March 24, 2014

Natural Bridges National Monument

It's getting warmer! Which is a relief.

Today we drove through the Natural Bridges Monument. You can't see that much from the car so you have to get out and hike a short or a long ways to see the formations.

We watched a dramatic movie at the visitors center, had a picnic there, and headed out on a 9-mile one-way loop.
The Sipapu Bridge
Sipapu is a Hopi word that means "place of emergence." They believed their ancestors came up into this world there.
Horse Collar Ruin
We saw this from across the chasm, not wanting to make the strenuous hike up to it. It's name is from the shape of the openings to the Anasazi's granary.
Owachomo Bridge
This is how the bridges were formed. A meandering stream cuts back on itself, carving into the rock wall. Over time the river breaks through and takes the shorter course under the new bridge, abandoning the old meander. This is an old bridge which has worn pretty thin (about 9 feet).
When one of us gets tired, the other says, "We can do this!"

4 comments:

Neil said...

Opa, you can do it now!
Crazy thinking about how the Anastazi lived there. It doesn't seem like there would be much to eat.

sheryl said...

You hiked 9 miles in one afternoon? That would make me tired.

Eldon and Janeil Olsen said...

Are you serious? It was a 9-mile drive in the car!

We were hiking up a steep part and Dad said, "Opa, you can do it now!"

They planted corn, squash and beans.

Eldon and Janeil Olsen said...

Are you serious? It was a 9-mile drive in the car!

We were hiking up a steep part and Dad said, "Opa, you can do it now!"

They planted corn, squash and beans.