Chasing Native American Ruins near Camp Verde, AZ

Montezuma's Well, Mindeleff Cavates, Camp Verde Ruins
Nov 4, 2014; Don & Suzanne; various distances
(Click on a thumbnail to see a larger photo)
Music: Summer Breeze by Govi

1	2 An information sign at Montezuma's Well, a unit of Montezuma's Castle National Park.	3 1 1/2 million gallons of water flow into this 15 million gallon lake every day. The water that flows in fell up on the Mogollon Rim about 10,000 years ago. (Wonder who timed this?)	4
5 Ducks on the lake, caught with a telephoto lens.	6 As you go down the path that leads nearer to the lake's surface, you can see a dwelling ruins up near the rim on the western side of the lake.	7 This ruins through a telephoto lens.	8 A ruin nearer the surface of the lake on the southeastern side fo the late
9 More ruins along with late-1800s graffiti. The ruins are about 700 to 900 years old, while the graffiti is only a little over 100 years old.	10 From down at the second ruin on the southeastern side, you can spot another ruin on the west side.	11 There are the two ruins on the west side as seen through a telephoto lens.	12
13	14 A panorama taken looking about south toward McGuireville, just north of Camp Verde, AZ	15	16 Looking about north. That small in the center of this photo is Sacred Mountain, where remains of an ancient, once 60 room pueblo can be found. See (cut and paste this URL into your browser): http://www.verdevalleyarchaeology.org/SacredMountain
17	18 A canal built to carry off the outflow from the lake.	19 A scene along Beaver Creek that flows into the Verde River.	20 After Montezuma's Well, we drove about 10 miles south of Camp Verde to visit the Mindeleff Cavates ruins. Those holes visible in the soft limestone cliffs above the Verde River (in the foreground) are Native-American-made caves, hollowed out to serve as living quarters.
21 Through the telephoto lens, these cavates are more visible They are extensive	22 We could not find a desirable place to wade across the Verde River so we could access these Cavates. So we went back to town to try to find the Camp Verde Ruins. We hope to return sometime when we figure out a way to get across the Verde (kayak? float tubes?)	23 We decided to find the Campe Verde Ruins, which are located a few miles southwest of Camp Verde and just off AZ 260. This is the beginning of the trail leading up to the cavates.	24
25 Through a telephoto	26 Getting closer	27 A panorama looking out over Camp Verde	28 Native American-made stone walls.
29 Looking out from one of the cavates.	30 Another look at the stone walls.	31 Looking inside of one of the cavates. Smoke from ancient fires can be seen on the roof and walls.	32
33 An alcove within an alcove within a cavate	34 Another alcove	35 Looking out the front door toward Camp Verde.	36
37	38	39	40 An ancient corn cob