June 23, 2012
June 23, 2012
Navajo National Monument is a misnomer. The park happens to be on the Navajo Reservation, but it has nothing to do with them. The site celebrates the ancient pueblo Indians that lived here 800 years ago. The local Hopi are the likely descendents of these Anasazi; not the Navajo that migrated here in more recent times from Canada and displaced the locals.
While here we signed up for the guided hike down into the cliff dwelling. At 10am we meet up with four other hikers and follow a Navajo seasonal Ranger down a steep trail that descends to the canyon floor. Like much of the Colorado plateau, the canyon walls are red sandstone. We signed up for this hike not only because of the great scenery but also to reacclimate ourselves to the altitude and regain our hiking legs. It is a good thing because Aimee and I are really huffing and puffing on the uphill return.
The rest of the afternoon we relax under a pinon pine tree doing some reading. Aimee points out a gray squirrel scampering up our shade tree. A few minutes later the squirrel starts throwing stuff at us. I guess he doesn’t like us in his tree. I soon notice pieces of green pinecones everywhere. This fat squirrel is hungry! He is taking one cone after another and eating them voraciously like an ear of corn. Apparently he is after the pine nuts inside. Intrigued I pick a green cone too and peal away the outside. Inside I find a baker’s dozen of peanut-size pine nuts. We like pine nuts so Aimee and I both taste one but quickly spit them out. Either they are unripe or need to be roasted. Darn!
Navajo National Monument is a misnomer. The park happens to be on the Navajo Reservation, but it has nothing to do with them. The site celebrates the ancient pueblo Indians that lived here 800 years ago. The local Hopi are the likely descendents of these Anasazi; not the Navajo that migrated here in more recent times from Canada and displaced the locals.
While here we signed up for the guided hike down into the cliff dwelling. At 10am we meet up with four other hikers and follow a Navajo seasonal Ranger down a steep trail that descends to the canyon floor. Like much of the Colorado plateau, the canyon walls are red sandstone. We signed up for this hike not only because of the great scenery but also to reacclimate ourselves to the altitude and regain our hiking legs. It is a good thing because Aimee and I are really huffing and puffing on the uphill return.
The rest of the afternoon we relax under a pinon pine tree doing some reading. Aimee points out a gray squirrel scampering up our shade tree. A few minutes later the squirrel starts throwing stuff at us. I guess he doesn’t like us in his tree. I soon notice pieces of green pinecones everywhere. This fat squirrel is hungry! He is taking one cone after another and eating them voraciously like an ear of corn. Apparently he is after the pine nuts inside. Intrigued I pick a green cone too and peal away the outside. Inside I find a baker’s dozen of peanut-size pine nuts. We like pine nuts so Aimee and I both taste one but quickly spit them out. Either they are unripe or need to be roasted. Darn!
posted by Mike and Aimee at 5:37 AM
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