False Kiva, Aztec Butte, Mesa Arch, Shafer Trail

The flight into Moab was beautiful, coming in low on a small 20 seater plane that guaranteed great views. An orange pink sunset painted the already orange and pink geology flowing underneath with an unearthly glow that came from within the earth. Fresh white powder snow outlined rock formations and accented differences between north and south exposures, with scraggly centuries old trees contrasting starkly in rows that flowed with the underlying strata.

We were heading into Anasazi country, throughout southeast Utah, to hike into canyons looking for the remnant ruins of Ancient Pueblo generations who somehow thrived in this seemingly desolate country. It was a country of extremes. “A great place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live there” kind of place for a modern American. Home for them was bone dry with rocky traverses, and it was a constant battle of survival among difficult sources of water, food, farming, and swings in temperature from sizzling hot summers to below freezing winters.

But their homes were organically built into magnificent rock walls, with beautiful views and easily defensible positions located above any potential attackers. Gravity was strategically on their side when it came to enemies, though that also made daily chores, hunting, and farming a difficult trudge up and down rock strewn canyons.

The homes literally blended with the surroundings, made of the same rocks as the expansive canyon walls they were nestled into, using the surrounding dirt as wet mortar for insulation and protection from the elements, insects, and small animals. It’s a testament to both the homes and the environment that thousand year old homes and petroglyphs remained in place, with pottery shards, hand-spun string, and discarded corn cobs still present at some sites.

False Kiva

False Kiva, in Canyonlands National Park, was an amazing example of all the above: beautiful views, a visible history in place, and thoughts about the many generations and hard lifestyles that lived there.

False Kiva can be reached via an unmarked trail near the Alcove Spring area of the park. There was no sign, and the vague trail of a relatively few prior visitors disappeared into the canyon rock and brush, so a good sense of direction plus a map was helpful.

Hiking down into the canyon, I imagined rock outcrops that Native American children likely climbed onto, and no longer existent paths that led to sources of water, plants, and hunting grounds. After rounding a bump-out of the canyon, a massive overhanging amphitheater surrounded us. Our yells echoed, even in the large open expanse, because of the shape and angles of the surrounding tan sandstone cliffs.

A few hundred feet away a small sun-filled alcove appeared in the amphitheater walls, though we never would have known there was an Anasazi ruin in there if we didn’t have a destination in mind already. Criss-crossing the boulder-strewn base of the cliffs, we hiked steeply up to the alcove.

Once there, the foundation of a round kiva overlooked the vast canyonlands and buttes beyond. Kivas were places of gathering, and served many purposes: spiritual ceremonies, school, workshop, and family communion. Unlike our modern homes that would emphasize that expansive national park view with windows, these kivas were mostly enclosed from the heat and cold. The Anasazi were outside most of their lives so, unlike us today, they did not have an inherent need to bring the “outside in” by adding large windows.

Aztec Butte

Aztec Butte was reached by a trail that wound up the smooth rock face of an oval-shaped butte, arriving at the flat top that looked out to 360 degree views around Canyonlands National Park.

Of most interest were the Anasazi ruins built into natural caves that rimmed much of the northern side of the butte at its uppermost reaches. Immediately below the caves was a naturally occurring rock ledge that conveniently provided a walkway rounding most of the butte, allowing for an easy walk from cave to cave.

These caves still had the rock walls of ancient homes filling part of the cave entrances. Those walls likely filled most of each cave entrance at one time, and were mud-mortar filled. It was unusual that the homes were north facing since most in the region were south facing to take advantage of the light and warmth of the sun. Their location made us wonder if these were “summer homes”, since they would be comfortable refuge in the heat of a Utah summer.

Mesa Arch

Mesa Arch was unusual because of its height above the canyon floor, and the frame it provided for the La Sal Mountains beyond. Peering over the edge of the cliff face, we could see how far the underside of the arch fell through the air over the millenia, crashing far below and creating this amazing arch.

Shafer Trail Overlook

The La Sal Mountains glowed at sunset from the Shafer Trail Overlook.