Good-bye Reno.  We make it safely back to the rig and are heading out adventuring.  When we arrived at Lassen Volcanic NP we found a failed tire on the trailer.  It was fine at a rest area not far back up the road and had not totally shredded so it had not been flat too long.  A quick change to the spare and we are ready to hit the road again and eventually do some tire shopping.

The Piedra and San Juan Rivers flow through arid terrain and carry lots of silt into the lake leaving it perpetually sort of murky…not terribly inviting to swim in…though the locals don’t seem to mind. We have been out on the lake three different days cruising the shores wildlife watching, zipping around just to feel the wind in our hair and enjoying the scenery.  Locals report that the fishing is not so great so we have opted for just relaxing.  Not a bad place for that.  Tomorrow we head on to Albuquerque.

We came off the trail early enough to hit the early bird specials and the place was over run by “old people”. It seems to be the place for local seniors.  We didn’t feel particularly old but we didn’t pass up the opportunity for $1.99 margaritas and the steak specials.  The apple pie ala mode topped it off nicely.

The Weminuche Wilderness lies within the San Juan National Forest just north of Pagosa Springs.  We chose Fourmile Trail that begins at 9200ft elevation and at 3 miles into the back country provides a great view of two 300 foot high waterfalls.  It is a beautiful walk into a heavily wooded box canyon.  Foot traffic is light today and we have the place to ourselves the whole way out; peaceful.  There has been enough rain that the falls are running nicely; fantastic.

Our day of hiking left us hungry and we were having BBQ withdrawal. This little place in Bloomfield, NM provided a great fix.  Ribs and pulled pork!  Delicious.  The spicy pinto beans were very tasty too.

The Chaco Culture National Historic Park strives to preserve and showcase magnificent structures of the Chaco peoples who lived and farmed this region.  Great Houses and Kivas are scattered across the canyon with a consistent layout and relationship that provide clues pointing to a complex social structure of the inhabitants.  Structures seem to be oriented to align with celestial events and movements.  What was the tie with the heavens?  Turquoise, shells, McCaw feathers and bones, copper bells all seem to indicate a wide trade network.  It is an impressive place and the stories they tell quite compelling.  I wonder though if time will reveal new information and if one were to return in 50 or 100 years the story told by archeologists and anthropologists might be very different.

The park is worth the visit but it is terrible to get to. It is 100+ miles from anywhere and the roads that carry you there are rough, rocky, potholed, wash boarded, and when wet, impassably slimy clay.  The last 13 miles take over an hour of dodging and weaving.  Thankfully there is very little traffic to contend with since the only thing back there are cows, sheep, horses and the park.

Check out this trail. It is steps, sort of, up a crack in the cliff and it leads to a great overview of many of the pueblos.

Another ancient dwelling stop, Chimney Rock National Monument.  The naturally occurring rock formations are impressive and it is certainly easy to see why they have been landmarks for centuries.  Scattered among the formations and half buried in sage brush and pine forest are hundreds of ancient dwellings. Atop the rocky outcropping is a Chacoan Great House.  We have seen a few of them now so are probably not as easily impressed but this sure is an impressive setting with spectacular views.  Access is by escorted, paid tour only.  The $12 each seemed a bit high but I’d say it is a worthwhile stop.