I had heard about Hovenweep National Monument, and it was on my list of places I’d like to visit. It was only about 70 miles away – which in “out west” terms is virtually next door. So, in spite of the cool, overcast weather, I hopped into Bart and headed out – oh, at the crack of 11:00.
By the time I got there, the cloud cover was pretty solid and the temperature had dropped considerably. I stopped in at the visitor center and watched the video about the monument.
I found out the Hovenweep is a Ute word that means “deserted valley.” There are a series of small river valleys and canyons that feed into the San Juan River from Cajon Mesa on the Utah-Colorado border. The Anasazi occupied the area from about 500 to 1300 AD and built the masonry towers and pueblos that are in the Monument.
William D. Huntington, who was on a missionary trip for Brigham Young, discovered the ruins that are in the present day Hovenweep National Monument in 1854. The ruins were already known the Huntington’s Ute and Navajo guides, who considered them to be haunted. Hovenweep was set aside as a National Monument by President Warren Harding in 1923
The ranger gave me a map and told me about the trail that went around the Square Tower group. If I did the complete circuit, I would descend one side of the canyon and ascend the other side. I thought I just might do the whole loop.
The large masonry towers were all around the rim of the canyon.
There were ruins that were more ruined.
This dwelling was built into an eroded boulder.
You can see the proximity of the structures in this view. This really was a community.
Considering that these towers have withstood at least 600 years of weather and the depredations of people looking for artifacts to sell, it is amazing that these structures are still standing.
In the distance, you can see Sleeping Ute Mountain, which is in Colorado.
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds from time to time.
I persevered, still determined to do the whole loop.
Eventually, though, I decided that I was just not dressed for the weather – even though I was wearing two polar fleece tops, a windbreaker, a hat and a scarf. I made it to the turn, and then decided to head back.
But heading back the way I came allowed me to take another shot of Hovenweep Castle, this time with just a little more light on it.
Wouldn’t you know it? As soon as I head out, the sky clears a bit and there is a bit more light.
The clouds closed back in by the time I got back to Goosenecks State Park. I was surprised to find this German RV at the campground when I arrived.
One of these days, I will talk to the folks who drive these. I wonder what they are like inside.