Bandelier -- Wed, July 1st

 

As long as we were in the vicinity, we wanted to see Bandelier National Monument, about an hour south of Ghost Ranch where our campsite is.  Jimmy and I have experienced Mesa Verde NP, as well as Hovenweep, Aztec Ruins, and Canyon de Chelly (all National Monuments), but we always learn something when we go to a new place and today was no exception.

Bandelier NM was established in 1916 and covers 33,655 acres!  

The people who settled in Frijoles Canyon are known as the ancestral Puebloan people, and the canyon was occupied from about 1150 to 1550 CE.  Archeological surveys show at least 3,000 sites in Bandelier, but not all were inhabited at the same time.  By the mid-1500's, the people who lived here moved on, settling into new homes in villages along the Rio Grande.

The sign at this point read:  "Welcome to the Tyuonyi pueblo."  Tyuonyi had over 400 rooms, one-to-two stories high.  About 100 people lived here, with another 400 residing in the cliffs above.  Tyuonyi is one of many pueblos in Bandelier -- most of the others remain unexcavated at the request of today's Pueblo people.  (who knew?)

The Ranger at the VC suggested Jimmy and I give the 1.4-mile Pueblo Loop Trail a try, insinuating that it might be too much for old folks like us!  Heh!  So, we set off on the trail, past the Big Kiva, Tyuonyi, and up to the cliff dwellings.  Sure, it was "warm," and in full sun, but we had water and were all set.

To people like us who live in Twentieth Century homes, living in cliff dwellings is just plain odd, but the people made do with their environment.  Cliff dwellers have been around for eons, finding shelter as they can.

I wondered how the name Bandelier came about.  The monument is named for Adolph Bandelier, a Swiss, who came to Frijoles Canyon in 1880, guided by a Puebloan.  It's sheer cliffs, year-round stream (dry today) and cave-room architecture inspired him. 

In these rock figures I see ...

maybe a king and queen listening to their people.

Yes, we can climb ladders ... carefully.  Visitors were allowed to go into a few of these cavates (CAVE-ates) which were dug out of the cliff wall.  The cliffs are volcanic tuff, which is soft, but imagine carving caves with only stone tools!

Okay.

In this room (cave-kiva), above, you could climb up and look in, but that was about it. The park service had to close off most of the room due to vandalism (and disrespect).

 

We climbed a few switchbacks on the Frey trail, to a bench where we could survey all in front of us, as you see above.  Very peaceful.

High up, this little cactus clump clings to the cliff. 😊

The lady above - Evelyn Frey - had quite a life here at Bandelier.  I hope you'll enlarge the pic to read about her.  She was quite an adventuress, and she loved this place.  Look here for more:  Evelyn Frey

No moving water today, just a stagnant mosquito-breeding water hole.

These guys were so good, everywhere they went.

Be nice to restart the program.

We finished the loop trail and enjoyed our walkabout.  This pic is at the Frijoles Canyon Overlook, and wayyyyy down there is the canyon.  What a fantastic site!

Oh, New Mexico!  You astound us!

(on our way back to Tergel)

We stopped at Cafe Sierra Negra for a meal, somewhere between lunch and dinner -- a good choice, the food was delicious.  And then, after dinner the sky lit up, a dazzling display.  We even had a few raindrops touch Tergel's roof, but most of the rain that falls from these clouds is Virga and little or none reaches the ground.

Ah, another great day!