Valley of the Gods Travel Guide.

Valley of the Gods is often referred to as a “miniature version of Monument Valley”, this area has a collection of formations, arches & ruin sites

•          Location is 68.1 miles from Monticello; travel 50.7 miles along Hwy 191 until it changes to Hwy 163 west of Bluff, travel for 12.4 miles and make a right onto Valley of the Gods Rd (there will be an indication sign), travel 1.3 miles and turn left to continue.

•          The road through Valley of the Gods is a 17 mile graded gravel & clay road; accessible to any type of passenger vehicle; it is best for car travel only during dry conditions. 

•          Open year round.  Estimated time to visit: 2-4 hours.

•          Admission: Free

•          Camping: several camp sites along route, free, first come/first serve, NO campfires allowed.

•          The Valley of the Gods Bed & Breakfast is located near the Route 261 access/exit.

•          Pets - must be leashed at all times, owners are expected to pick up after their pet(s).

•          Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/monticello-field-office  BLM – Monticello Field Office is located at 365 North Main (Hwy 191), Monticello

•          Phone: (435) 587-1500

Mary Cokenour

Newspaper Rock Travel Guide.

Newspaper Rock

·         Location is 14.4 miles north of Monticello along Hwy 191, 12.3 miles west along Hwy 211. (total mileage = 26.7 miles from Monticello)

·         The monument is a giant wall of desert varnish over sand stone; the artwork is from various Native American tribes spanning over 2000 years.

·         While designated a State Historic Monument, it is maintained by the BLM; open year round, there is no Visitor Center; vault toilets are open year round; no water is available.

·         Camping – Not allowed; campground was forced to close down due to flooding.

·         Pets are allowed at the site; they must be leashed at all times & owners are expected to pick up after their pet(s).

·         Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/monticello-field-office  BLM – Monticello Field Office is located at 365 North Main (Hwy 191), Monticello

·         Phone: (435) 587-1500

There is some hiking around this site.

Mary Cokenour

Sand Island Travel Guide

Wow, it was almost one year ago that I wrote up our adventure to Sand Island, and finding the mammoth carvings.  At that time I only showed the one carving, but we went back and found the other one (they're not easy to spot!).  Then life decided to take time away from my writing and devote it to other ventures.  Anyway, the photo folder has 189 photos for me to go through, and then I can write up Part 2 of the Sand Island - Search for the Mammoths.

Which also got me to thinking about adding a new feature to this travel blog...Travel Guides, and my first one will be on Sand Island.

There is a BLM campground there, so you can vacation with rock art on one side, the river on the other.  Other information will be on pets, difficulty of trails, contact information, etc.

I'll include Google Maps directions with a starting point of the traffic light at Monticello, Utah's Main and Center Streets; and the accompanying map.  Remember, technology is not guaranteed to work in the 4 Corners region due to the canyons, mountains, and various other landscapes.  Always have paper maps with you, just in case.

Starting point is traffic light at Main and Center Streets, Monticello

Sand Island

·         Location from Monticello is 49.8 miles along Hwy. 191. The sign and entrance will be seen three (3) miles west, from Bluff, Utah, along Hwy 191, before the Hwy 191/163 junction.  It is 7/10ths of a mile to the campground/rock art areas.

·         Open year round, this BLM Campground has a boat launch site for the San Juan River, camp sites, river ranger station & Native American rock art along the walls encompassing the camp sites; also a one (1) mile loop trail featuring more rock art & hike into a side canyon.

·     Difficulty on trails: Easy; maintained dirt.

·         Camping: open year round, 27 sites, first come/first serve; each site has picnic table, camp fire ring; there are vault toilet; water only available March – October.

·         Pets - must be leashed at all times, owners are expected to pick up after their pet(s).

·         Website: https://www.blm.gov/office/monticello-field-office  BLM – Monticello Field Office is located at 365 North Main (Hwy 191), Monticello

·         Phone: (435) 587-1500

As with any archaeological site, do NOT tamper with, or leave any marks, upon the walls.  The rock art is NOT ancient graffiti; it is the historical writings of the ancient Native peoples who lived, and traveled throughout, these lands.

Enjoy the trip!

Mary Cokenour

More at Newspaper Rock Than Imagined.

After writing about the Four Corners Potato (http://www.comfortcookadventures.com/2017/08/so-whats-with-potatoes.html) on my food blog; I decided to drag Roy away from his computer, and go plant hunting.  Newspaper Rock is only about 35-40 minutes away, well, except if you take the one paved road up through the Abajo Mountains and down Harts Draw Road; then it's an easy hour, hour and 15 minutes.  Armed with walking stick and several cameras, we parked in the lot at the Historical Monument; while tourists walked to the rock art wall, we went the opposite way.  There is a dirt trail that leads off from the restroom area; prickly pear cactus, claret cup cactus, sage brush, salt bush, juniper and pinon pine...but no potato plants.  Now mind you, we had no intention of digging up any plants; the thrill of actually seeing and photographing one would definitely be enough!

The trail eventually lead right back to the Route 211, so basically it dead-ended.

Looking across from parking lot at Newspaper Rock.

Trail past restroom dead ends.

Doowozhii aka 3-Wing Salt Bush or 4-Wing Salt Bush

Coming out onto Route 211, we decided to head directly across and check out a visible trail; zig-zagging through the wooded area, we ended up at Indian Creek.  It takes a bit of figuring out where to cross over, but we were able to get back and forth a few times.  Wearing waterproof hiking boots is a must for this kind of outing.  Three plants that were dominant were:

Burdock

Indian Paintbrush

Canaigre Dock (Buckwheat family)

The Burdock and Canaigre Dock bloom May-June, and even the Indian Paintbrush was not as bright being near the end of August.  Monsoon season was essentially over, so that's another reason why we were hoping to see the 4 Corners Potato, since it thrives due to the moisture.

We ended back at the parking area, checked out the trail that goes down and to the right of Newspaper Rock itself, but, again, no plants we were looking for.  We checked out the small alcoves there, where we usually enjoy picnics, and found that others had definitely been there....modern graffiti of initials and names that were not there 1-2 years ago!  I find it funny that, with this Bears Ears National Monument issue; tourists cry out, "It's public land, we have the right to be on it."  Yes, it's public land, but you DON'T have the right to deface historical areas, destroy landscapes, and leave your crap lying around!!!  ...and there is my rant for this post.

Anyway, we left and drove back towards Highway 191, but only got about 500 feet where there is a pull-in area; and across is a trail (hiking/ATV) leading off to the wooded area.  As there were plants along the bottom of the rock wall, we walked and searched; went down into a small dry wash, came back up and stared at the bullet holes that ranchers had left when they first came through this area. There is one large panel of them, but we started to notice more and then it came to mind that this was often done where Native American rock art existed.  We looked, we stared and then we saw it; faint drawings and carvings, could it be true?  Using my camera's zoom lens and a pair of binoculars, it was confirmed. we had found more rock art that was approximately 550 feet before getting to Newspaper Rock itself.

View of area from across Indian Creek.

Panel riddled with bullet holes, about 200 feet up.

Hunting Scene

Big Horn Sheep Carvings

Bullet holes obscure Roger's last name & full date.

Bird figure?

Figures on this panel are very similar to the Wolfman Panel at Comb Ridge (Lower Butler Wash)

More bullet holes among the drawings.

Stick figures are questionable, but the animal figure looks authentic.

Truman Wilcox was there on July 11, 1926.

Looking across from these panels, there is a jutting point; couldn't find a name for it on any maps though.

I asked locals about the rock art, but it seemed they knew of Newspaper Rock, but not of any in the nearby area.  It was suggested I contact the BLM - Monticello Field Office; I gave the desk person information about the area and contact info.   A couple of days later I received a call back; this is, indeed, listed as a historical site, just not advertised due to Newspaper Rock being the "popular" location.  Hey, all you public lands people, look, but DON'T touch...there's a hint for you.

In conclusion, we didn't find any potato plants to photograph, but we found this wonderful rock art site we must have passed by, oh, over a hundred times, or more, by now.  Still got a thrill for the day!

Mary Cokenour

Lowry Pueblo Revisited After Two Years.

In February 2014, Roy and I visited Lowry Pueblo, in Colorado, for the first time.  In March of this year, our friend Amy was off for spring break and asked if we would take her there.  She definitely did NOT need to twist our arms for that!  As usual, the ride to the tiny town of Pleasant View was quick and uneventful.  Remember, out here a traffic jam is defined as, "three pickup trucks in front of you, and no passing lane".  The road to the pueblo ruins is a mixture of unmaintained pavement and dirt/gravel; so if you have a delicate rump and don't like being jostled; well you're going to miss out now, aren't you.  I figure it this way, if you really, truly want to experience something, you just do it!  ...and this is NOT an endorsement for Nike.

Once parked in the small lot, the restrooms are nearby, as well as picnic areas with tables; surrounded by trees, it's quiet and serene.  All in all, if just seeing the pueblo ruins and Great Kiva, the walking is about one quarter of a mile or thereabouts.  This is a self-guided tour, informational boards throughout, and guidebooks at the sign-in box at the entrance to the path.  No, this is not indoors; it's outdoors, so no heat in winter, no air conditioning in summer....stop whining!

Not much has changed since we were here two years ago; the trees and shrubbery might be a bit taller and fuller; but the ruins have remained the same.  Lowry Pueblo is definitely a sight to see; and all around are the different mountain. ranges.

Wooden Posts Still Inside the Walls.

A small doorway, bend down and watch your head, leads into lower rooms and a smaller kiva.  There is still plaster on the walls where paintings had once been.

Plaster on Walls.

Fire Hearth
 

A lower trail from the Pueblo leads to the Great Kiva; stand back and you can make out the figures, created from stones, on the bottom.

Wandering around Lowry Pueblo is an easy hour; bring a picnic and enjoy the serenity.   Better yet, make a visit to Painted Hand Pueblo, it's on the way to Hovenweek National Monument.  Make a day of it!!!

Mary Cokenour