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| | Cliff Dwelling Exploration, AZ | | | |
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Cliff Dwelling Exploration, AZ
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| Hiking | 8.00 Miles |
1,061 AEG |
| | Hiking | 8.00 Miles | 6 Hrs 48 Mns | | 1.80 mph |
| 1,061 ft AEG | 2 Hrs 22 Mns Break | | | |
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[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
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| partners | | We decided to return to an impressive cliff dwelling site that we originally located about four years ago. It was chilly start to the morning, with temps in the 30s and a steady breeze that brought the wind chill down further. We took a slightly different route to the dwellings this time, which worked out well--on the way, we found a small ruin site with some pottery and four bedrock metates nearby, which was a nice bonus to start the day.
We made our way along the cliffs, and there was less catclaw but more loose dirt/rock than I remembered from our last trip. The main ruins were worth the return visit--multiple rooms with partially or almost fully intact roofs with visible thatching, with a three-level structure in the main dwelling. I'd forgotten a lot of the details, like how many of the rooms were built around large boulders to form parts of the walls/doorways and how many doorways had been sealed off in apparent ancient remodeling projects (I noticed at least five). The site has plenty of corncobs and pottery, including a few nice painted sherds, and several pictographs on the canyon walls. We also found quite a few bundles twine-looking material that I assume is yucca fiber or quid.
The structures continue for a long distance along the cliff, interspersed with a series of cavates, some with short rock/mortar walls partially closing them off. Beyond those are a few more deteriorated structures that were originally multi-level dwellings. I explored a little farther along the cliffs than last time but mostly found catclaw and a few pottery sherds. We spent a long time enjoying the scenery and exploring as many of the details as possible, including some petroglyph panels we missed last time.
On the way back, we took a slightly different route again, hoping to come across more artifacts/ruins, but no new finds this time. The weather was comfortable by the afternoon, and it was a great day to be outside. We had a few other short hikes in mind if we finished early, but we spent so much time at the site that we didn't end up with much spare time at the end of the day. I'm not usually a fan of repeats, but it was nice to be back at this special site after four years. Some of the high walls and timbers are looking especially precarious, so it's anyone's guess how long the structures will remain in the condition they're in now.
Main dwelling interior: [ youtube video ]
Site overview: [ youtube video ] |
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