It was Day Ten at Chaco Canyon and we all awoke to a beautiful scene as it had
snowed the night before. All of Chaco Canyon was covered in a thin layer
of white that reflected the sunlight as it
rose. Although it made for a gorgeous morning in the canyon, it as was a
cold one with the wind blowing in from the south. As we made our way to
the site where once the Wetherill Homestead and Trading Post had been to
continue our work, we were given the chance
to explore and photograph the snow covered Pueblo Bonito - this was an
opportunity I had been hoping to get the entire time we have been in
Chaco Canyon. With the snow it heightened the already mysterious and awe
inspiring Pueblo Bonito and created a picture-perfect
moment that any photographer would want to have. The snow also prevented
sound from vibrating off the canyon walls as it typically does making
it seem unnaturally quiet except for the laughter and talk from the
students as they wondered about Pueblo Bonito.
After
visiting Pueblo Bonito we returned to each of our units and began the
last bit of work required in order to be finished before this coming Thursday – our last day
in Chaco Canyon. For some of us this meant completing profiling, which
requires mapping the changes in soil composition of your unit walls,
using a Munsell soil chart to identify the color of each defined layer
of soil and determining soil texture using a Feel
Flow Chart. Others continued excavating their units due to continued
interest in what was being found or had not been found, and some
performed various tasks on the site as instructed. The morning
progressively got colder as wind increased and clouds thickened
causing many – including myself – to wish for a cup of hot chocolate,
however we made due with a hot cup of coffee with some cookies.
We were all
surprised to discover that the afternoon plans were to take a hike out
to the unexcavated Great-House called Tsin Kletsin, which is located on
the top of South Mesa. The hike is about three
miles long with the first part being entirely uphill. Along the way one
can get a great view of Pueblo Bonito, Chetro Ketl and Casa Riconada
(Downtown Chaco). Further up the trail Pueblo Alto and New Alto become
visible on the top of the other side of the canyon
with the La Plata Mountains in the backdrop. These are not the only
great views to see as South Mesa provides a variety of spectacular views
of the surrounding landscape in and around Chaco Canyon. Today was one
of the best days I have had in Chaco Canyon,
which is a challenge in itself since every day in Chaco Canyon
is wonderful in that there is always something new to discover.
No comments:
Post a Comment