Canyon de Chelly

4Wheeling in Canyon de Chelley - Another of Bob's Trips
Oct 13, 2013

1 The location of Canyon de Chelly in northeast Arizona	2 We begin our trip up Canyon del Muerta, the northern arm of Canyon de Chelly. There is some water flowing, but not like last time we were here. The canyon walls are not too tall yet, but will continue to grow higher.	3 The cottonwoods are beginning to turn in some parts.	4 The cottonwoods are beginning to turn in some parts.
5 A reflection pool and contrasting lighting make an interesting picture.	6	7	8 There are some petroglyphs high up in about the middle of this picture
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13 We have just started and Bob's jeep is still clean - compare at the end of the outing.	14	15 Ruins from across the canyon	16 An unencombered view of those ruins.
17	18	19 More ruins	20
21 Our guide had set up a weaving demonstration with his aunt, one of the few remaining Navajo weavers, maybe the only, who does everything in the process herself. This is a picture of her herd of sheep (lower left hand corner of the photo) that she shears once per year to make the yarn that she weaves into her rugs.	22 This is our guide's aunt giving us a demo of what she does to weave her rugs. She takes the sheared wool (some can be seen in the white bag to her right), pulls it apart to get out most of the lanolin, she washes it, she cards it, she makes her own dyes from varous plants that she harvests, she dyes the wool, she spindles the wool into yarn and she weaves her rugs from it. Few, if any other Navajo weavers, process their own wool that they use to weave their rugs.	23 Here she is actually weaving on her home made loom. Some of her rugs can be seen hanging above her.	24 This is a chart showing different colors used in Navajo rugs and the plant from which they harvest parts for making each color.
25 Her 6-year old grand-daughter is learning the craft. Here she is spindling the wool into yarn.	26 Driving under cocktail rock (it gets its name from having a large "hangover")	27 Leaving cocktail rock	28 The canyon wall behind the antelope pass ruins (at the base of the wall). Use the slider bar at the right to pan this photo up and down
29 Antelope pass ruins, closer up.	30	31	32 The monolith in this picture is Fortress Rock. It is isolated from the walls of the canyon. The Navajos hid on the top of this rock to escape the destruction and killing inflicted by the US Army led by Kit Carson.
33 The backside of Fortress Rock. The Navajos had a trail up this rock that had foot holds so that people could climb it to hide from oppressors. Part of the trail went up the tall tree trunk that can be seen in the crevice near the center of the photo just above the center. The tree had steps carved in it and served as a ladder.	34	35 Our guide's mother owned the land back in this side canyon.	36
37	38 Mummy Cave ruins. Several years ago a mummified body was found in a small cave to the right of this set of ruins; thus the name.	39 Pottery sherds that have been found in the vicinity of Mummy Cave ruins. Some were found by our crew.	40
41 We turned around at Mummy Cave ruins and headed back out the canyon. This was one of many scenic points along the trip back.	42 Click the start icon. Some parts are time-lapse and move faster.	43 These were our explorers except for Suzanne, who took the photo. Notice how dirty Bob's Jeep and my Xterror have gotten. From l. to r.: Bob, Don, Anni, Daniel our guide, Sharon and Marc (and Suzanne, behind the camera). It was a great day with excellent weather.