Week 24: Ancient History and Plenty of Beer

The Needles District, Utah

by Kes the Photobean

Leaving Moab wasn’t very difficult. After spending nearly a full week in the same place, I was itching to leave. Funny how commonplace that feeling is to me now.

Since our drive was only a few hours that day, we decided to hit the Needles district of Canyonlands. I didn’t know it yet, but the sights we saw set the tone for our next week of adventuring.

In order to access the heart of the Needles district, the road followed a canyon for nearly 30 miles. Our first stop was really just a small parking lot nestled at the foot of the canyon wall. No more than a few yards from the pavement stood an amazing panel of sandstone. Carved into the rock’s weathered patina were hundreds of people, animals, and symbols. Petroglyphs.

After leaving the panel behind, Sam and I eagerly glanced upward at the canyon walls to find any more petroglyphs that may have been hiding in plain sight. Much to our delight, many more were scattered throughout the stones.

Now, I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to connect to the word ancient. After all, something ancient is either old, dead, or long forgotten. Growing up in New Mexico, I mostly associated the word with the Ancient Egyptians, or maybe even the Ancient Greeks. Those people were fascinating to think about, but I never really felt any further connection with them. But here in the Southwest, in what is essentially my backyard? The memory of ancient cultures is very much alive and breathing.

How cool is that?

During the rest of our short visit in the Needles, I desperately wanted to learn more about the people who lived in this seemingly desolate landscape. During our drive along White Rim, I often found myself wondering how people lived here. I knew ancestral tribes lived in these canyons, yet I could not begin to imagine what life must have been like for them.

Our short stint in the Needles may have raised more questions than answered them, but I didn’t mind. I appreciated any pieces of the puzzle I could find.

And soon? I’d discover even more.

Nestled into a hidden alcove lay an old mud-brick structure mostly likely devoted to grain storage.

Natural springs underneath deep overhangs supplied weary travelers with clean water amidst their shelter. In the 13th century, these caves housed the Ancestral Puebloans.

In the 19th century, those same caves housed the cowboys of the Wild West. And now, in the 21st century, people like you and me can drive up and walk right in to these long lost homes.

Valley of the Gods, Utah

by Kes

Valley of the Gods is one small section of the larger Bears Ears National Monument. Sam sold it as a “smaller monument valley,” and who wouldn’t be excited to camp in a place like that?

The valley itself was dotted with spires of rock that rose from the ground in seemingly random arrangements. We passed one that looked like a sitting hen on the way to our campsite.

Home sweet home.

Originally, we were planning on only staying a night. Soon enough, one night turned into three, and I’m sure you can guess why. Not only was our temporary home surrounded by the red desert’s beauty, but there was way too much to explore. I’m sure we could have spent a week there and still only scratch the surface of what this land has to offer.

The Teardrop sat atop a low hill, overlooking most of the valley. The skyline of Monument Valley peeked above the horizon, but it took a while for me to realize that. There was just so much to look at. Towering above the Teardrop was a lopsided pillar of rock that definitely made me question our safety once or twice. Despite the distant threat of rockfall, I was so happy to be here.

Most of our time in Valley of the Gods was spent relaxing, working, and enjoying our campsite. At some point, we decided to leave camp and drive along the various roads scattered throughout the valley and neighboring Mesa. Tragically, a low gas tank stopped us from venturing too deep into the national monument. In total, we probably saw less than 10% of this area. But it was more than enough to fall in love.

Please, enjoy a few highlights from our time in Bears Ears.

We hiked to the top of the spire.

The view of camp from the top. Pay no mind to how treacherous the hike was.

We took a winding drive to the top of the mesas on the edge of the valley.

I was shocked to see such a huge canyon on the other side of the mesa.

Don't mind Editor Kes keeping the sun off her screen.

As always, we eat good.

Best of all, my friend Evie from college was on her own road trip and decided to stay with us for a night!

At this point, you might be wondering about the ancient history. Well, me too. Apparently, ancestral people lived in this area as well, and evidence of their life is scattered throughout Bears Ears. Sadly, I had no idea how deep that history ran through this area until we left. I know, how cruel is that?

So, unfortunately, I didn’t find any more ancient puzzle peices. But that’s okay. Instead, I let my racing mind rest for just a moment.

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With a few more days to kill, I insisted we go to another lesser known national monument in the Four Corners region. Hopefully, I’d finally get some more answers than questions.

Of course, like always, we had to take the long way.

Just a couple of kids who clearly don’t care about the price of diesel these days.

Driving through Monument Valley was our main reason for this pricey detour. After all the movies and shows that have been filmed here, there’s no wonder so many people want to see this place themselves.

I’m thankful to the Navajo Nation for allowing visitors like us to drive through their lands and appreciate the desert’s beauty.

We definitely weren’t the only ones taking a peek at these stone giants. Amidst the clamor of group selfies and cameras on tripods, I smiled. Despite how different all these people are, every single one is curious about these old rocks. No matter their reasoning, I still found that thought enjoyable.

Though we passed plenty of towns, most of our drive cut through nothing but desert. In a way, this was our way of saying goodbye to the deserts of the Southwest. We spent nearly three months in the here, hopping between North America’s diverse deserts. In that time, I learned so much about these fragile yet resilient ecosystems.

The Chihuahuan Desert.

The Sonoran Desert.

The Mojave Desert.

The Basin and Range Desert.

I left humbled.

The desert taught me how precious water truly is;

that one footstep can leave a scar.

As we continue our travels East, I’m excited to see how those lessons change. Until then, I think I’ll be busy enjoying the ride.

Canyon of the Ancients,

Colorado

by Kes

In what felt like the blink of an eye, the scenery outside changed. Painted badlands gave way to green mesas until, soon enough, we crossed the border into Colorado.

Eventually, we made camp in a place that reminded me of home. Bushy junipers plump with berries shook in the evening wind. The blue sky took even more color in the setting sun as the mountains turned pink.

Looking out from the mesas, it was impossible to see into the past. Hopefully our hike into them will help us get a better look.

A mountain, unfamiliar yet distinct, stands guard over the canyons below.

Our trail took us through the remains of a large village on the edge of the same mesa we camped on. Sandstone Pueblo. 420 rooms, 100 kivas, and 14 towers (source). The mud brick walls have eroded into small mounds, easy to miss. Guided by the placards dotted along the trail, Sam and I silently imagined the life these walls must have seen. I was taken by the ease with which the earth was reclaiming these structures.

The trail continued to the edge of the mesa until we began our descent into the canyons. For the first time in months, the air felt warm. Butterflies floated between yellow wildflowers, darting between my feet. A cool breeze carried the smell of pine and fresh life. As we grew closer to the bottom of the canyon, I noticed the rocks begin to turn red. The colors of spring were finally coming out.

The trail followed a sandy wash towards an abandoned alcove. The deep recess in the rock certainly called to me. If I were traveling and stumbled upon this almost-cave, it would be my first choice of shelter for the night.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who thought that.

Please note that I would never actually camp in one of these ancestral alcoves. Not only is it disrespectful to modern Puebloan descendants, but walking around inside can increase the erosion of these structures and the alcove itself. We’re better off admiring from a distance.

I was floored. I knew these canyons were home to a flourishing society, but I didn’t expect these structures to be so plentiful. Around what felt like every corner, there was another alcove with another mudstone building. I even saw glimpses of dwellings in the distant foothills of neighboring canyons. We didn’t even hike the entire 15-mile trail, yet we saw ten different sites along the canyon walls. Of course, not every structure was a home; the Ancestral Puebloans were talented farmers, and often housed their extra grain in similar buildings. But the farmers had to live somewhere, right?

Can you imagine living here?

I was desperate for more information. I wanted to know everything. How many people lived in these canyons throughout their occupation? What did everyday life look like? How were conflicts resolved? How many different languages were spoken? How many different clans participated in this society?

Too many questions, too few answers. For the time being, all I could do was wonder. And I was okay with that. Of course, I know I’ll never know everything. But I will always cherish these nuggets of knowledge I stumble upon.

When we got back to camp, I did some digging. You know how I love podcasts? Well, I found the perfect one to end my section of this post:

Mesa Verde Voices is a podcast about the indigenous history of the Four Corners region. From farming practices to interviews with descendent tribes and the National Park Service, this podcast does an amazing job at answering my silent questions.

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I could write essays on everything I’ve learned in the Southwest, but I’ll do us both a favor and save that for another day.

Before I let Sam take over, I just want to say thank you for following along on our journey so far. I know these posts can be long and arduous at times, but they’ve allowed me to internalize these experiences. Whether you stay for the photos, the writing, or both, I just want you to know that I appreciate you :)

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The Search for the Perfect Campout

by Sam the Other Bean

We’d been planning for quite a while to meet up with some friends while we were passing through Colorado. Originally that plan was to spend a weekend at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, but after doing some research we realized that April was still well into the early season for the park. Unless we wanted to brave several feet of snow and the kind of temperatures that’ll give you frostbite if you’re not careful, we were going to have to choose a different spot to meet up at.

A lot of different places were tossed around, all of which were in Colorado, but the brutal truth was that, unless we wanted to camp were we had just come from, it was too cold to camp in Colorado. It seemed like all hope was lost and that our meetup would fall through, but then a lightbulb went off in my head. You know what’s right across the border from Colorado and is one of my favorite places to camp? That’s right, New Mexico!

After having that realization it wasn’t too difficult to determine where exactly we should camp. Taos was not only the same distance or less from everybody that was coming, but I also knew of a spot that had great views and wasn’t too far away from some hot springs, just like we wanted. If it sounds like finding camp is a little like house hunting, you’re not too far from the truth. Good campsites have decent neighbors, room for friends and family, views from the master bedroom, and a bathroom (if you’re really lucky).

Oh, and one more thing you typically won’t get in a house - the best campsites are free!

This is one of those 10/10 views we're always looking for on the road. Thanks to our friend Tyler, who took some great photos and let us share a few.

This is the Taos Gorge Bridge, one of the tallest in the US.

Now that the real legwork was over and we knew where we were going, all we had to do was get there. We decided to stop in Pagosa Springs along the way and meet up with Caleb, the head brew master for Riff Raff Brewing and a friend I had made while doing some work for the brewery during my senior year. He treated us to a couple beers and allowed us to spend the night at his place before we continued on. Thanks for your hospitality Caleb!

From Pagosa Springs it was only a couple more hours to Taos. We arrived early to scope out a good spot, and from there it didn’t take us long to set up camp. After we had done our little ten step routine, we realized there wasn’t much else to do but wait for everybody else to show up!

I don’t know why, but I was so giddy to see all my friends again. Scratch that, I know exactly why I was so excited. After being on the road for months and constantly being in unfamiliar areas, we were finally back on home turf. On top of that we were about to do the type of camping that had helped me form my passion for the outdoors - camping with friends! How could I not be pumped? This was going to be a great weekend.

As Kes and I shared in our excitement about the coming days, we noticed a cloud of dust slowly approaching in the distance. A flash of orange from the car was all we needed to know that this was David and Rachel. David’s been my best friend since elementary school, and Rachel, his girlfriend, has been a welcome addition to the group. I tried to play it cool as they rolled up to camp, but really there was no containing my excitement. I was running to give them both hugs as soon as I heard their car shift into park.

While we were catching up I noticed another car making its way down the dusty road towards us. This was no doubt Ben and Tyler, my former roommates from college and some of my closest friends. Ben also brought his dog, Koda, who Kes and I both think of as our nephew. Before long I was jumping up to give them hugs too.

Now that the whole gang was here the weekend could finally begin.

Taos Gorge, New Mexico

by Sam

"Perched on the black cliffs,

up against the brink,

a group of adventurers sit,

growlers they drink.

They hack their sack

and cook their grub

and hope they aren't seen

when they poo behind a shrub.

In their tents,

so cozy they lay,

for hiking and hot springs

will fill their next day.

In this group not a moment is bleak,

from cooking in the teardrop

to jumping in a creek.

I paint this picture for you

so you can go outdoors

and find your own view, too."

- a poem by Ben

Kes and I had fun watching as everybody shuffled around, staking out their own little plot of land and setting up their tents on it. We made sure to get our fair share of jabs in while they worked because really, what’s the point of having a Teardrop if you can’t brag about it to other people?

There was something very nostalgic about watching everybody set up their tents.

Before long camp was completely set up. At the center of it all, just as Kes and I had planned, was the Teardrop. I like to think of the Teardrop as the master bedroom and kitchen - the center hub for operations. Right next to the Teardrop was a huge firepit, more than enough to keep the six of us warm at night. The perimeter was made up of three tents and, further yet, our cars, which helped to form a nice barrier around camp.

This shade tent worked well until the wind came and blew it down.

After camp was set the next step was obvious: beer! Tyler whipped out some of the biggest beer cans I had ever seen from his favorite brewery in Fort Collins, and with that we toasted to the weekend. We spent a good chunk of the afternoon enjoying each other’s company, the sun, the ice cold beers, and the wonderful view of the Taos Gorge. If that’s not the perfect way to waste a day, I really don’t know what is.

Just some from friends doing what they do best - hanging out.

Sunset came quicker than anybody was expecting and we had to rush to get dinner ready before it got too dark. Luckily twelve hands, three stoves, and at least a couple ravenously hungry people makes for quick cooking. Burgers and a nice fire turned out to be the perfect way to end an already spectacular day.

(Slowly) preparing to do some cooking.

I don't know why, but I really love watching other people cook in the Teardrop.

Only Ben could look so magnificent eating a burger.

Everybody seems to have a different opinion about this pickle. What's yours?

Eating with views like this never gets old.

Of course the day couldn't be complete without first playing a game or two of hacky sack.

I'm still a firm believer that New Mexico has some of the best sunsets.

The next day there was really only one thing I wanted to do. That, of course, was to go hang out in some hot springs! If you know me, you know that hot springs are one of my absolutely favorite natural places to go. The only thing that makes a spring even more enjoyable is if you’re taking somebody new to one that you’ve already been to. This was especially true with Tyler.

On the drive to the hot springs.

The path to the springs led us down a narrow, winding road - the only way down the steep cliffs that define the gorge. Finally we came to a small trail that lead us to the heart of the Gorge, the Rio Grande. We followed the river to an inconspicuous rock fall and, after jumping over a few boulders, we were greeted by Black Rock Hot Springs.

If you look close enough, you can probably see the hot springs hidden in the rocks on the right side of the river.

Don't these waters just look magical?

It's not hanging out in hot springs unless you try to stack some rocks on somebody's head.

Notice how David was wearing a hat the entire time we were in the hot springs? Well, none of us realized he hadn't put on any sunscreen until the hat was gone.

During the whole way down I couldn’t help but smile at Tyler’s amazement of this place. The Taos Gorge is a very beautiful place indeed, and it brought me joy realizing that my love of the Gorge wasn’t just due to my bias towards New Mexico. If Tyler, a forest lover, thought the Gorge was a special place, then it must really be true.

We must’ve hung out in those hot springs for the better part of a day. When the hot springs were too crowded we would find fun by jumping into the river, crawling into an old mineshaft that was right above the springs, or by just simply sun bathing. Slowly the crowds that had come with the midday sun left one by one, and eventually we were left sharing the hot springs with just one or two other people. But by that point we, too, had had our share of the healing waters and were ready to head back to camp.

This is pretty much how Ben was the entire time we were at the springs, making sure his buddy wasn't left alone.

Unfortunately, as is all too common in the desert, the weather was quickly changing as we drove back to our home on the rim’s edge. Winds had picked up significantly since we’d left, and now gusts up to 20 or 30 mph blew through camp. I felt bad as everybody tried desperately to shovel sand out of their tents just as more sand blew in, but I can’t lie, there was a part of me that was really glad that Kes and I didn’t have to deal with similar problems in the Teardrop. Everything we had was nice, clean, and secure.

Cooking dinner wasn’t much fun either, even with the wind block from the Teardrop, but somehow we managed to make all the components needed for burritos. As we sat down to eat, all I could hope for was that by some miracle the wind would stop blowing so we could enjoy our last evening together.

Something must’ve been listening to me because sure enough, right as we finished dinner and the sun was setting, the wind calmed down again and left us alone for good. I couldn’t have been more thankful.

You can definitely tell it was a bit colder when we got back to camp the second day.

The wind died down and we were able to have another awesome fire.

The next morning we made a nice breakfast, but even a full stomach didn’t make saying goodbye any easier. It felt as though everything we had done together had taken an hour, not three days. My only solace was in knowing that it would be easy to get everybody together to do something similar in the future as well. Thanks for the great weekend guys!

Ben and Tyler saw this guy on the way out. Pretty cool!

Reflecting on this time with my friends, I realize just how much I appreciate having people in my life that care enough about me to take time off work and travel across the state to see me. Of all the memories I’ve made during this year, my time in Taos will definitely be near the top. Not necessarily because of the place, but because of the sheer joy that came from having all of these people I love together in one place and getting to share my passion for the outdoors with them.

Luckily we didn’t have to say goodbye to everybody. As it just so happened Ben’s house was directly along our route out east. What better place than here to do some free laundry and catch up on our shower deficit?

Ben’s House

by Sam

I’ve known Ben since the beginning of college and have lived with him basically ever since. We’ve been roommates together in four houses over the course of four years and have been through pretty much everything together. So, when I heard he was finally buying a house for himself, I felt an immense sense of pride and excitement for this new chapter in his life.

I’ve heard all sorts of stories about being a new homeowner through Ben but never got the chance to actually see this place of legends until now. In my mind Ben was still just one of my roommates, renting a rundown place and trying our best to make it feel like home. Despite everything Ben had told me, I couldn’t shake these images from my head. How could it be that, after so many years of hard work and penny pinching, Ben had finally achieved this next stage in his life? The only thing that could make all the pieces come together in my head would be to actually see his house in person.

Pulling up to his house was, well, a little lackluster. It’s not like his house had a big red arrow pointing at it with BEN’S HOUSE written in bold above the front entrance. To the contrary, his house fit into the neighborhood just as well as any other on the block. It wasn’t until I actually stepped inside that it hit me that this was Ben’s house.

We've gotten used to our house being much smaller than our friends'.

We were welcomed by a well decorated, albeit sparse, living room and kitchen. A couple candles burned in the corner, and their perfume almost cloaked the smell of drywall and wood. A pile of tools in the corner and an out of place washer and dryer were the only other immediate indicators that we were actually in a construction zone.

As we walked though the rest of the house, Ben showed us the various rooms he had built, was planning on destroying, or was currently doing some combination of both with. I started to notice little details here and there that I wouldn’t expect from any house other than Ben’s. Take, for instance, the light in the garage that could only be turned off via the breaker, the emotionally polarizing blue paint in his office, or the giant hole in his room that he had made his closet. There was no doubting that this was a strange house, and that this house was definitely Ben’s. I loved it.

We could’ve easily spent the next couple days hanging out and wasting time but, as much as I would’ve loved to do that, Kes and I had a long list of chores we had to attend to. So for the next 24 hours we balanced our time between chilling with Ben and doing less fun tasks like getting groceries, buying new shoes, and cleaning. Oh, the joys of life on the road.

This is a print that Ben got from Kes. I always enjoy seeing her prints on such a large scale.

Food is always just one of those things I'm always looking forward to.

It was nice to have a basecamp for a few days and to spend some quality time with Ben, but of course that couldn’t last forever. As usual we had places to be, and next up on the list was Kansas and the Midwest. Say what you will about the Great Plains, I couldn’t be more excited to be in the sea of grass again - our first time back since traveling through Nebraska in September. From experiencing 60 mph winds to rising lake levels threatening our only road to civilization, the next post will cover some of our most memorable time on the road to date!

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by, fed us, and hung out with us at camp. Every single one of you is seriously amazing.

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Housekeeping

Hi friend,

If you’re new to my page, welcome!

If not, then it’s really nice to see you again :)

If you aren’t on my newsletter and would like to be, you can easily sign up with your preferred email address and bam! You’ll be notified as soon as I post. There’s also the added bonus of being able to comment on these posts, so I highly recommend doing so if you haven’t already.

Without further ado, I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.

Best,

Kes the Photobean