Bandolier National Monument

I spent most of the day exploring Bandolier National Monument , a convenient half hour from Santa Fe. According to the FAQ on the website , Bandolier is one of three areas historically inhabited by the Pueblo people. Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon and Bandolier were all sites occupied by people of the Ancestral Pueblo culture, but during different time periods. Mesa Verde: A.D.500-1300 Chaco: A.D. 500-1300 Bandelier: A. D. 1100-1550 . During these centuries there was trade and exchange of ideas and migration occurred between these areas.

I first walked the main Pueblo trail, which is where many of the cliff dwellings and other archeological remains of the Pueblo people can be viewed. Sadly, Cave Kiva was closed due to vandalism. Rachel, from the park service, explained that it had been defaced by graffiti. This is unfortunately a common occurrence at archeological sites all over the world. It is difficult to understand the motivation, or perhaps just lack or appreciation required to commit such an act.

I then continued to the Alcove house, which is reached by climbing 140 ft. Up four vertical ladders. I decided to wait to climb the second very long ladder until I had some company. Greg and Allison happened by and were incredibly kind and encouraging. We hung out at the top, took photos of each other, then climbed down together and hiked the rest of the way back together as well. Allison is a data scientist and Greg previously worked for UPS. They currently reside in Bishop California. I was very grateful for their willingness to connect with a stranger.

I then headed to Valles Caldera National preserve , immediately adjacent to Bandolier. About 1.25 million years ago (reports vary, some putting the event at 1.6 million years ago, but still relatively recent), a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as the Valles Caldera. Why is it that many of the interesting sites require navigating a steep windy road to get there? As soon as I turned onto the road to the park, I knew that I would not get very far. It had been plowed at some point, but was covered with snow and ice. I drove the two miles to the visitor center just to see what might be available. Basically all of the rest of the road to various sites around the Caldera were closed, and unless I wanted to rent snowshoes, there was not much more I could do. I would have been happy to try the snowshoes had I arrived earlier in the day, but at 3 PM, but with the preserve closing at 5 and sunset around 5:30 I passed. I was able to stop at a number of pullouts along the highway that allowed views of the Caldera.

Additional images are found in the Gallery.