Bandelier National Monument

On Labor Day weekend we decided to take a day trip to Bandelier National Monument. The plan was actually to drive to the monument and spend the morning there, then let Ethan catch a nap for an hour in the car as we drove over to the Jemez mountains, then go swimming in a hot spring and then head back home. As it was, we actually spent until 3:00 in the afternoon at the Monument, Ethan did not fall asleep in the car (probably because he had a 15 minute catnap on the bus that we took back from the Monument), and we never found one of the hot springs. Oh well, I guess that will be for another day.

The National Monument was really cool (although the name Monument is deceiving because I don't think there is an actual "monument" it is more like a State or National Park). Most of the hikes here in New Mexico seem to be opportunities to learn some of the history of the pueblo people. This was no different. Bandelier marks a place that was inhabited by Ancestral Pueblo people from about 1200-1400 AD.

In the valley the people built a huge village with over six hundred rooms that have been excavated.

(Ethan thinks that if you squat down then he should squat too)

Here is a view of the village, only some of the walls remain, 

but you can see kind of what it would have looked like.

 

In the cliffs behind this village the people carved caves for homes out of the soft rock. In addition to Trent and Ethan's muscles this picture shows hundreds of little holes in the cliffs because the rock is so soft.

The hike led us up in the middle of the cliffs and had ladders so that we could enter into some of the caves.

Ethan loved climbing the ladders and talked about it for days afterwards.

Here are the remnants of where they had one long village that extended along the cliff. The little holes are where they stuck logs to help support the structures the built onto the face of the cliff. The hike was just under three miles but it took us so long because there was so many neat things to see!

 

We took an extra little trail to a sacred area connected with these same people. We had to climb up a ton of high ladders, and even though Ethan was a real trooper, Trent had to carry him up some of these ladders because they were just too hot for his little hands.

 Up at the top we had a view of the valley and were able to climb down into a Kiva, which was a sacred room where they performed rituals and had meetings.

It is so fun to go on historical hikes like this and learn to appreciate the culture of New Mexico more and more. We are glad that Ethan is such a good hiker too. He walked all by himself for the whole hike except for the last fifteen minutes or so where Trent carried him on his shoulders. I guess we are putting all that energy to good use!