June 5, 2023 Utah to Colorado

 Monday. June 5

63 last night. Cool enough with a steady breeze.  Blueberry pancakes for breakfast.

After a few more pictures of the goosenecks, we decide to head east toward Cortez and into Colorado.We pass Mexican Hat, the formation near the town of the same name and other random formations that we name.

 

"circus tent"

We turn onto Hwy 191 and soon come across the town of Bluff and Bluff Fort.  The Mormons have done a great job of re-creating the fort that stood here, complete with furnished cabins that tell the story of some of the families who settled here. There are replicas of dwellings of the Utes and Navajos who lived near here as well as details and a water wheel to show how the early settlers obtained and used water.  Period wagons and other materials lend an air of authenticity.

Pretty flowers throughout - this hummingbird liked the hollyhocks as much as me!  Good restrooms and a nice shop where we picked up a few postcards. No proselytizing, but everyone who worked there was extremely friendly. Good stop.

We continue west on highway 60 to Durango.  We mean to stop at the Arboretum there, but end up instead at a Fish Hatchery and Wildlife Museum. (Long story....) by the Animas River.  The animals are mainly animals killed by vehicles or other accidents. Quite a variety in Colorado!

Inside, there are rearing units which hatch eggs and raise fish.  Once they are a few inches long(called fry), they are moved outside to one of several raceways which hold up to 50,000 trout!  

The water is aerated and flows and the fish are separated by size. There are nets over the raceways to keep other wildlife from helping themselves to fish dinners!

Durango Fish Hatchery is the oldest state-owned hatchery, begun in 1893 and is one of 17 in the state. It raises cold water species like brown trout, kokanee salmon, cutthroat and rainbow trout.

The Animas River trail is nearby, so we walk there for a while. 

From here, we dip back into New Mexico to visit the Aztec Ruins National Monument on our way to Navajo Lake State Park where we will spend the night. The name is a misnomer, as these Puebloan builders lived centuries before the Aztec empire.

Half of the site is still unexcavated.  Tribes who continue to be associated with this site include Zuni, Hopi,Acoma, Ute, Zia and Navajo.

inside the large rebuilt, central kiva

Doorways are very low - even for short me!

Building began here around the late 1000s by the Ancestral Puebloans.  They were influenced by Chaco Canyon, 55 miles south and depended on the Animas River. There are several "great houses" here including one called Aztec West, which had over 400 rooms and many Kivas.

There is a crew of workmen here as we walk around.  They are painstakingly "pointing" the rock walls. When I ask how often they have to do this, they say it is a never-ending job (removing and replacing loose mortar).They use the same mix of sand/rock/water as the original builders.

There is a distinctive line of greenish rocks decorating one wall of the great house.

By the late 1200's people had left the Aztec and Four Corners region, although no one is sure why. Still, many Native Americans maintain deep spiritual ties with this ancestral place.

From here we head to Navajo Lake State Campground, another first come first served spot where we are lucky to nab a spot at the Cottonwood Site. All the sites have electric and water for $14/night and are near the river which flows from Navajo Lake. Fishing in the area is a popular draw.

A few turkeys visit the campground, and we hear from  a neighbor that there was a bear here last night!

Greg cooks great burgers and beans on the grill, but it was so windy that we went inside to eat!