Another Stamp in my Passport

Bandelier National Monument, part of the US National Park Service, contains more than 33,000 acres of protected rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa land.  Located near Los Alamos, this site preserves the homes and territory of the Ancestral Puebloans who once lived here. I knew when I booked this get-a-way, this was the one place we would want to explore and hike.  If there is one thing you need to do in New Mexico, it's visit here.

History lesson: The Native Americans made this their home from 1150 CE to 1550 CE. Their dwellings were built in the soft rock that were formed from the eruption of the massive Jemez Volcano over 1 million years ago; this was 600x more powerful than the Mount St. Helens eruption.  Deposited ash hundreds of feet thick was then compressed into soft rock called Tuff.  Frijoles Canyon was formed from the waters of Frijoles Creek over thousands of years. The slopes on the sides of Valles Caldera, the collapsed cone of the Jemez Volcano, are known as the Pajarito Plateau.  This was home to Native Americans for thousands of years, Ice Age hunters 10,000 years ago and the first Pueblo dwellers. The presence of the latest inhabitants can still be felt here as you will see first hand the Petroglyphs, cave dwellings, and stone masonry walls that still exist today.

We decided to hike the Main trail loop and take it a bit further to the Alcove House.  The Alcove House, formerly known as Ceremonial Cave is located 140 feet above the canyon.  Once home to roughly 25 Puebloans, this site can only be reached by four wooden ladders and a number of stone stairs. There is a reconstructed kiva and a number of niches of former homes once you make it to the top. If you know anything about me, you know I do have a fear of heights.  But, I knew I had to experience this magnificent piece of history and the views of the canyon from the Alcove made it all worth the climb.  I couldn't have done without the BF, he made sure to be patient with me and guide me down the ladders one step at a time.  Besides conquering this, we had visited the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge earlier that morning, so needless to say, I had my max of height-related activities for the day!

Bandelier National Monument is one of the coolest places I have ever scene.  This history of this location and imagining those who once lived here is incredible.  It really took me back to a time that I can't even imagine living, a time we will never know.

So happy to have another stamp in my National Park Passport book!
Shona

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Backyard Trails and Waterfalls 🌲

Parkville Nature Sanctuary has been on  my to-do list for over a year now and we finally made our way there one Saturday morning to see what the trail had to offer.  It's only 10 miles from where I live and located basically in the middle of Parkville, Mo.  This wildlife sanctuary is 117 acres which includes 5 different trails that when combined make up about 3 miles of hiking. The Whitetail trail being the longest trail is 1.5 miles and has some great views; it connects with Old Kate trail which is almost a mile long.  On this trail you will find a Root Cellar, Springs, an Overlook, and of course the Waterfall.  Even though we hiked the trail before the "rainy" season, the Waterfall was still running nicely and offered a gorgeous place to stop and enjoy the sounds of nature. As you can see, signs of Spring were just starting as I captured the pops of Green! The only downfall, no pets allowed...but we may have missed seeing that sign and Lola had a great time leading the way!

If you have never been to Parkville, I highly recommend visiting.  It has a great little downtown area where you can stop and enjoy the local shopping or grab a beer and a bite to eat.  Platte Landing Park and English Landing Park are a few other trails nearby that run along the Missouri River that look inviting. [dogs allowed]

 I love to travel and adventure to different places around the globe, but I need to remember to also explore local!

Never Stop Exploring 🌎

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✌Shona

Indian Rockhouse ↟ Buffalo Point

The name itself should make you want to explore this area.  Day two of hiking meant we were going to take it up a notch.  The Indian Rockhouse Trail is a 3.5 mile loop that I would call a moderate-strenuous hike.  There is about 400 feet of elevation changes between the trailhead and the Rockhouse, which means a steady incline and decline.   With several steep sections, you will want to be prepared, and bring plenty of water!  When researching the average time it takes to make the loop, it suggested 3 hours.  We were able to do the trail in about 2 1/2, which included a 30 minute lunch break at the Rockhouse and stopping at sites along the way for photos. So we averaged about 26-minute mile, in other words, we were going at a pretty good pace.

The geology along this trail offers so much beauty, so be sure to stop and take in the view.  Besides that, you will find a sinkhole, waterfall, mining prospects, tons of rock creeks, sculpted bedrock, and even a quarry.  Not to mention the end goal, the Indian Rockhouse.  I also did some rock-climbing, no gear, about 3 feet up, it was rough!

A little history: The Indian Rockhouse once sheltered prehistoric bluff-dwelling Native Americans, as far back as 7,000 BC. Excavations were carried out in the 1930's and many items were found including tools, basketry, and food remains.  The site is protected from further excavation and became part of the Buffalo National River in 1972. I can't explain how it felt to step into this cave.  The temperature was much cooler than "outside" and the cave had a running stream which held crystal clear water.  It was like you could imagine what was happening when they once lived there.  I tried to picture where they may have had a fire, their gathering spaces, or where their food was kept. It took me back in time and I couldn't help but think what their day-to-day life included. 

We sat there on a rock, taking in the site, eating lunch, listening to the water running, and enjoying the cool temperature.  It didn't take long for me to become cold, so we headed back out to finish the hike.  A definite incline back and I was warm again. We stopped a few times to re-hydrate passing the Rock Quarry and the Natural Bathtub before making it to the end and realizing this was a trail worth taking.

Happy Hiking! 

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↟ Shona