Canyons of the Ancients and Hovenweep National Monuments

     We took the road less traveled today in search of some less visited Anasazi ruins.  We drove on the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway west and north of Cortez.  The drive took us to the Great Sage Plain which is over 1500 square miles of high plateau interspersed with deep canyons.  There are several rivers that flow through this landscape, so many areas are covered with juniper forest and sagebrush.  This area has the highest density of prehistoric and historic sites in North America.

Lowry Pueblo

      Our main objective for the day was to get to Hovenweep National Monument.  However, I could see on the map something called Lowry Pueblo, and when I checked my smart phone it told me that this was one of the ruins that could be found in the Canyons of the Ancients.  The road went from paved with shoulders, to narrow, old pavement, to wide gravel, to a narrow, bumpy, rocky track.  Then, suddenly, we found a parking lot with several cars, a picnic area, and the ruins of a thousand year old Puebloan village.  No Park Rangers or crowds of kids.  Shortly after we arrived we were the only folks there and could just walk around the old village, smell the sage, and listen to the whispers of the families who lived here.  I loved it.
    We left the Pueblo and drove another 20 miles past fields of alfalfa and herds of goats and sheep.  I could see piles of yellow rock everywhere and assumed that we were seeing parts of ancient ruins along with the modern farm buildings.  Hovenweep is another National Monument and had a fairly new and very nice Visitor Center.  The area that is adjacent to the Visitor Center is called "Little Ruin Canyon" which has a series of round and square towers.  There are many theories about the shape and size of the towers, but no one is sure exactly what they were used for.  They can be found on the perimeter of a canyon along a two mile trail.  The most impressive of the ruins are within 3/4 of a mile.  We were warned to take water by the Ranger who told us that it was 98 degrees and windy in the canyon.
     The first part of the walk was on sidewalk and then became an uneven path up and down some big rocks.  We walked for a while, took some great pictures and then reassessed.  The heat and wind were so extreme that we were gasping for air.  I remembered that there is still a person missing who took a hike into Mesa Verde last Sunday.   We could see most of the buildings from our high point and used the binoculars and zoom lens on the camera to appreciate them.  Then we took a few more pictures and headed back to the shade of the Visitor Center.  We drank a couple quarts of water, ate lunch, and drove on.  I find this a fascinating place.  I have a bit of dusty, spicy smelling sagebrush and some great memories of walking where an ancient people walked.  So cool (or hot).