Sooner than later however, we had to begin our trek back to camp. I was already exhausted however it my legs weren't going to move without me telling them to so evidentally it had to be done. I was sad that we had to leave but also excited that there was still an extra day ahead of us!

The shortcut road home


Right before sunset, we made it back to camp. I cooked an incredible dinner and spent the rest of the evening with the group hanging out by the fire. Right before bed, Cody read us a story that was about an archaeologist who spent his life digging up these sites.





This concludes part 3/4

Southwest Field Exploration Part 2/4

The first night of sleep was amazing. I pitched my tent on some soft dirt and the ground was very comfortable. While I was sleeping, I was awoken by Angie. She was going from tent to tent waking everyone up for the big day ahead. For a second, I had thought I was dreaming. When I looked outside, it was still pitch black but everyone was walking around the campground looking like zombies. Apparently I wasn't dreaming. She had woken us up before sunrise! When I crawled out of my tent, I couldn't see a thing. I went in to grab my headlamp. When I turned it on, I noticed ice had collected on my tent! It was extremely cold for being in the desert. I put on every layer I had in my backpack to combat the frigid air. Everyone in our camp grouped up in the kitchen area. Together we had a nice little breakfast cookout going and the smell of bacon and eggs was prominent. I managed to get some hot tea in my system and the cold began to dissipate. It was still dark though. When we finished eating breakfast, the sun had managed to break over the ridge shedding its warmth.

Awake before sunrise


As soon as there was sun was shining on camp, the temperature had risen drastically. Within 20 minutes of the sun being out, I got extremely hot. I managed to shed everything down to shorts and a t-shirt and finally I was comfortable again. Our instructors Angie and Cody gave us an introduction for the day. We were going to check out two ruin sites. While they were talking, we were going through an extensive stretch session. We would be spending the rest of the day hiking through some rough terrain. I packed up my day pack, and was ready to go.




After we departed from camp, I was eager to explore this unfamiliar Utah terrain. For me this was alien territory. For Angie and Cody, it was the back of their hand. Thank god they knew where they were going because I sure as hell didn't. We hiked along the trail for about an hour and we saw a cow! A lonely cow he was however he was terrified of us. We had to make a little detour to avoid him but he took off the second he had the chance. We really were in the middle of buck nowhere.

beautiful canyon creek


About 2 hours into the hike, we approached into a canyon. We managed to walk along the bottom and there was a nice stream of water going through. Down in the bottom of the canyon was nice and cool, away from the hot sun. About 20 more minutes into the hike we approached our first destination. I knew we were getting close to the ruin site because people in our group were finding chunks of broken pottery everywhere. Surely enough, we arrived at our destination. There was a steel box with a notebook inside it. It was a log for who has been to the cave.



From far away this ruin site looked incredible. The structures that used to be there had unfortunately crumbled over time. However enough of the ruin was in tact for us to see how these people lived. In all honesty, its amazing that the structures were in this good condition because its almost 1000 years old. At this point there was artifacts everywhere! The artifacts we were finding were mainly pieces of broken pottery but we managed to see remains of old tools and ropes etc...

Piece of pottery


view of the cave

Angie and students scaling the steep cliff


When we managed to get up inside the ruin, the view was stunning. The people that lived in this cave were genius. They were right above a rain drainage for fresh water. The location of the cave was inside a massive piece of sand stone. This means there is only a 1 way route to the cave so they can spot outsiders approaching their territory. Inside the cave was rich with cave paintings and artifacts. We had to be extremely careful not to touch much but it was so tempting not too! There was even some corn cobs that still had teethmarks in them! AMAZING! Check out these pictures.

Picture of me

cave paintings

untouched corn


To me, this looked like some old ruin. To Angie and Cody though, was a complete different story. They knew so much about these people and how they lived. It was such a treat listening to them talk about their culture. Never was I ever so intrigued by something in a long time. This was an experience of a lifetime.



After we got our detailed look at the ruin, we moved into the sun to have some lunch. It was such a nice day at this point. Everyone was snacking on their lunches while Angie and Cody conducted a class presentation right on the spot. It was great being able to sit in the sun, take notes and listen to them talk about these incredibly interesting people.

Angie conducting class in the sun


This concludes the end of part 2.

Southwest Field Exploration Part 1/4

Last semester a friend of mine had told me about an archaeology class offered at CMC. I was skeptical on enrolling in the class because archaeology never really interested me. At the time, I already had enough classes on my plate and I wasn't interested. So I kindly declined his proposal, I didn't want to take the class. And that was that... About a week after my Snow Orientation class, I was exhausted and burnt out from backpacking in the winter. My body was eager to get the hell away from snow for a few days. At the same time that was happening, my buddy came back to me letting me know that that archaeology class had an open spot. He really wanted me to join this for some reason. Once he had informed me that it included backpacking in the desert, I was sold. So I enrolled in the class. I should have asked more about the class itself, but I didn't care at the time. I just wanted to go someplace warm and learn some stuff. The class was called Southwest Field Exploration.

Walking into the first day of class I was eager to see what it was all about. Our teacher Angie Krall, told us that Southwest Field Exploration is a class that introduces the social, religious, economic and cultural development of the Ancestral Puebloan peoples of the southwest commonly known as the Anasazi. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I previously had no idea what archaeology was even about. I was just scared of its technical term. I actually showed a major interest in archaeology the more she talked about the class. Within the first 10 minutes of her introduction, I was hooked. The class included traveling to Utah, backpacking into remote canyons, practicing archaeological interpretation, and visiting ancient ruins, artifacts and rock art. I was very excited. I knew that I was going to learn a lot while having fun in the process.

Our day of departure began on March 26, at 7:00 a.m. Everyone met in the lower monson parking lot to load up the gear. Because we were car camping, I had packed a ton of incredible food because I was redeeming myself for how poorly I packed on Snow O. Anyway, our first stop on the drive was in Moab, Utah AKA jeep country USA. The only vehicles in Moab were 4-wheel drive. It consisted mainly of huge jeeps or monster trucks. We were about 5 hours away from steamboat, with another 2.5 more to go. We grabbed a quick lunch and were back on the road. Thankfully I was able to catch some z's in the car so the drive was not bad at all. Our 2nd stop was in Monticello Utah. Angie went to the park ranger office to pick up the group permit for our stay. There were some complications with paperwork so we got delayed about 45 minutes, but soon enough we were on the home stretch. Our final destination was in Bluff Utah. We made way to a campground deep in the Comb Region.

It was getting dark so we set up camp quickly. I was surprised at how cold it was too. As soon as the sun went down in that desert, it went from 80 degrees, to a freezing 28 degrees. That was shocking for me. Luckily, I was prepared and had my winter jacket. It was ironic that everyone was running around in the sand and dirt covered in winter clothing. I made myself a quick dinner on my incredible new MSR vortex stove. With a full stomach and a tired body, I hit the hay. I was very excited for the next day.

This would be my home for the next 4 days


To be continued...

Happy Gaper Day!

If you live in a ski town, you deal with thse people everyday. If you own a season pass, they're most likely going to get in your hair. CMC students run into them every day and we we can't avoid them no matter how hard we try to. They’re the people in tight jeans with cowboy hats and 70's gear standing in the middle of the run, taking pictures of the resort.

However, without them, every local would be out of a job. They bring so much revenue and money to the resort, they are a very vital aspect of the resorts survival. With that being said, there is a special day dedicated to the celebration of gapers (good or bad) called gaper day. This holiday occurs every April 1st and is like Halloween for mountain town locals. It gives everyone a chance to dress up all hideous and have a great day of spring fun on the mountain.

Spring was far from it today in Steamboat however. This morning, we woke up to about a foot of fresh on gaper day. We have been blessed to have this last powder day for the 2009/2010 season.