A stream supports cottonwoods, orchards and pastures so it's greener than anywhere we've been lately. Climbing higher, following the "Trail of Mountain Spirits" the junipers and yucca give way to several varieties of pine. There are numerous cattle and horse ranches along the way, and deer wandering on the road.
About 30 minutes into the drive we crossed the Great Divide, elevation 6,569 at this point. We had clear skies when we left, but as soon as we crossed the divide the skies filled up with smoke that we could smell even with the truck windows up and the air conditioning on.
There's nice chance for a rest stop along the way: Ruins Viewpoint has restroons and an accessible trail leading to a view of Lake Roberts as well as an archeological wite with the remains of Mogollon pit dwellings that have been excavated. A placard gives an explanation of the history of the area.
A note of caution for this route - bring plenty of food and water as there is none to speak of along the way. Every little "cafe" we passed was closed, and the two little establishments that try to pass themselves off as stores have litte in the way of wares to sell other than ice and beer.
The Gila (pronounced Heela) Cliff Dwellings National Monument has a small but very informative visitors center. Their displays and video do a nice job of setting the context for the cliff dwellings themselves. A short drive into the canyon, and then a .6 mile walk (gaining about 175 feet in elevation) takes you into the actual cliff dwellings.Few places allow tourists to actually walk into the structures, as this one does. You can take a self guided tour with a brochure, take a guided tour with a ranger, or latch on to a volunteer like we did. Scott has been volunteering at the park for 10 years. In fact, he became so fascinated with the history of the dwellings that he went back to school and got a degree in anthropology. He's very knowledgeable about the history of the dwellings, and we learned a lot from him.
These dwellings were only occupied by a few families for one or two generations. The residents probably left because the climate had become drier, making it harder to raise food, and there was competition for food from other groups moving into the area. They know a lot about the residents as they left behind pottery, small amounts of stored food and personal items. Wikipedia has a nice, brief description of the site.In one sense we've time our trip just right, as the park was closed for three weeks in late May and early June due to the fires. We saw evidence of the fire all the way up the trail, and marveled that so little real damage had been done.
Scott explained that the had run a hose all the way up the canyon with sprinklers on all of the little bridges where the trail crisscrosses the creek. The sprinklers created large areas that slowed the spread of the fire and made it easier to control As it is large areas were burned but no structures were lost and they were able to open the park back up as soon as the fire was out.
On the way out of the park we made one more brief stop to examine a panel of pictographs. Many of the dark red painted designs are badly faded but others are remarkably clear.
Fire had burned the area all around the base of the panel, and destroyed one post on the placard explaining the site. The sign is enamel on metal, so wasn't damaged at all.
Inspired by that cookbook we bought yesterday, we had a crockpot pork roast waiting for us when we get home. Shredded and wrapped in a warm tortilla with salsa it 'made a fitting finish to a delightful day!
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