Four Corners Closed for Construction

Freezing cold last night with no heat. Hooptie covered in frost. Generator running full blast to warm us up.

On to Shiprock and Four Corners today. Mountains are ever changing. We just saw some that look like waves,

others have various shades of beige then other times saturated hues of charcoal, brick red, corn yellow, plum and moss green.

Seeing Shiprock from the distance reminds me of when Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz sees the Emerald City from the distance. Stunning.

This Shiprock a little closer.

Shiprock is such a focal point when you are driving Northwest NM. You see it for miles and miles and on every road we turned.

Traveling on to Four Corners- you have got to do the hokey things. My grand daughter can’t wait until we can be in 4 states at once. Well you are not going to believe it…. It’ closed for construction!

Can you believe it? I can’t. At least the drive was so beautiful that it changed it from a wasted trip to a nice drive. I spoke to a Forrest Ranger who informed us that they are rebuilding a new visitor center and a new monument marking the 4 corners and this new monument will be cordoned off so you will not be able to stand on it. That's a bummer! That is the whole point. I guess this is called progress?

Driving on the “trail of the ancients”, I feel like I could be on the moon. It’s fairly barren with craters and gorges giving rise to mountains of rock and boulders. Shadows from the clouds keep the landscape ever changing.

This isn’t the best picture to show you but I was fascinated with the massive boulders.

We past a sign that said “Open Range”. We thought all of this land looked like an open range. Then poof! Look what we see on the road… cows, calves, and a horse.

see the Rv Mirror

Seemed strange to have cows in the road.

We took a “wrong turn” which turned out to be the right turn to Hovenweep National Monument. Saw ruins all around the canyon rim and into the canyon. The people lived there from 500 – 1300 AD. Hiked the rim and down into the canyon and back up. Nice hike on a crisp and sunny 41 degree day.

They were fantastic masons.

This sums up another wonderful day. I am so blessed!