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Canyon de Chelly and Navajo National MonumentsOct 28, 2007
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Canyon Bottom, Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Canyon Bottom, Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Canyon Bottom, Canyon de Chelly National Monument
| I was up early this morning for a half-day tour of the canyon bottom in Canyon de Chelly. With the exception of one trail, the only way to get into the canyon itself is with a Navajo guide, so I booked a tour through Thunderbird Lodge. DJ was our guide. Naturally, I sat next to the only Latins on the tour, two boys from Puerto Rico. We compared notes about our trips, as well as life in the tropics. The morning was beautiful, but cold, in the open-air jeep, and I'm glad I dressed appropriately. There are no roads in the canyon over the sandy bottom, only tire tracks from previous trips. The ride was exciting, bouncing up and down, and the tour offered an entirely different perspective on the canyon. We drove through groves of cottonwood trees in their golden colors (it was nice to see fall again), and alongside the towering canyon walls. We passed by several cliff dwellings and learned that the Navajo, who began to occupy Canyon de Chelly about 300 years ago, still live on the canyon floor in the summer months. The tour was definitely worthwhile and one I would recommend. I left Canyon de Chelly in the early afternoon and drove toward Kayenta, near Monument Valley. I wasn't scheduled to arrive in Monument Valley until the next day, so I decided to spend the afternoon at another nearby national park, Navajo National Monument. Cliff dwellings are also the focus of this park, and I took a short hike to an overlook with a spectacular cross-canyon view of the ancient village of Betatakin. I also hiked part way down into the canyon before returning to Kayenta for the evening. |
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