Are We There Yet? | First Backpack #4

Even before we'd pulled our sleeping bags out of the tent, I was distracted. Just outside an alcove behind the grassy area we'd called home, I'd stumbled upon some colorful spring flowers that were also waking up to a new day.

Indian Paintbrush. (left) | Evening Primrose (Oenothera). (center) | Utah Serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis). (right)

The difference between the three of us and the flowers was that the flowers hadn't been stuffed into an ultralight Marmot Superalloy 3P for the last 12 hours. Now, I shouldn't complain too much - the mosquito netting of the tent did its job fantastically and we were bite-free come morning - but the 3P(erson) sizing of the tent was optimistic at best. Of course, we knew this going in, but it's fun to complain every now and then.

A teenage look of joy after a night of trying to stay stick-straight and motionless.

As had been the case on previous mornings, breakfast would be a new flavor - Lemon Cake - of Quest protein bar. Not as good as the Crispy Cookies and Creme, but our second-favorite overall, and a nice faux-fresh flavor of chalk to start the day.

After packing up our sleeping gear - which, for all our complaining about size, the Marmot tent was amazingly easy to pack - it was time to set off in search of water. We hadn't found any that we wanted to drink since lunch the previous day, but we'd heard of another clear, running spring about three miles further up the trail - in Todie Canyon - and figured we could refill there at lunch.

A welcome cloud cover as we got underway.

Everything seemed even more brilliant under darker skies.

We'd been getting an earlier start every day of the trip, and this day was no exception. Having left camp at 7:40am, it was the first point at which I realized we were way ahead of schedule. Maybe even a full day ahead. With three miles to Todie Canyon, then only a couple more to Junction Ruin at the mouth of Kane Gulch. From there, it was only three miles to the ranger station, which meant that we were - having covered 10-12 miles per day to this point - a mere 8 miles from "done."

We had to slow down. And we had to do it in a way that @mini.turbodb would be none the wiser. Which meant I couldn't tell @mrs.turbodb, either.

Luckily, the ruins - or at least, the ones I knew to look for - started in an alcove only a few hundred feet from our camp site. The first couple were just small, now-inaccessible granaries, but the reflected light on their water-stained alcoves added visual appeal as we stopped for a look with the binoculars.

Staying dry. Placement of the granary between the two water stains was no accident.

Still structurally sound after more than 1,000 years.

As the sun started to break through and reflect off the orange rock around us, it made for fantastic lighting conditions. Plus, the bottoms of the clouds picked up a purple tinge, which is always fun.

We reached Split Level Ruins - one of the more extensive and well-known sites in Grand Gulch - just before 9:00am. Even from the main trail it was obvious that this was going to be an interesting place to look around, and even the kiddo was wondering aloud - as she rooted around for her camera - about what we'd find amongst the structures.

Split Level Ruins.

The Split Level site is believed to have been occupied during the Pueblo II-Pueblo Period (900 -- 1300 AD). However, there are rock images and artifacts found at the site which indicate an earlier Basketmaker occupation. Archaeologists estimate the population of the Split Level Ruin during Pueblo times to be from 30 to 40 people.

Dating of occupation for the site was done in 1974 when several beams found within site structures were cored for dendrochronologicai (tree ring) dating. The oldest core sample dated hack to approximately 897 AD; while the latest core sample date was around 1255 AD. The dates are approximate because the outside rings of the beams were often weathered and difficult to discern but still gives us a framework to understand when the site was occupied.

Eighteen structures have been recorded by archaeologists on the main (lower) level, with six more structures in the inaccessible upper alcove

There are three kivas at the Split Level site, identified as partially underground structures that once had roofs made of log beams covered with willows, bark, and, finally, plastered with mud.

Failing wood-beam roof of one of the kivas.

There is a structure thought to have acted as habitation rooms with a kiva just below and a small storage structure attached at the upper north end. On the east side of the rooms is a small structure containing some small rock slabs forming a three-sided box-like structure that may have been used for grinding corn.

Other smaller masonry structures at this site, which appear blackened by fire, were probably used as habitation rooms. The smaller structures with no fire-blackened walls, situated along the back wall of the site, were probably used to store crops.

It is thought that the inaccessible structures on the ledges above may have been built for defensive purposes. It is possible that during the prolonged drought of the late Pueblo Period, with poor crops and little food, intra-tribal or intra-family strife became a problem.

Inaccessible upper ruins.

Some rock imagery can be found on the large slabs located east of the split-level structure and north of the trail. It includes shield-like figures, concentric circles, spirals, pawprints, handprints, bighorn sheep, and birds.

The archaeological sites of Grand Gulch have sacred spiritual value for the descendants of the Ancestral Puebloans: the Hopi, the Zuni, and the Rio Grande pueblos, and should be treated with care and visited with respect.

BLM Info Sign

The great thing about Split Level Ruin was that there was a ton to see in addition to the mail Split Level structure. A series of granaries along the back wall with varied construction techniques, roof rafters - now exposed to the elements after whatever covering once kept the elements at bay was - on a couple of the rooms, and plenty of potsherds and corn cobs.

Back Room ruin.

A look at the lower-level roof - or was it a walk-out deck for the upper-level - of Split Level Ruin.

Evidence of daily life.

It's always been about location, even the Ancestral Puebloan knew that!

Hopefully the ruins remain long after this logbook is lost to history.

Returning to our packs after a good 45 minutes of looking around - there were apparently some petroglyphs we never were able to find - it was time to figure out a solution to a problem I'd been having for the last few hours with my ULA Ultra Circuit pack. At just over 2 lbs., I loved how light it was - and it seemed to fit me well, putting most of the weight on my hips - but the weight reduction meant that there was very little padding in the shoulder straps, and they were starting to chaff on my "massive" trapezoids (neck muscles). Long term I'll probably look at adding some actual pads, but for now, some shouldersocks™ made for a quick trail-fix, and we were back on our way in no time.

I do not have massive traps; more likely, I just strangely shaped.

Towering below Todie.

As we rounded the last bend before reaching the mouth of Todie Canyon, we took a quick detour to check out a couple interesting ruins and a few pictographs nestled into an alcove. At the time, I thought we were visiting most of the sites - it seemed as though we were entering quite a few alcoves percentage-wise - but looking through trip reports from others now that we've returned, I think we probably saw less than half of what there is to see!

Twin ruins.

Helping hands.

@mrs.turbodb found these nicely patterned potsherds. (left) | Nearby, a mustard reached toward the sun. (right)

We entered Todie Canyon half an hour before lunch and with the lightest packs we'd carried all trip. Those light packs - we were down to our last 2L of water - wouldn't last long, since we planned to fill up in the running spring a half mile up canyon, but for the time being there was a little more spring in our step. Wandering up the canyon, we easily found the spring and I set about digging out a small pool. That task accomplished, we sought out some shade where to eat lunch, giving the silt and mud time to be carried off - settle out - while we ate lunch, allowing us to drop our filter into the cool, crystal-clear water.

I think this filter would clean even the murkiest of muck, but it felt good to start with already-pristine spring water.

As was the case on every previous day, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches - enjoyed in the shade of a Cottonwood - never tasted so good, and we savored our few slices of mandarin as we sucked down the last of the water, plenty more available once worked up the energy to pump it.

Eventually we were able to work up that energy, and as we were stowing the last of our water in the pockets of our packs, two women approached from Grand Gulch. As always, we were all excited to see each other, and quickly settled into the usual, "where are you coming from, where are you headed," and "what was the water like" topics that are all that really matter in a place like this. Turns out that they'd come in via our exit route - Kane Gulch - earlier the same morning, and were making it a loop by heading out Todie Canyon, all as a day hike.

The fact that we were within day-hike-distance of the Kane Gulch Ranger station was not lost on @mini.turbodb. Not more than a few seconds after our groups wished each other well - and with a big smile on her face - she boldly addressed the topic I'd been hesitant to mention for most of the morning:

"What are we waiting for?" she beamed, "Let's get going!"

"Don't worry," I reassured her, "We're way ahead of schedule I don't think there's any chance we won't be done tomorrow." Still, I reminded her, we had plenty to see between now and then, and surely she'd rather see it now than be forced to return for a second trip!

We thought this rock looked like a heart, and it had a cute little tree growing on the top as well!

And this one looked like a hen sitting on her clutch!

As morning turned to afternoon, the sun - once again - seemed to be gaining the upper hand in the sky, patches of blue spreading in all directions as the clouds disappeared into thin air. This made for some dramatic views as various stretches of the sandstone walls were alternately illuminated, and were a reminder of just how a bit of light can make all the difference.

Grand Gulch framing.

The knowledge of how close we were to the end really did add a pep to the step of the kiddo, and suddenly it wasn't such a big deal to stop for a few minutes rock art and ruin sites anymore. The first of these - an alcove not too far away - I'd noted as Sheep on a Bike, which also helped to pique her interest.

Sheep on a Bike.

I really liked the conglomeration of symbols on this nearby panel.

There were also some tall, vertical elements on these panels that I really liked.
Hands up! (left) | Tall grass. (right)

Scorpion!

One of the things about photographing ruins and rock art is that the biggest enemy to the entire situation is direct sunlight. Not only does the sunlight fade the art over time, but it creates all sorts of harsh shadows and making it difficult to capture the details. The best case for any photography when reflected light illuminates the scene, but consistent lighting - whether it be full sun or full shade - is always better than partial coverage.

We'd arrived at the Sheep on a Bike alcove just as the shadows had been passing through the panel, so after explaining the situation to the youngest of our party, we waited about half an hour for the whole thing to be in the sun before snapping our shots and getting back on our way.

Naturally, this also required a bit of reassurance. Yes, we'd still be able to finish the following morning.

Stimper Arch. Now with tree.
(said tree was nowhere to be seen a mere 11 years earlier)

So small.

With the entrance to Kane Gulch now nearly within sight, we had only two more stops before we'd start our climb out of the canyon. The first of these was one known as Turkey Pen Ruin.

Our first hint of Turkey Pen was this elaborate, inaccessible structure in an alcove high above.

Outline twins.

Double doors.

Pair of sheep.

Jumping jacks.

While there probably weren't any turkeys kept here - at least, not in pens - there are a series of canes embedded in the ground that suggest some sort of containment. More likely, these canes were the "bones" for a jacal structure - perhaps a circular granary - that was either abandoned during construction or eroded as the people who called this place home moved on to a different location.

The Turkey Pen. Even the turkeys had a nice view!

The jacal (stick) structure was definitely a highlight, but there were a couple of other unexpected finds as well.

This K9 jaw had a hole in it, indicating that it was once worn as a necklace.

This was the largest collection of potsherds we found at any site.
(Note: it's frowned upon to collect potsherds like this anymore; leave them where you find them.)

Our second stop - after Turkey Pen - was named for its location within Grand Gulch. Junction Ruin - at the junction between Grand Gulch and Kane Gulch would be our last stop of the day, and we'd eventually find camp on a nearby slickrock ledge. But that - and our celebratory climb out of the canyon - are for the final part of this story.

Seeya next time!

 

 

The Whole Story

 

Filed Under