Monday we had a big day planned with a long drive. Total round trip mileage would be over 200 miles. Because of this I'm going to break Monday into two parts.
Our first stop would be Walnut Canyon National Monument near Flagstaff, Az. When we were in Cottonwood four years ago with Scott and Terri Blankenbiller, Scott had wanted to come to Walnut Canyon. Unfortunately a huge boulder the size a car fell on the Island Trail forcing them to close it.
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| Walnut Canyon |
This year they are working on the Island Trail. It is normally a one mile loop trail. You have to go down 240 steps 185 feet and then there are some more steps maybe 5 and then 12 at a time but not much. Because they are working on the trail when you get to the end of the cliff dwellings you have to turn around and repeat the trail. Instead of a 1 mile trail it is probably about 1 3/4 a mile. The problem is not the length of the trail, it is going back up the 240 plus steps at 7000 foot elevation!
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| Island Trail |
They definitely warn you about the hike out! We got our cardio on Monday but it was well worth it! And this was just the first site of the day!
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| Caution! |
We continued down the trail and we came to stairs. Lots of stairs!
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| Stairs |
The stairs just kept coming. This is like walking up and down an eighteen story building! Plus there were more stairs later on the trail!
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| And more stairs! |
I was concerned that with my acrophobia this would be a problem. After you finish the stairs you are walking on a narrow trail on the side of a cliff. I called the day before and they assured me there was a railing the whole way down for the stairs (there was), and railing wherever the trail was narrow (there wasn't). It turned out I was OK. You can see the trail continuing between the rocks.
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| Trail |
Whenever someone else would come up the trail I would just hug the rock side of the trail. LOL
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| Trail to the Cliff dwellings |
This is the first dwelling we came to. Unfortunately before this became protected people would hike here and take artifacts for themselves and ruined this particular room.
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| Patty in Dwelling |
We continued on the trail and found more Sinagua dwellings.
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| More Rooms |
These dwellings were across the canyon from us. The Sinagua could not have been afraid of heights to live here! Can you imagine how they were able to get in and out of there houses?
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| Cliff Dwellings |
You were allowed to enter some of the dwellings, some you were not. Can you imagine that these are 900 years old? Wow!
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| Brian in Dwelling |
You can see here the new trail they are constructing. We were able to walk on this, but just after the last dwelling they had it roped off and you had to turn around and backtrack instead of completing the loop. You can see more stairs here.
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| New Trail |
When we got to the end of the trail we took a picture of the visitor center. This is where we have to hike back up to. You can see it on the top of the mountain in the middle of the picture.
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| Visitor Center |
We have arrived at the bottom of the large flight of steps. This slab of cement was waiting to warn you!
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| Easy does it! |
Normally I would say that's it for today, but we continued to the Sunset Crater National Monument. Continue with us to that adventure!
Love you,
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