Chaco Canyon is to be featured on the New Mexico quarter for the new national park quarter series. The quarters will highlight one park or site per state or territory.
"These new quarters will honor some of our most revered, treasured and beautiful national sites - majestic and historic places located throughout the United States and its territories that truly make us 'America the Beautiful,'" United States Mint Director Ed Moy said. "The designs will help reinvigorate interest in our national parks, forests, fish and wildlife refuges, and other national sites, as well as educate the public about their importance to us and our history."
William Faulkner helps me remember why I write ... and what I need to do, which is to write, and write, and write some more.
For all you writers, and hope-to-be writers, this is for you.
Sometimes we forget that we have this talent. It sits bottle-necked while we run to the store, wash clothes, and hit a few balls at the golf course. But to experience those AHA! moments where the work surprises even you, you have to write thousands of words regularly, daily, frequently.
When your subconscious cranks out words better than your conscious mind can imagine, magic happens. And that only occurs with a habit and an addiction to putting the words on the paper.
The ability to camp close by, rather than 20 miles away, makes a big difference. I think it's a smart move for them to reopen to campers, bringing back visitors during the beautiful fall season.
Because emergency repairs to the septic system are still being done, lack of running water limits campground services. Basically this just means semi-primitive camping.
Here are the limitations:
No running water - it is still available at the visitor center parking lot
Portable bathrooms - campground restrooms are closed; restrooms also available outside the visitor center
Conserve all water use
Dump station for RVs is closed, with no alternate facility in the park
Only 49 campsites available - first come, first served
Only one group campsite, with reservations required
Campsites are still $10 per night - a bargain.
I'm checking my calendar to see when I can get to Chaco this fall. How about you?
Chaco's latest archaeological discovery has now made the news. It's a big deal.
An ancient pit house was discovered in the maintenance area when they began to do the sewer upgrade work that has closed the campground.
Unfortunately, this also means the campground will likely be closed for quite a while. Work on the upgrade can't continue til the excavation is completed.
Even so, this is very exciting!
I heard about it soon after they discovered it, but it wasn't yet appropriate to publicize it. It is in an area off limits to visitors, so not sure if you can see it.
I'll keep you posted as I hear more!
Here's a portion of an article in the Gallup Independent; you need to subscribe or be in Gallup to get the paper yourself to read the rest of it.
(Photo caption) Park archaeologist Roger Moore points out some of the excavated area of a recently discovered pit house at Chaco Culture National Historical Park on Tuesday. Moore believes the uncovered area dates to around 500 B.C. Carbon dating from corn recovered in the fire pit will confirm the actual age of the discovery.
CHACO CANYON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK — New discoveries have a knack for coming about in unusual ways, as archaeologists at Chaco Canyon National Historical Park found out this summer.
It is not very romantic, but archaeologists monitoring work in progress on a sewer upgrade stopped work when signs of ancient human activity showed up at the proposed site of a lift station.
[To read more subscribe to the Gallup Independent by calling (505) 863-6811 or purchase the paper at the newsstand.]
Has anyone else heard more that they can share with us? Please comment below!
Photo: Here we are (most of us), about to enjoy our yummy New England lobster
Missing a Chaco Solstice ... me? ... gulp.
Try as I might, I still have not learned how to be in two places at once. If anyone has the trick, please share!
I listened to my heart, and it was absolutely the right decision.
Some special family events the same weekend in June meant traveling to the East Coast instead of Chaco Canyon.
Was missing Chaco worth it? Yes! Here's why:
Time with family. Family health issues and parents in their 80s make me want to spend whatever precious time I can with them, especially since I am 3000 miles away. Plus I love them and they're pretty cool.
Connection with Norwegian family. Yay! One of my cousins and her family have been planning to come for quite a while now. I don't get to see the Norway family much, especially with me being on the West coast. And Boston is a lot closer than Norway.
Fun. Wow, what a fun group. Six cool people visited, four of them young adults in their 20s. And they laugh all the time. How great is that?
Fresh perspective. I got to see America (at least New York City and Boston) through the eyes of foreigners. And they love us and how we treat strangers (with welcoming arms). One cousin was on crutches and nursing a broken leg - everyone helped her!
More family history. I've been recording history from both parents. And the keen interest my cousins had in my Dad's WWII resistance experience in occupied Norway encouraged him to tell more great stories. Doesn't get much better then to hear your nation's important history from someone who lived it, especially family. Plus it made him happy.
Listening to my heart always steers me to where I need to be. I wouldn't have missed this for the world!
To my Chaco friends: I missed you, but promise I'll be back soon! You know I can't stay away very long....
Anson Wright of Chaco Alliance talks about the status of the efforts to prevent the paving of the north road into Chaco Canyon. Our goal is to improve the road (which increases safety), rather than pave it.
Please note that the old "dont-pave-chaco.com" web site is no longer valid. Please bookmark "Chaco Alliance" and check back periodically for updates. Much is happening (more on that in future posts). Thanks for all your support - keep it coming!
I love participating with other Chaco-lovers, and connecting with the Pueblo groups who come to dance in the canyon during this sacred time.
Because I was unable to attend this year, I cannot bring you my own photos or video. Instead, see John Sefick's video (above) showing the Pueblo Dancers in the great plaza at Pueblo Bonito.
This year an Acoma Pueblo group danced, as did a Laguna Pueblo group. Both also danced in 2008, though I believe they were different groups and/or participants.
Do check out John Sefick on YouTube, as he has many Chaco videos. I will be sharing them with you on this blog from time to time.
See my related posts on Solstice 2008, including the Acoma and Laguna dancers:
Amazing as it sounds, a helicopter landed on Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon on June 13 - a completely unauthorized act on an important and protected historical site.
In John Sefick's video, Eleanor Bravo interviews G.B. Cornucopia, Chaco ranger, who saw the whole thing, and took photos and video.
I followed up with Chaco staff, and learned that the pilot was under contract with the BLM to fight fires in Wyoming. He was on his way there from Texas.
He says the brief landing on Fajada was because he had to complete a "pinnacle landing."
Fajada is a high butte, but not a pinnacle. Besides, it is a protected site in a national park and World Heritage site! I would expect that anyone would know this is not a place to land a helicopter on a whim, and without authorization.
The pilot is no doubt in deep trouble.
As G.B. says in the video interview, Chaco law enforcement was able to track him down shortly after the landing. He will be fined for landing without permission, and hopefully will be cited for ARPA (Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979) violation.
G.B. is trying to get him cited on additional penalties. Fajada Butte is the home of the Sun Dagger, an important astronomical site. Even Chaco staff have to jump through hoops to obtain access to Fajada or the Sun Dagger site.
The hope is that irreversible damage has not been done to any of the sites on top of Fajada by this senseless act.
I will keep you posted of any further developments.
Above: Zuni dancers at Pueblo Bonito, Solstice 2007
Below: Solstice sunrise at Casa Rinconada, June 2008
Above: Summer camping in Gallo Campground, Chaco Canyon
If you are heading to Chaco for summer solstice, you’ll need to make alternate camping plans. The Gallo campground closes beginning June 15 for about 3 weeks (or more) for repairs to the septic system.
Why now, you ask? Solstice is when many of us head to Chaco for our Chaco fix, and many newbies discover the park. The campground is always full.
I agree - solstice seems a crazy time to do this - but who knows what factors are at play here. It has needed to be fixed for about a year and a half, and the campground has been at less than capacity all that time.
So I’ve included a link to download a pdf of some alternatives for camping, as provided on the park web site - the same ones listed (more or less) for anytime when the campground is full.
You’ll be driving further once you leave the park to cook dinner and get some sleep. And it will take more planning, since you can’t just quickly head back to your campsite to grab some lunch or some forgotten gear. And then there are the 10 to 20 miles of dirt road to drive, whether you come in from the south or the north.
Think of it as an added bonus for your Chaco adventure. You know Chaco is always an adventure, don’t you?
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