Sometimes planning a hike and figuring out a route can be as rewarding as reaching the destination itself . . . so was the case for this adventure. After nearly a year of researching directions to the ruins, finding their exact location, and waiting for a nice winter day, the hike finally happened.
We invited John, a friend from work and an avid hiker, to accompany us on this 13-mile (r/t) trek. John wanted to try for a
Wave permit, so he "spotted" us an hour (2-mile) head start with a goal of seeing if he could catch us. Surprisingly, he caught us at the six-mile mark just as we were about to head to the ruin alcove . . . perfect timing that capped off a perfect day and a perfect plan!
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We were pleasantly surprised to find a nice trail leading to the top of the mesa . . .
From Google Earth it looked like an abandoned road, but in reality, was a well maintained trail |
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Kent is nearing a most prominent white teepee formation just below the mesa summit
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View from the top of the teepee looking south . . . such a gorgeous day!
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| Need I say more . . . this hike involves a lot of sand! |
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Now it's time to begin our four-mile trek across the sandy mesa . . .
The trail "petered" out after a mile or so and then we were on our own |
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| Great views as we walk a narrow slit between two canyon drainages |
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We have arrived at the canyon were the ruins are hidden . . .
This is where John "caught us" and we made the final scramble down to the alcove |
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| Here we go . . . this should be fun! |
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| We worked our way up through this brushy drainage |
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Wow, there they are!
About a half dozen fully intact ruins with six foot walls and even a kiva . . . pretty cool! |
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| Pottery shards and an ancient corn cob |
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The walls are very well constructed and have stood the test of time
We were very impressed with the windows and the flat stones they used for the sills |
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| A small opening looks back towards from where we have come |
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| An assortment of pottery shards |
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| Perfectly curved walls . . . all were missing their roofs |
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| They incorporated wood, rock and mortar for the door frames |
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Doesn't this looks like a sewing needle?
Whether it was or not, please remember to leave all artifacts as you found them |
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It was interesting to find a small seep flowing out the base of the sandstone alcove . . .
We're assuming this is a perennial flow . . .
So, they might have had water without having to descend to the canyon floor
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What a unique place for the Ancestral Pueblo people to build their dwellings . . .
An alcove that provided protection for them and their homes, along with a water source . . .
Very nice! |
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| What a great place for lunch! |
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| Allison & Kent . . . we made it! Now we just have to get back! |
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| Beautiful sandstone wall of the alcove |
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Kent is showing John some other Kanab area landmarks
(or maybe he's pointing out the jet in the sky!) |
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| That's an interesting canyon, too! It had some nice alcoves . . . makes you wonder?? |
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When we reached the white teepee on our way back to the trailhead . . .
We knew we only had two-miles to go! |
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Big or small we couldn't pass up another alcove . . .
All we found in this one was a rusted old can! |
This hike pushed Kent & Allison to their limits . . . John not so much . . . in fact, he had to get back to work, so he trail jogged the last two miles! If you decide to do this hike, please go prepared: make sure you're in shape, have plenty of water, and know how to use a GPS. We'd also recommend doing this hike in the cooler months (it's 13-miles r/t and took us about seven hours). While we tried to keep the ruin route purposefully vague, there is plenty of information on the internet that will allow you to piece our route together so you can enjoy them, as well. It just requires a little planning and some legwork! Hope you enjoy the challenge as much as we did!
