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| partners | | With J's hiking hobbled thanks to his ankle, but still wanting to get outdoors and away from the heat, we decided to hit a scenic drive through the Salt River Canyon (because apparently we haven't driven that route enough recently) and up to the White Mountain Apache Reservation to have a look at Fort Apache Historical Park and Kinishba Ruins.
The Historical Park includes a Cultural Center and Museum, 27 historic buildings and ruins/remnants of others in addition to the Fort's former parade ground. The age of the buildings span from the 1870's (when the fort was established) to 1940's (after it was converted for use into boarding school). Interpretive signs are posted outside each of the buildings touching on their construction and use. The buildings have been predominantly repurposed for other uses, and do not allow for public entry. Before heading over to have a look at the nearby Kinishba ruins, we paid a visit to the cemetery. Many, but not all, of the non-Apache remains were relocated to the federal cemetery in Santa Fe. The cemetery has a mix of older and much more recent graves. Many of the older ones are marked with headstones designated as "Unknown". As of February 2024, the tribe has closed the cemetery to further interments.
After visiting the cemetery grounds, we made our way back out to Kinisbha Ruins. After leaving the paved road, it's a relatively short drive along a well graded dirt road to the Kinishba Ruins National Historic Landmark. As we left the car, we heard the thundering of hooves and saw a small herd of horses (with foals!) running away. I wasn't fast enough to capture any of them with my camera, but they were a nice sight to see. Walking along a well established path, we came to an interpretive sign upon which previous visitors had placed some nicely decorated potsherds. There looked to be other sherds in the area, but I didn't really notice any when I got to the main body of the ruins. The ruins themselves are impressive - and located in what to me seems like an odd place - out in the open, in a seemingly difficult to defend positon. Near the pueblo ruins are the more modern ruins of what used to be a museum (built in the 1930s).
While we didn't get many miles in, it was good to get outside for some scenery and learn some things about history. |
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Happier when hiking....I may not move fast (and I'm often distracted by wildflowers), but I'll get there eventually  |
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