7:32 a.m.
It is a chilly 53 degrees outside, but mostly sunny, with only a few thin clouds. We’re heading into the Monument, and will do the North Rim first. We will drive to the end of the road, to the last overlook, and then work our way back.
7:53 a.m.
North Rim Drive
Massacre Cave Overlook
On the drive up to this point I was surprised by the number of houses along the way. As it turns out, most of the road (Route 64) is not within the Monument boundaries. However, apparently, there are still Navajos who live down inside the canyon. We could see plowed and planted fields, dwellings, horses, cows, and sheep, and any number of dirt roads and other signs of modern, or at least recent, living.
From this overlook we could see deep into Canyon Muerto, and where we spotted the Yucca Cave and Mummy Cave ruins. The air was chilly, and we were the only ones out there. That made it nice. We could take our time, talk about what we were seeing, and not have to worry about being disturbed, or disturbing others.
At this end of the canyon the cliffs are high and impressive. The canyon bottom is lush and green and inviting.
Unfortunately, early in the morning, the shadows are dark and deep and make it difficult to see some features. At the same time, the low angle of the sun illuminates other features. A Ranger at the Visitor Center told us that the best time to view the North Rim is in the morning, and the best time to view the South Rim is in the late afternoon.
By the time we finished exploring the views at this overlook a young native woman had arrived and set up a blanket to display her jewelry in the parking area. Apparently the natives can obtain a permit that allows them to sell their hand made crafts to the tourists. Since there is no fee to enter the Monument, and no fee for camping, I suppose there has to be some concession to their livelihood. Later we found out that only one vendor is permitted at each overlook at any one time, and there are several overlooks at which selling is not allowed. Probably due to potential congestion issues.
Mummy Cave Overlook
From the Massacre Cave Overlook we drove to the nearby Mummy Cave Overlook, which is at 6,838 feet in elevation. There was a woman there, with her dog, and others arrived as we were leaving. The tourist day had begun.
Antelope House Overlook
From there we drove southwest to the Antelope House Overlook. From that point we could see the Standing Crow Ruin, the impressive Navajo Fortress (where the Navajo warriors had climbed up to escape the Spanish soldiers), and the Antelope House Ruin. We could also see back into Black Rock Canyon.
From above the Antelope House Ruin I was able to use my 10X zoom lens to capture excellent photos of the pictographs painted above the ruins. There are several pronghorn images, a few anthropomorphs, and other figures arrayed along a long ledge.
Ledge Ruin Overlook
The Ledge Ruin Overlook is closed, for some reason, so we had to skip that stop.
9:33 a.m.
South Rim Drive
We arrived back at the Visitor Center, where we used the restrooms and drank some water. Then we headed up the road along the South Rim. Again we drove all the way to the end, and then headed back.
9:58 a.m.
Spider Rock Overlook
The end of the road on the South Rim is the Spider Rock Overlook. When we arrived it was 71 degrees outside. Again, we were the only ones there at first. Then a car of noisy tourists pulled in. It was disconcerting at first, as they shattered the peace, but they did quiet down once they took in the view.
There are great, interesting views from this overlook. It sits at 6,871 feet in elevation and looks down into Canyon de Chelly, with Monument Canyon coming in from the south. There is a paved trail that leads to a view point overlooking Spider Rock. From there we spotted several small ruins on the cliffs across from our location. This is a very scenic area.
10:55 a.m.
Face Rock Overlook
From there we drove to the Face Rock Overlook, where we met Marc Begay, Sr. He is a young local Navajo who was selling handmade petroglyphs that he carved into small slabs of sandstone. He followed us to the overlook and explained to us what we should be seeing. He tried to point out the faces, but neither Anne nor I could actually see them. He told us of his grandmother’s house down in the canyon and we talked to him about the canyon and the region. After we'd taken in the scenery, we headed back to our truck. We stopped to look at Marc's work, and ended up buying four wonderful pieces that we'll display at home.
Sliding House Overlook
Here we met another modern petroglyph maker. His work was very nice, but we had already spent our souvenir money for this Monument. From the overlook we could see the Sliding House Ruin.
11:42 a.m.
White House Overlook
It was a pleasant 76 degrees when we arrived at this location. From this point there is a 2.5 mile round trip trail to the White House Ruins below, with about a 600 foot elevation change. Lots of cars and people here.
1:35 p.m.
We made the hike to the ruins. It’s not a bad trail nor a terribly hard climb. It's a natural surface trail, which in this area varies between sandstone, loose sand, and, in some areas, loose rocks. There are plenty of switchback along the steepest area, with a few benches and some shade along the way to help the weary, and to offer relaxing views of the canyon. The trail crosses the wash at the bottom of the canyon over a bridge.
The ruins are interesting, with some old dwellings sitting on the valley floor and other parts of the pueblo built up under a large sandstone alcove. There are also pictographs on the cliffs surrounding the ruins.
This is also an area where the paid tours of the canyon floor stop. There are tall shade trees along the stream, and Navajo vendors have set up tables here to sell their wares. It looks like the tours stop to have their lunches here. There are also vault toilets, but there are no doors on the stalls, so there is little privacy.
You can also see the ruins from the overlook, but they are more impressive up close. Take the hike, you won't regret it.
Junction Overlook
From there we drove to the Junction Overlook, where we could see the Junction and the First Ruins. The canyon is much shallower, and a little less impressive, in this area. But still beautiful at this time of the year, with everything looking green and lush.
Tsegi Overlook
From there we drove through the parking area for the Tsegi Overlook, but felt that we wouldn’t gain much by getting out. We passed by the Tunnel Overlook all together. Our feeling is that if we would have stopped at these two locations on the way in, we would have been more impressed by their views. But coming to them from the deeper parts of the canyon, they were just interesting views into the lower canyon.
2:05 p.m.
We’re finished with Canyon de Chelly. We stopped in the campground to use the restrooms and to eat a quick picnic lunch. The wind was strong, and filled with blowing sand, so we decided just to eat a snack for now.
2:29 p.m.
We stopped again at the Visitor Center, then headed south on Highway 63 toward Ganado and the Hubble Trading Post National Historic Site. It was 84 degrees when we left, with a hazy sky, with thin clouds high overhead.
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