Alright then, we're at mile mark 8.5 and taking off to the right to continue along CR 341. This is another lovely, scenic drive...
...it's also a paradise for ATVers. There is an ATV trail at mile mark: 10.3, 10.8, 11.2, 11.3, 11.6, 11.8, 12.8 (following the fence line), 13.2, 13.7, 14.7, 15.2, 15.3 and lets just say that this lower section of CR 341 has numerous ATV trails. Yep, we stopped marking them down after the twelfth one.
At mile mark 17.8 we came to a split in the road and while both start out fine for a 4 wheel drive vehicle; well, you'll see what I mean.
First we took the trail to the right, but were only able to go one mile before the trail became an ATV/Hiking only trail. For us to keep going forward would have meant breaking an axle on the potholes or huge rocks; definitely NOT on our to-do list. There was an interesting rock formation at this point though; sort of looks like a giant hand with fat fingers giving us a huge high five.
Funny story goes with this shot; now I've come into the habit of checking the ground before I get out of the vehicle or walk too far from it. Falling on uneven ground, landing in a prickly bush, or stepping on cow patties is not a good thing. I'd just gotten out of the vehicle and taken only a couple of steps when Roy heard me shout, "Oh hell no!" and jump back up into the SUV, slamming the down behind me. "is it a bee?" he asked. I took a few photos with the zoom lens on and then showed him what had made me so excitable....
Common Kingsnake |
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Original 1875 Photo by Willian Henry Jackson: Confluence of Coal Bed Creek and Montezuma Creek. |
Now this next photo is entitled, "Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here Without an ATV" and we should have foreseen that this was a warning of what may happen. It didn't happen to us, but very well could have.
A mile down the trail seems to disappear, but no, it just takes a slight dip downward and then continues on past a cattle water tank. The trail is a bit rougher, but nothing we couldn't handle; the scenery was getting more and more spectacular. Then we finally saw it, could it truly be? Yes, Montezuma Canyon Road!
I was going to be able to add another road to my series, "All Roads Lead to Montezuma Canyon Road", so continue on we did down a steep section of trail that was also partially blocked by, what appeared to be, a landslide. We made it around the boulders fine and stopped for a spectacular viewing of the canyon below us; so beautiful !
The peak of Rocky Top can be see in the far upper right which is near to Three Kiva Pueblo |
Looking downward, Roy estimated we were about 200 feet up; so close and the adrenaline was pumping high. Back into the SUV, around a corner and slam on the brakes for what we saw before us. A trail, but no trail that our vehicle would ever make it down; potholes, missing section of trail, huge stones. The only way down was hiking or on an ATV; the SUV would get stuck in a pothole, break an axle, or worse yet, tip over and roll down the 200 feet to the canyon floor below. I actually stood there and cried; we were so close, just within reach of Montezuma Canyon Road and now had to turn back. This was heartbreaking!
The drive back was a mixture of sad and mad, but soon the scenery had our emotions soothed out again and plotting out our next adventure. There are many more roads to explore that may or may not lead to Montezuma Canyon Road, we're going to find out which.
Mary Cokenour
Great pics and description. Going there this summer. Was in the area for ruins going back to the 60's with my parents... Been looking up the ruin's stuff and coal bed is actually known for ruins but most has been washed away. How far were the "ruins area" from the Montezuma Canyon road? We hiked through when I was a kid (mid teens) and saw lots of "tells" and the rains had washed some out... My mom found turquoise beads still in a round shape like a bracelet in the corner of a washed out structure. Not supposed to take, but the next rain was going to take them all anyway and it was the late 1960's. I'm trying to figure out where I found a "citadel" at the junction/confluence of one of the side canyons in the mid 1970's (1976ish) and ran across your piece here. I'd just come out of the Marines and was still in that mindset so id'd a small hill at the confluence of one of the side canyons thought it would have made a good defensive site and found walls at the top. I'm trying to locate it again...
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your life, and adventures, with me. Any ruins we found, I made sure to put a mile markers on the Montezuma Canyon Road map which is on another blog post. As to ruins, we didn't find any in Coal Bed, but there's so much area we still have to explore.
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