More Vacation Photos--More Chaco Canyon

Moon setting at Chaco Canyon after the full moon night

There is no hotel/motel at Chaco Canyon.  It's a rustic place--from the road to get there to the "lodgings."  We stayed in the campground there at the Canyon.  There is an area for tents that's in a little side canyon so the tents are better protected from the wind.

Our tent in Chaco Canyon campground

Here is our humble abode for a few days in our little part of Chaco Canyon.

It was chilly in the mornings.  Fleece, flannel, and/or wool was required.  However, as the sun rose and we got moving more, the temperatures rose.

After breakfast, we headed out to explore more ruins at Chaco Canyon.  










Next on our list was Pueblo del Arroyo.  It is another large great house in Chaco Canyon. 

Modern day resident of Pueblo del Arroyo in Chaco Canyon

In the early morning, the sun's rays felt good.  To us . . . and to the lizard next to the trail.

Then we visited Kin Kletso, another great house.

Then on to Casa Rinconada (Round House?) and the trail up to the mesa and to another great house . . .

Looking back at Pueblo Bonito from the South Mesa Trail

After we walked along the trail for a while (it's easy once you get on top of the mesa), we reached great house Tsin Kletzin.  

By the time we arrived, it was HOT!  We ate our snack lunch in the meager shade provided by the ancient wall.  Then we made our way back the way we came.  Back to Casa Rinconada.

This hike was pleasant and not scary at all.  As you leave Casa Rinconada and head up the trail to get up on the mesa top, you need to keep your eyes peeled for rock cairns piled on the sandstone to mark the trail.  And . . . there is one section where you have to shinny through a sandstone chute that requires using hand and foot holds to get up and down that section.  It didn't scare me, though, because it wasn't straight up, wasn't exposed, and the fit was tight enough (my day pack scraped on both sides) that it wasn't likely I was going to fall.  I didn't take any photos of this section because I stowed my camera for that little bit of fancy footwork section.  Didn't want it dangling and hitting the sandstone or pulling me off balance.

My man's name for that section of trail?  The Jenny Craig section . . .

Thanks for indulging my still sharing our vacation photos with you even though it's been MONTHS since we got back.