Bandelier National Monument
Last Sunday we went to Bandelier National Monument, less than an hour’s drive northeast of Santa Fe. It was a scenic drive through canyons and mesas, with snow-covered mountains in the distance. We were near Los Alamos, one of the formerly secret sites of the Manhattan Project. Most of the landscape was wild, though we did drive past a couple of housing developments - probably bedroom communities for employees of Los Alamos National Labs.
Pueblo Loop Trail
Nearly 1,000 years ago, Ancestral Pueblo people lived in Bandelier. Several hundred of them lived in Frijoles Canyon, where bright green cottonwood trees grew along a stream. As we hiked through the canyon, we saw the excavated remnants of the ancient village. What looked like a stone-lined well was really a kiva, an important meeting place that formerly had a wooden roof. At the canyon walls, we climbed ladders to explore the cavates (natural openings, widened by humans) that were used for homes and food storage. Long House was once a multi-story stone box built in front of the cavates, and hugged the cliff for a hundred yards. Only the stone foundations remained, but we could see the holes that had been dug into the canyon wall to support the vigas (wooden beams). There were dozens of petroglyphs (drawings carved into the rock). Steve insisted that some of them depicted aliens and spaceships. Surely there are many who would agree.
Alcove House
At the end of the trail, we crossed the creek and hiked to Alcove House, a very large opening 140 feet above the canyon floor. We had to climb a series of long wooden ladders and steep stone steps. We found that by getting into a rhythm with the opposite hand and foot, the ladders weren’t too difficult. Alcove House was large enough for a kiva and homes for 25 people. The view from the top was impressive, but what an effort to get to it!
We took advantage of the great weather and drove home with the top down. It was exhilarating to have an unobstructed view of the canyons, mesas, and mountains. What a great time of year to be in New Mexico!
