4,156 mi, 78 hours || znizka z America The Beautiful = $87 :)

LISTA ATRAKCJI

Clayton State Park NM - dinosaur trails  info  photos  beautiful photo   dinosaur freeway 

Taos UNESCO, NM wiki

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks NM, NM wiki  photos

Coronado State Monument [opcja]

Very Large Array!  34°04′43.497″N 107°37′05.819″W   info  info

Mission San Miguel w Socorro [opcja]

Chaco Culture National Historic Park/UNESCO wiki  NPS  camping   movie

Aztec Ruins NM/UNESCO,  NM wiki

Yucca House NM, CO  pdf wiki

Durango

Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway wiki  blm  

Hovenweep NM, CO wiki

Natural Bridges NM, UT wiki

Route 95 - Trail of the Ancients
Hite Bridge

Slot Canyons near Hite list

Capitol Reef NP, UT wiki   map

Goblin Valley State park wiki 

Crystal Geyser [opcja]

Canyonlands NP, UT  wiki  

Box Canyon Ouray info

Black Canyon of the Gunnison River NP, CO  wiki

Curecanti National Recreation Area

Monarch Pass - Continental Divide

Grand Sand Dunes National Park, CO wiki

Royal Gorge Bridge wiki

Garden of the Gods wiki

Colorado Springs - Air Force Academy Chapel   the chapel wiki

home

ROZPISKA SZCZEGÓŁOWA

DAY 1 - Saturday - dzień jazdy na Dziki Zachód

CS - Clayton: 1,051 mi – about 17 hours 28 mins

przez Rita Blanca National Grassland i Kiowa National Grasland

Both units of the Kiowa National Grassland consist of a patchwork quilt of public land interspaced with private land. Elevations on the Grassland range from 4,500 to 6,300 feet (1,400 to 1,900 m) which is high enough to moderate somewhat the summer temperatures of the Great Plains.[2] The average high and low temperatures for Clayton in July are 87 °F (31 °C) and 60 °F (16 °C) and January highs and lows are 47 °F (8 °C) and 20 °F (−7 °C). Annual precipitation is about 15 inches (380 mm) throughout the Grassland with July and August the wettest months and January and February the driest.[3]

Semi-arid steppe grassland (shortgrass prairie) is the most common vegetation, covering 79 percent of the Grassland (including the adjacent Rita Blanca National Grassland). Ten percent of the land is covered with Pinyon – Juniper woodland, almost entirely in the western sector. A few stands of Ponderosa Pine are found in the Canadian River Canyon in the western sector. Nine percent of vegetative cover is Sand Sagebrush and one percent is Cottonwood and Willow riparian forest. The Canadian River is the only permanent stream. Playa lakes (shallow lakes which hold rainwater part of the year) are commonly found.[4]

Nearly all of the land in the Kiowa National Grassland is leased to ranchers for grazing cattle which is the main economic activity in the region.  

Clayton Park - male obserwatorium

Clayton Park - galeryja

Clayton Park - visitor center ze słomy!!

Clayton jest otwarty od 6 am do 9pm; 36° 34′ 42″ N, 103° 18′ 22″ W

NOCLEG 141 Clayton Lake Rd. Clayton, NM / 5,050 ft / Gate Hours: 24 hours / Charles Jordan    575.374.8808

camping info  Reservations: 1-877-664-7787  Entrance fee/day/vehicle: $5.00 / Camping fee: $10.00

Okazuje się, że w weekend trzeba rezerwować 2 noce, PLUS $11 za rezerwację. To może lepiej dorzucić jeszcze godzinę... i spać w Capulin? http://www.capulinrvpark.com/contact-us.html 575-278-2921 17,50+tax - jest prysznic i nie ma potrzeby robic rezerwacji :)  U.S. Highway 64/87 w Capulin. 36° 46′ 56″ N, 103° 58′ 12″ W (wsp. do wulkanu)

Raton - Cedar Rail Campground 46020 Interstate 25 Raton, NM 87740‎

DAY 2 - Sunday - dzień dinozaurzych łap i czubatych skałek

7h jazdy, 4h zwiedzania

Zwiedzanie Clayton State Park info  photos  beautiful photo   dinosaur freeway  park map

Clayton Lake has one of the most spectacular dinosaur track ways in the world. Over 500 tracks from several types of dinosaurs can be viewed from a boardwalk on the dam’s spillway. 8 species of dinosaurs lived here.

[Zwiedzimy prawdopodobie w sobotę i będziemy spać pod wulkanem.]

Clayton - Taos: 165 mi – about 3 hours 47 mins || 122 mile/3 h jeśli śpimy w Capulin

        przez Cimarron (“untamed” in Spanish) - Tooth of Time  photo  

To avoid the rocky and mountainous Raton Pass, wagon traffic used the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail during the 1840s. Thereafter, Mountain Branch near Raton Pass became more popular with traders, immigrants, gold-seekers, and government supply trains. Cimarron was officially chartered in 1859 and was named for the Spanish word used to describe a mustang, meaning "wild" and "unbroken".

jedziemy przez Cimarron State Park? Ogladamy Palisades Sill? juz tam bylismy:)

Taos - 2h wiki   terragalleria   opowiastka

Sunday: 8:30am – 4:30pm; Admission: $10 per person; $6 per camera

Taos Pueblo (or Pueblo de Taos) is an ancient pueblo belonging to a Taos (Northern Tiwa) speaking Native American tribe of Pueblo people. It is approximately 1000 years old and lies about 1-mile (1.6 km) north of the modern city of Taos, New Mexico, USA. The Red Willow Creek, or Rio Pueblo de Taos (also called Rio Pueblo), is a small stream which flows through the middle of the pueblo from its source in the Sangre de Cristo Range. A reservation of 95,000 acres (380 km2) is attached to the pueblo, and about 1,900 people live in this area.[3]

Taos Pueblo is a member of the Eight Northern Pueblos. The Taos community is known for being one of the most secretive and conservative pueblos.

Taos Pueblo's most prominent architectural feature is a multi-storied residential complex of reddish-brown adobe divided into two parts by the Rio Pueblo. According to the Pueblo's Web site, it was probably built between 1000 and 1450 A.D. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on October 9, 1960, and in 1992 became a World Heritage Site. As of 2006, about 150 people live in it full-time.[

Taos - Kasha Katuwe 35°40′25″N 106°25′10″W: 108 mi – about 2 hours 19 mins

Kasha Katuwe - 2h [$5 honoruja paszport] wiki  BLM   photos opis z mapką   opis z mapką 2  szlaki - idziemy na Canyon Trail more photos  FILMIK

The national monument includes 4,645 acres of public lands located 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe and 55 miles northeast of Albuquerque, with the most direct access from Interstate 25. From Albuquerque, take the exit for Santo Domingo/Cochiti Lake Recreation Area (Exit 259) off I-25 onto NM 22. Follow the signs on NM 22 to Cochiti Pueblo and Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Turn right off NM 22 at the Smoky Bear sign past the turquoise water tanks on the hill onto Tribal Route 92, which connects to BLM Road 1011. From the fee station, travel five miles to the national monument’s designated parking/picnic area and trailhead.

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, located 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico (near Cochiti), is a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) managed site that was established as a U.S. National Monument by President Bill Clinton in January 2001 shortly before leaving office. Kasha-Katuwe means "white cliffs" in the Pueblo language Keresan.[1]

The area owes its remarkable geology to layers of volcanic rock and ash deposited by Pyroclastic flow from a volcanic explosion within the Jemez Volcanic Field that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago. Over time, weathering and erosion of these layers has created canyons and tent rocks. The tent rocks themselves are cones of soft pumice and tuff beneath harder caprocks, and vary in height from a few feet to 90 feet.[2]

The monument is open for day use only and may be closed by order of the Cochiti Pueblo Tribal Governor. A 1.2 mile (1.9 km) recreation trail leads up through a slot canyon to a lookout point where the tent rocks may be viewed from above. A 1.3 mile (2 km) loop trail leads past their base. The park is located on the Pajarito Plateau between 5700 and 6400 feet (1737–1951 m) above sea level.

Amazing volcanic formations - tall, pinkish white cones made of pumice and tuff, lining the edge of a remote valley (Peralta Canyon). Narrow ravines wind between the pinnacles, and the ground is scattered with shiny pieces of obsidian

Summer (March 11 to October 31) 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Gates close at 6:00 p.m. Private vehicles - $5 (bring Passport - discount iffy)

The national monument includes a national recreational trail. It is for foot travel only, and contains two segments that provide opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, geologic observation and plant identification. Both segments of the trail begin at the designated monument parking area. The Cave Loop Trail is 1.2 miles long, rated as easy. The more difficult Canyon Trail is a 1.5-mile, one-way trek into a narrow canyon with a steep (630-ft) climb to the mesa top for excellent views of the Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia mountains and the Rio Grande Valley. Both trails are maintained; however, during inclement weather the canyon may flash flood and lightning may strike the ridges.

Kasha - Cochiti: 8.0 mi, 26 mins  Pueblo page  more pueblo info   wiki on Cochiti Dam

Cochiti Pueblo: Located 22 miles (35 km) south of Santa Fe, the community is a historic pueblo, which is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.[1] The Cochiti pueblo people are a federally recognized tribe of Native Americans; they speak an eastern Keresan language, which is an isolate. The pueblo administers 53,779 acres (217.64 km2) of reservation land and possesses concurrent jurisdiction over the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 528 people,

nocleg: Cochiti Lake 82 Dam Crest Road, Peña Blanca (505) 465-0307

Check-in is between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.    $12.00 info    image    photo  albo Tetilla Peak info

GPS Info. (Latitude, Longitude): 35.64167, -106.325   35°38'30"N, 106°19'30"W   rezerwacje   miejsca 78, 79 :)

A guzik, w Cochiti musi sie wynajac na caly weekend.

Opcja: w Albuquerque: http://www.palisadesrvpark.com/index.html $25? 505 831 5000

Coronado Campground: http://www.townofbernalillo.org/depts/campground.htm  106 KUAUA RD., BERNALILLO, NEW MEXICO 87004 505-980-8256  $14+$10 rezerwacja - tu by bylo fajniej

OPCJA: Coronado State Monument   $3/osoba  link  wiki  35° 19′ 46″ N, 106° 33′ 27″ W

Just minutes north of Albuquerque (off of I-25, exit 242) in Bernalillo, is Coronado State Monument where Francisco Vásquez de Coronado—with 300 soldiers and 800 Indian allies from New Spain—entered the valley while looking for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. Instead he found villages inhabited by prosperous native people. Coronado's party camped near the Tiwa pueblo of Kuaua, one of the many villages encountered by the explorers.

Kuaua, a Tiwa word for "evergreen," was first settled around AD 1300 by American Indians who had long known about the fertile land near the Rio Grand.

Successful at agriculture elsewhere, many moved into the area, allying themselves with the local population. The resulting pueblo flourished and grew, as did the many neighboring villages along the life-giving Rio Grande.

Kuaua is an earthen pueblo excavated in the 1930s by WPA workers, who also reconstructed new ruin walls over the reburied original ruins. A square kiva, excavated in the south plaza of the community, contained many layers of mural paintings. These murals represent some of the finest examples of Pre-Columbian mural art in the Untied States. Both the kiva and one of the mural layers are reconstructed and open to visitors, while several of the preserved mural segments are open to viewing in the mural room of the visitor center. The visitor center, designed by noted architect John Gaw Meem, also contains prehistoric and historic Indian and Spanish colonial artifacts on exhibit with several hands-on components.

Coronado, New Mexico's first state monument to open to the public, was dedicated on May 29, 1940, as part of the Cuarto Centenario commemoration (400th Anniversary) of Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's entry into New Mexico. It is located along New Mexico Highway 44, 1 mile west of Bermalillo and 16 miles north of Albuquerque

Open 8:30am - 5pm Wednesday through Monday. Closed Tuesdays.

DAY 3 - Monday - dzień wielkich teleskopów

9h jazdy, 2h zwiedzania

Cochiti - Very Large Array: 175 mi, 3 hours 2 mins/Coronado- VLA: 143 mi, 2 hours 25 mins

Array - 2h  filmik  scavenger hunt

The observatory consists of 27 independent antennas, each of which has a dish diameter of 25 meters (82 feet) and weighs 209 metric tons (230 Short tons).[2] The antennas are arrayed along the three arms of a Y-shape (each of which measures 21 km/13 miles long). Using the rail tracks that follow each of these arms—and that, at one point, intersect with U.S. Route 60 at a level crossing—and a specially designed lifting locomotive ("Hein's Trein" [3]), the antennas can be physically relocated to a number of prepared positions, allowing aperture synthesis interferometry with a maximum baseline of 36 km (22 mi): in essence, the array acts as a single antenna with that diameter. The smallest angular resolution that can be reached is about 0.05 arcseconds at a wavelength of 7 mm.[4]The VLA is a multi-purpose instrument designed to allow investigations of many astronomical objects, including radio galaxies, quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, gamma ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the sun and planets, astrophysical masers, black holes, and the hydrogen gas that constitutes a large portion of the Milky Way galaxy as well as external galaxies. In 1989 the VLA was used to receive radio communications from the Voyager 2 spacecraft as it flew by Neptune. It is not, despite depictions in popular culture, used to assist in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI).

JAK ZWIEDZAC: The Visitor Center is open every day from 8:30 a.m. to dusk. As you enter, a sign will point you toward the theater, a good place to begin your tour. The 9-minute video presentation was produced in 2002. It provides an understandable overview of radio astronomy, interferometry, and the VLA itself. You will then want to explore our exhibits, to learn more about radio astronomy and the role the Very Large Array and other NRAO telescopes play in current research. A 5-minute silent video will show you how we move antennas. Another video slide show describes the Very Long Baseline Array and how it works.

Near the back door you will find a brochure to guide you in the walking tour that will take you past our Whisper Gallery to the base of one of the 230-ton antennas. From there you will climb up to the observation deck for a view of the array itself, as well as a look at the new prototype antenna we are testing for the ALMA project. The walk returns you to the Visitor Center where you are welcome to browse through our gift shop to take home some souvenirs. The gift shop opens almost every day at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00. If it is closed during your visit you may shop online.

We suggest you make a right-hand turn as you leave the parking lot and head for the tall building, following the AAB (Antenna Assembly Building) Tour signs. As you cross the railroad track there is a parking lot on your left. From there you can view our 28th antenna that is undergoing routine maintenance. You will also (most of the time!) get to see one of the transporters that is used to move the antennas.

You are welcome to take photographs of everything you see, but please keep your cell phone turned off or put in in airplane mode (else it interferes with our observing).

Array - Chaco: 283 mi – about 5 hours 30 mins

Opcje po drodze:

Mission San Miguel w Socorro stronka  403 El Camino Real, Socorro, NM 87801  34° 3′ 37.5″ N, 106° 53′ 37″ W

In May of 1598 Spanish explorers under the leadership of Don Juan de Onate, accompanied by two Franciscan priests came to what is now known as Socorro where they found a friendly tribe of Indians who furnished them with a generous supply of corn, of which they were in great need (as their provisions were running very low.)

While the explorers went farther North along the Rio Grande, the two priests remained to do missionary work among the Indians. Father Alfonso Benavidez was so successful in this work that he became known as: "The Apostle of Socorro". It was he who named the village: "Nuestra Senora de Perpetuo Socorro" ... meaning: ""Our Lady of Perpetual Help", in recognition of the succor they received from the Indians. In later years the name was shortened to SOCORRO

The two priests, with the help of the Indians, built that same year a modest little church which they replaced with a larger building between the years 1615 and 1626, and which is the present church building with its massive walls and huge carved vigas and supporting corbel-arches. The work on these vigas and corbels took many months of tedious work, which can be understood readily by noting the careful and uniform carvings on beams were carved were cut and carried in from mountains many miles from Socorro. The Indians were taught to mix straw into the adobe mud to make a more substantial brick. The walls were built about five feet in width and the windows placed high to guard against attack from the unfriendly tribe of Navajo Indians.

Under the leadership of one of the priests the natural ability and craftsmanship of the Indians began to bear fruit and the interior of the Church was greatly enriched. The Spaniards knew of the rich silver deposits around Socorro and to keep the Indians busy and draw out their natural ability, much of the silver mined was used in the church. it was the priests' desire to have this church an beautiful as those in Mexico and Spain. They made a solid silver Communion Rail, a Tabernacle, and sacred vessels used in the Sacrifice of the Mass.

The mission continued to flourish until the outbreak of the rebellion in 1680 when most of the Indians joined the Spaniards in their retreat to what is now called El Paso, Texas (nearly 200 miles South). When news reached Socorro that the Northern tribes of Indians were in revolt, and Spaniards were retreating everywhere, the priests had the Indians disassemble the Communion Rail which was buried along with other valuables they could not take along on their hasty retreat. The pastor made a map of the buried treasure, feeling certain the revolt would be put down quickly and they could return.

However, it was a number of years before new settlers of Mexican and Spanish descent began to arrive in Socorro. they found the church in a very dilapidated condition, but the massive walls and huge beams were still in place. After much hard work it was restored and Divine Service again resumed and have continued daily to the present time. Several expedition shave come up from Mexico to try to find the buried treasure, but if any were successful, there is no record of it. There was a million dollar reward offered in the early 1980s to anyone who fount it and thousands of dollars have been spent looking for it.

According to some descendants of the early settlers, during a raid by Apache Indians about the year 1800, the Indians suddenly withdrew and when one of the captured Apaches was questioned about the sudden withdrawal, he claimed they saw a man with wings and a shining sword hovering over the door of the church. Shortly after this, a petition was sent to the Bishop of Durango, Mexico, under whose jurisdiction this territory was at the time to have the name of the church changed to: "San Miguel" - in honor of St. Michael, the Angelic Protector of the people. The Church has gone under the name of San Miguel since about 1800.

The main body of the church, which is the part built between 1615 and 1626, now seats about 250 people although many more attended services in the early 1880s when there were no pews and the people either stood or knelt on the floor. In 1853 another wing was built unto the church and this accommodates another 150.

There are four sub-floors under the present church under which lie the bodies of some of the prominent residents of the past. Under the Sanctuary lies the bodies of four priests who died while serving the faithful of this historic Church. In the Northeast corner of the church is the burial place of General Manuel Armijo, the last governor of New Mexico under the Mexican Regime.

San Miguel Church is the center of a Spanish Land Grant. It consists of over 17,002 acres given by the King of Spain and known as THE SOCORRO LAND GRANT. It was designated as being one Spanish league (2.64 miles) North, South, East, and West of the Church. All surveys, within this Grant, are described as running from the center of the church, in order to get the proper legal described.

As it stood in the first decade of the 17th century, San Miguel Church was of pure Pueblo style of architecture, but in restorations made after the rebellion of 1680 and through subsequent repairs, many deviations have been made from the Pueblo style.

One of the Oldest Catholic Churches in the United States... Founded 1598... Sort-of.

Isleta Pueblo & Mission  wiki on pueblo   St Augustine church from 1608  34° 54′ 31″ N, 106° 41′ 30″ W

 nocleg - Chaco. photo  info  photo  $10, z paszportem znizka $5 (505) 786-7014 ext. 221

Gallo Campground, located one mile east of the Visitor Center, is open year-round. Tucked among the fallen boulders and cliffs of Gallo Wash, the campground offers camping in a rugged environment, surrounded by petroglyphs, a cliff dwelling, inscriptions, and a high desert landscape. There is no shade. The campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Camping is limited to 14 days. Each campsite costs $10.00 per night. Interagency Senior pass holders pay $5.00 per site, per night. There is a limit of six people, two tents, and two vehicles at each campsite. Check-out time is 11:00AM. Each site has a picnic table and fire grate (with a grill). Bring your own firewood or charcoal. Gathering wood is prohibited and no firewood is available in the park. Most sites include a tent pad. Pets are permitted, but must be kept on a leash at all times. Do not approach or feed the wildlife. The campground has water (non-potable) and restrooms with flush toilets. Site #16 and both restrooms are handicap accessible. There are no showers or hook-ups. Drinking water is available 24 hours a day in the Visitor Center parking area.

DAY 4 - Tuesday - dzień starożytnych kultur

4h jazdy, 8h zwiedzania

Chaco - 3h wiki  NPS  road map  park map  terragalleria   camping   movie  $8

Una Vida + petroglyphs|| Petroglyphs terragalleria

 (1 mile roundtrip, allow 45 minutes)  Una Vida is a Chacoan “great house,” a large pre-planned multi-storied public building with distinctive masonry, formal earthen architecture, and a great kiva. Una Vida exists today in a near-natural state of preservation, free from major vandalism, and with only minor excavations and preservation repairs. A one-mile roundtrip (including petroglyphs) trail begins at the NE corner of the Visitor Center parking lot. Portions are rocky, steep, and slippery when wet. Take water and travel in small groups to lessen our impacts to this fragile site.

Hungo Pavi (1/4 mile roundtrip, allow 1/2 hour)

Located 2 miles from the visitor on the 9-mile loop drive. Hungo Pavi is an unexcavated Chacoan great house (monumental public building) containing over 150 rooms, a great kiva, and an enclosed plaza. It is a good example of what Chacoan sites look like without excavations--covered with a protective blanket of wind-blown sand and native vegetation. Travel in small groups to lessen our impacts to this fragile site.

Chetro Ketl (1/2 mile, allow about 45 minutes) Located 4 1/2 miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. The trail through Chetro Ketl is ½ mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises, so assistance is recommended for people using wheel chairs. When you visit Chetro Ketl, you can use the trail guide to help you recognize characteristics of Chacoan architecture--features that are both typical and unique. Chetro Ketl is the second largest Chacoan great house. It covers more than 3 acres, and contains a great kiva and elevated kivas. As builders constructed second and third stories, they created an elevated plaza that stands 12 feet above the valley floor.

Pueblo Bonito wiki  terragalleria  NPS

(1/2 mile, allow about 45 minutes to an hour) Located 4 1/2 miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. This is the most important site in the canyon and a must for all visitors. The trail through Pueblo Bonito is 0.6 mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises. During your visit, you can use the trail guide to recognize several unique characteristics of Chacoan great house architecture and learn about the enduring legacy of Chacoan culture.

Pueblo Bonito is the most thoroughly investigated and celebrated cultural site in Chaco Canyon. Planned and constructed in stages between AD 850 to AD 1150 by ancestral Puebloan peoples, this was the center of the Chacoan world. That world eventually covered a vast area of the present-day Southwest, including the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, and portions of Colorado, Utah, and Arizona. For over 300 years, Chacoan Culture united many diverse peoples within its sphere of influence.

Pueblo del Arroyo (1/4 mile, allow 30-45 minutes) Located 5 1/2 miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. The trail through Pueblo del Arroyo is 1/4 mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises. Assistance is recommended for persons using wheelchairs. During your visit, you may use the guide to recognize several unique characteristics of Chacoan great house architecture and about the enduring legacy of Chacoan culture. Pueblo del Arroyo was planned and constructed in two short stages from about AD 1025 to AD 1125. Situated in the center of the Chacoan world, Pueblo del Arroyo typifies the great pueblo architecture found throughout the Chacoan world, although it lacks a great kiva and earthen mounds. You can see many of these great house elements along this trail.

Casa Rinconada and SmallVillages (1/2 mile, allow 30-45 minutes) Located 6 miles from the visitor center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. The trail through Casa Rinconada and the nearby villages is ½ mile long, round trip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises, so assistance is recommended for people using wheelchairs. When you visit Casa Rinconada, you may use the trail guide to learn about the diverse types of Chacoan architecture and building styles, and the placement of these buildings in the Chacoan world. While the grand public buildings like Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl were in use, smaller, more typical villages existed alongside. This trail will introduce you to the diversity of architecture that existed at the center of Chacoan culture.

Sun Dagger  wiki  

Several parties have advanced the following contested theory: that at least twelve of the fourteen principal Chacoan complexes were sited and aligned in coordination, and that each was oriented along axes that mirrored the passing of the Sun and Moon at visually pivotal times. Chaco's suspected role as a regional center of pilgrimage, where priestly elites staged the ritual smashing of pots—which over time built up at least one hillock composed solely of shards—is thought to underscore this pattern. Two whorl-shaped etchings near the top of Fajada Butte compose the "Sun Dagger" petroglyph, itself tucked behind the eponymous rock panels of the "Three-Slab Site". They are symbolically focal.[67][9]

It consists of two spirals: one principal and one ancillary. The latter left-hand spiral captured both spring and fall equinoxes; its artifice was revealed by a descending spear of light, itself filtered through the slabs, that shined upon it and split it in two. The former and larger whorl to its right was lit by the titular "sun dagger", which bisected it through another interplay of slab and sun. It struck it, brilliantly, as the summer sun attains its solstice midday peak. The Chacoans were said to be marking, as artist, "Sun Dagger" discoverer, and leading proponent Anna Sofaer puts it, "the middle of time". Each turn of the 9.25-turn large spiral was found to mark one year in the 18.6-year "lunar excursion cycle" of the rising mid-winter full moon. This record is kept by a slab-cast lunar shadow whose edge strikes in succession each ring.[68] As the full "minimum moon" closest to the winter solstice rises, the shadow's edge precisely strikes the center of the larger spiral; it steps outward year by year, ring by ring, until it strikes the outermost edge of it during the full "maximum moon", again in mid-winter.[9]

Fajada Butte bears five other petroglyphs—including a carving of a "rattlesnake", other spirals, and a rectangle—that are conspicuously lit by contrasts between sunbeams and shadows during equinoxes or solstices.[69] Public access to the butte was curtailed when, in 1989, erosion from modern foot traffic was found to be responsible for one of the three screening slabs at the "Sun Dagger" site shifting out of its ancient position; the assemblage of stones has thus lost some of its former spatial and temporal precision as a solar and lunar calendar. In 1990 the screens were stabilized and placed under observation, but the wayward slab was not moved back into its original orientation.[70]

Chaco - Aztec: 75.9 mi – about 2 hours 7 mins

Opcja: Salmon [solmon] Ruins   wiki  

Salmon Ruins is an ancient Chacoan and Pueblo site located in the northwest corner of New Mexico, USA. Salmon was constructed by migrants from Chaco Canyon around 1090 CE, with 275 to 300 original rooms spread across three stories, an elevated tower kiva in its central portion, and a great kiva in its plaza. Subsequent use by local Middle San Juan people (beginning in the 1120s) resulted in extensive modifications to the original building, with the reuse of hundreds of rooms, division of many of the original large, Chacoan rooms into smaller rooms, and emplacement of more than 20 small kivas into pueblo rooms and plaza areas. The site was occupied by ancient Pueblo people until the 1280s, when much of the site was destroyed by fire and abandoned (Reed 2006b). The pueblo is situated on the north bank of the San Juan River, just to the west of the modern town of Bloomfield, New Mexico, and about 45 miles (72 km) north of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. The site was built on the first alluvial terrace above the San Juan River floodplain.

The ruins of Salmon Pueblo were excavated between 1970 and 1979, under the direction of Cynthia Irwin-Williams, Ph.D., of Eastern New Mexico University, in partnership with the San Juan County Museum Association (Irwin-Williams 2006, p. 17-27). The San Juan Valley Archaeological Program resulted in the excavation of slightly more than one-third of Salmon's ground floor rooms. More than 1.5 million artifacts and samples were recovered from Salmon. In 1980, Irwin-Williams and co-principal investigator Phillip Shelley wrote, compiled, and edited a multivolume, 1,500-page report. The document fulfilled the reporting requirements for the series of grants under which the project had been completed but it was not intended for publication. Throughout the 1980s, Irwin-Williams and Shelley worked on a modified and greatly reduced manuscript, with the goal of producing a publishable report. This work ended with the untimely passing of Cynthia Irwin-Williams in 1990.

In 2000, Archaeology Southwest (formerly the Center for Desert Archaeology) President Bill Doelle and staff met with Salmon Executive Director Larry Baker and forged a multiyear partnership. Archaeology Southwest’s work at Salmon began in 2001 as the Salmon Reinvestment and Research Program, with archaeologist Paul Reed leading the effort. The research initiative comprised two primary tasks: first, to condense and edit the original 1980 Salmon report into a new, published technical report, and second, to conduct additional, primary research in several targeted areas, with the goal of producing material for a detailed technical report, as well as a synthetic volume. The three-volume report, entitled Thirty-Five Years of Archaeological Research at Salmon Ruins, New Mexico, was published in 2006 (Reed 2006a), followed by the synthetic-summary volume Chaco’s Northern Prodigies, published in 2008 (Reed 2008a). An additional component of the Archaeology Southwest effort at Salmon focused on the curation needs of the massive collection. These needs were partially addressed through a Save America’s Treasures grant for $150,000 awarded in 2002. The curation effort (repackaging and reboxing artifacts) has continued over the last 10 years.

Aztec - 3h [przewodnik pisze, ze godzina starczy]  nps  wiki  wstep $5x2 = $10

Aztec: Pueblo people describe this site as part of their migration journey. Today you can follow their ancient passageways to a distant time. Explore a 900-year old Ancestral Pueblo Great House of over 400 masonry rooms. Look up and see original timbers holding up the roof. Search for the fingerprints of ancient workers in the mortar. Listen for an echo of ritual drums in the reconstructed Great Kiva.

Self-Guided Trail: Aztec Ruins provides visitors an intimate opportunity to explore the Ancestral Puebloan "great house" known as West Ruin. A self-guided 700 yard walk winds through rooms built centuries ago. Along the way discover skillful stone masonry, remarkably well-preserved wood roofing and original mortar in some walls. The interpretive trail guide combines modern archeological findings with traditional Native American perspectives to enhance the visitor experience. Near the trail's end, visitors enter the Great Kiva. This awesome semi-subterranean structure, over 40 feet in diameter, was the central social and religious site of this ancient complex. Now reconstructed, Aztec Ruins' Great Kiva is the oldest and largest reconstructed building of its kind.

        opcja - przystanek na Main Street w Durango (wiktorianskie hotele itp.)

The town was organized in September 1881 by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG) to serve the San Juan mining district. The D&RG chose a site south of Animas City for its depot after Animas City refused to pay a dowry to the D&RG. The city is named after Durango, Mexico, which was named after Durango, Spain. The word Durango originates from the Basque word "Urango" meaning "water town". [there is a lot of basketmaker culture around.]

The Basketmaker culture of the Ancient Pueblo People began about 1500 BC and continued until about AD 500 with the beginning of the Pueblo I Era. The prehistoric American southwestern culture was named "Basketmaker" for the large number of baskets found at archaeological sites of 3,000 to 2,000 years ago.

Well-preserved mummies found in dry caves provide insight into the ancient Basketmakers. Women were about 5 feet tall and men were 3 to 4 inches taller. They had long, narrow faces and medium to stocky build. Their skin varied from light to dark brown and they had brown or black hair and eyes. Fancy hairstyles were sometimes worn by men and infrequently by women. Women's hair may have been cut short; Significant quantities of rope made of human hair have been recovered and since it was more likely that men had fancy hairstyles, the hair for rope may have come from women.[1]

The Basketmakers wore sandals made of woven yucca fibers or strips of leaves. There is little evidence of clothing aside from a few loin-cloths found at archaeological sites. Women may have worn aprons on special occasions. Hides or blankets made of yucca fibers and rabbit fur were likely for warmth.[1]

Both men and women wore necklaces, bracelets and pendants made of shell, stone, bone and dried berries. Shells, such as abalone, conus and olivella from the coast of the Pacific ocean, would have been obtained through trade.[1]

[edit] Basketmaker eras

In the Early Basketmaker II Era people lived a semi-nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle with the introduction of cultivation of corn, which led to a more settled, agrarian life. Some of the early people lived in cave shelters in the San Juan River drainage. Excavation of their sites yielded a large number of baskets, for which they received their name, corn and evidence of human burials.[2]

It was not until the Late Basketmaker II Era (about AD 50 - 500) that people lived in permanent dwellings, crude pit-houses made of brush, logs and earth. During the later portion of this period fired pottery was introduced to the Basketmakers, which due to regional and evolutionary differences greatly aided in dating and tracking pottery origins following archaeological excavations. Hunting became much easier during the Basketmaker III Era (about AD 500 - 750) when bow-and-arrow technology replaced the spear (atlatl) used since the Archaic period of the Americas.[2]

The cultural groups of this period include:[4]

Anasazi - southern Utah, southern Colorado, northern Arizona and northern and central New Mexico.

Hohokam - southern Arizona.

Mogollon - southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico.

Patayan - western Arizona, California and Baja California.

Aztec - Yucca: 88.8 mi – about 1 hour 47 mins

Aztec - Durango: 36.2 mi, 52 mins

Durango - Anasazi Center: 47.5 mi, 57 mins

Yucca - 2h - kandydat do opuszczenia, jesli braknie czasu

Yucca - Canyon of the Ancients: 27.5 mi, 1 hour 7 mins

        Stop at Anasazi Heritage center link   dojazd  27501 Highway 184, Dolores, Colorado HOURS: 9-5 March-October; ADMISSION - they honor passes: $3x2 = $6

Canyon of the Ancients - 2h  wiki  map   opis  37° 22′ 14″ N, 109° 0′ 0″ W

As of 2005, over 6,000 individual archeological sites had been identified within the monument.
If you have one day-- visit the Anasazi Heritage Center, Lowry Pueblo, and PAINTED HAND PUEBLO

Painted Hand Pueblo has a beautiful standing tower perched on a boulder. The site has never been excavated, but stone rubble shows where rooms were built against the cliff face and on boulders. The site gets its name from pictographs of hands painted on a boulder. Please don't touch these fragile paintings! The oil and dirt from hands can eventually destroy these remnants of past lives.

Painted Hand is a backcountry site. To reach it you should have a good map and a vehicle with good clearance. Drive north from Cortez on Highway 491 (formerly 666).  Turn left (west) from the highway on County Road BB and travel 6 miles to the intersection with County Road 10. Turn south (left) and go 11.3 miles. Turn left onto a rocky, high-clearance dirt road (# 4531). Go about 1 mile and turn left into the small parking area. Please leave your vehicle here and walk the remaining short distance to the site. This trail is not wheelchair-accessible.You can also see the tower from the parking area by looking east along the mesa's edge.

The Cutthroat group of Hovenweep National Monument is farther down this same road (4531). Contact Hovenweep for information about visiting it. The Hovenweep Visitor Center, and adjacent Square Tower House archaeological complex, are about seven miles farther down the main road (Road 10).

Canyon of the Ancients - Hovenweep: 17.3 mi, 36 mins

 nocleg - Hovenweep  fotki kampingu  info  $10, z paszportem znizka $5 (970) 562-4282 ext. 10

37° 23′ 2″ N, 109° 4′ 38″ W

There is a small campground near the visitor center which is open year round on a first-come, first-served basis. The 31 site campground is designed for tent camping, though a few sites will accommodate RVs up to 36 feet long. Sites include tent pads, fire rings and picnic tables with shade structures, however there are no hookups available. The fee is $10.00 per night or $5.00 with Senior or Golden Access passes. Flush toilets and running water are available at the campground restrooms. Running water is available only during the summer months and there is a five gallon limit per person.

DAY 5 - Wednesday - dzień długich mostów i wąskich przejść

5h jazdy, 7h zwiedzania

Hovenweep - 3h wstep $6  mapka  mapka wiosek wiki  opis [ lepiej byloby zaczac od konca, skonczyc w Visitor Center]

Cutthroat Castle - 2 mile kurzowej drogi opis

The earliest historic record of Cutthroat Castle dates from 1929, when it was documented by archeologist Paul Martin. The site was added to Hovenweep National Monument in 1956. Unlike the other Hovenweep pueblos, the structures at Cutthroat Castle are not located immediately at the head of a canyon, but further downstream. The Cutthroat Group also appears to have a large number of kivas (Puebloan ceremonial structures) relative to other building types. Puebloan kivas are usually built into the earth, and are typically round. An exception is the kiva incorporated into Cutthroat Castle, which rests on top of a boulder.

In Puebloan religion, the kiva is a structure that connects with different worlds. The floor is related to the world below, and is usually built below ground level. The entrance to a typical kiva is through the roof, which relates to the world above. Cutthroat Castle Kiva is surrounded by another structure or room. Access into this surrounding structure appears to have been from below the boulder on which the kiva is built, through a split in the boulder.

Though it may appear isolated, the ancestral Puebloan population at Cutthroat Castle was quite large. Natural resources in the area, particularly the forest of piñon and juniper trees, provided the Puebloans with a variety of useful materials. Piñon seeds were a food source rich in calories and protein. Piñon sap or pitch was used as a waterproof sealant for baskets. Shredded juniper bark was used for clothing and sandals. Trees were burned in fires and used as building materials. In fact, by counting the tree rings present in structural timbers, archeologists can determine exactly when these sites were built.

Researchers studying prehistoric diets have found sagebrush flowers, seeds, and leaves in the Puebloans’ waste. As a minor part of their diet, sagebrush would have been a good source of iron and Vitamin C. In larger amounts, it kills intestinal parasites. Quartz pebbles from stream beds provided material for stone tools. When these rocks are broken using another rock or a piece of antler, they have edges as sharp as glass. Puebloans shaped these hard rocks into tools such as knives, scrapers, and projectile points.

The geology of the surrounding landscape produces springs and seeps. In these canyons, permeable Dakota sandstone rests on top of impermeable Burro Canyon shale. Water from rain and snow soaks through the sandstone, but is forced to flow outward when it meets the shale. When this water reaches the wall of a canyon it forms a spring. For the Puebloans, these canyons with seeps and springs were the ideal place to locate a village.

Horseshoe & Hackberry opis The walking trail to Hackberry Canyon is a one-mile round-trip walk that includes the structures at both Horseshoe and Hackberry. Structures at these sites were built approximately 800 years ago by the ancestors of today’s Puebloan people.

                Horseshoe Group

The walking trail to Hackberry Canyon is a one-mile round-trip walk that includes the structures at both Horseshoe and Hackberry. Structures at these sites were built approximately 800 years ago by the ancestors of today’s Puebloan people. Today their descendents are among the Pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona.

Horseshoe Tower (shown in photo above) is built on a point that marks the start of the Horseshoe Site. From this tower, inhabitants could see clearly into Horseshoe Canyon. At one time, the tower was walled off from the mesa top, raising questions about the use of such structures for defense.

Further along the Canyon Rim Trail is Horseshoe House, which is composed of four masonry structures that together form a horseshoe shape. From the trail it is easy to see the precisely cut stone-masonry that forms the outside wall of Horseshoe House. Each stone was shaped for a precise fit before being set into place. Clay, sand, and ash, mixed with water from seeps in the canyon below, made the mortar that still holds these walls together. One unresolved question is whether specialized masons built these structures, or if the entire community contributed to their construction.

Hackberry Group

About 500 yards east of the Horseshoe structures is the Hackberry Site. Archeologists speculate that Hackberry canyon may have had one of the largest populations of all the Hovenweep units because of the constant seepage of water in the canyon. As many as 250 to 350 people may have lived here. It is unclear if the residents were related or represented different clans and lineages.

The concentrations of structures at both Horseshoe and Hackberry demonstrate the importance of water to the people who lived here. Large multi-story pueblos and towers, located at canyon heads with seeps and springs, are the defining characteristics of the late Pueblo III time period. In this climate, precipitation comes in the form of winter snows, spring rains, and isolated summer thunderstorms. The intermittent rains of summer were crucial to the survival of crops, and Puebloans responded by constructing water-control features. In washes on the mesa tops, small stone dams were built so that sediment could accumulate and water could soak into the ground, flowing slowly into nearby garden plots.

A 23 year-long drought beginning in A.D. 1276, possibly combined with warfare, overpopulation, and limited resources, forced the ancestors of today’s Pueblo people to leave Hovenweep. By the end of the 13th century, Puebloan communities across southeast Utah and southwest Colorado migrated south, joining the pueblos of the Rio Grande River Valley in New Mexico, and the the Hopi in Arizona.

Square Tower opis The Square Tower Group contains the largest collection of ancestral Puebloan structures at Hovenweep. The remains of nearly thirty kivas (Puebloan ceremonial structures) have been discovered on the slopes of Little Ruin Canyon, and a variety of other structures are perched on the canyon rims, balanced on boulders and tucked under ledges. It's possible that as many as 500 people occupied the Square Tower area between A.D. 1200 and 1300.

Square Tower, for which the group is named, is a three-story tower built on a boulder at the head of Little Ruin Canyon. A nearby spring would have been an important resource for the inhabitants of Hovenweep. To increase water storage, a checkdam was built above the spring in order to slow storm runoff. The unique location and appearance of Square Tower fuels speculation that it was a ceremonial structure.

Located near the visitor center and campground, the Square Tower Group is the only unit of Hovenweep accessible by a paved road. A moderately strenuous trail follows the canyon rim and offers excellent views of every structure. Most visitors spend one to two hours exploring the area. Between the visitor center and the first overlook the trail is paved and may be traversed by visitors in wheelchairs with assistance.

Holly Group opis The Holly Group is named for Jim Holley who ranched and traded in this area during the late 1800s. Holly Site includes Holly House, Tilted Tower and Holly Tower, located at the head of Keeley Canyon. Traveling the pedestrian trail from east to west, the base of a tower structure can be seen along the canyon rim. This multi-story pueblo called Tilted Tower was built atop a large sandstone boulder that shifted sometime after the canyon was abandoned (A.D. 1300). The upper stories of the tower tumbled into the canyon while the footing remained attached.

The design and construction of Tilted Tower is similar to Holly Tower, which is the large multi-story tower located inside Keeley Canyon (lower right in the photo above). Built atop a large sandstone boulder on the canyon bottom, Holly Tower is detached from the canyon rim, and like many of the towers at Hovenweep National Monument, it is located adjacent to a seep. In contemporary Puebloan culture, springs are special locations associated with stories that talk about the origins of Puebloan peoples. Holly Tower was built sometime after A.D. 1200, and it appears that the tower was constructed without outside scaffolding. Each floor was built from the inside, one floor at a time, building upward. Looking at Holly Tower, you can still see the steps or hand-holds that were pecked into the boulder below the entrance.

Archeological analysis of the Hovenweep towers suggests these structures were used for multiple activities, although some activities were probably very specialized. The presence of grinding stones such as manos and metates indicates plant materials were being ground, probably for food production. Stone tools typically used for chopping, scraping, and cutting suggest a variety of activities associated with daily life were occurring within the towers. The presence of bone awls suggests activities associated with weaving might have also occurred. In addition, archeologists suggest these towers were usually paired with kivas (Puebloan religious structures), and the towers may relate to how the kiva connects with the outside world. The deliberate location of towers and kivas at the heads of canyons goes beyond architecture, and has everything to do with the hydrology of the canyon and the way Puebloan peoples envisioned their world. Some of the towers and kivas are placed virtually on top of the springs and seeps that emerge from these canyons.

Hovenweep - Natural Bridges: 78.7 mi, 1 hour 56 mins

Natural Bridges - 2h wstep 2x$3=$6   wiki  mapka petli  visitor guide z lepsza mapka   trails

        Three majestic natural bridges invite you to ponder the power of water in a landscape usually defined by its absence. View them from an overlook, or hit the trails and experience their grandeur from below. Declared a National Monument in 1908, the bridges are named "Kachina," "Owachomo" and "Sipapu" in honor of the Native Americans that once made this area their home.        paved, nine-mile loop provides access to all the bridges. Each may be viewed by walking a short distance to an overlook.                                         

Sipapu Bridge Trail Sipapu Bridge is the second largest natural bridge in the world (only Rainbow Bridge in Glen Canyon is bigger). In Hopi mythology, a “sipapu” is a gateway through which souls may pass to the spirit world. The trail to the canyon bottom below Sipapu is the steepest in the park. A staircase and three wooden ladders aid in the descent. At the top of the stairway, notice the logs reaching from the cliff wall to the large fi r on the other side of the stairs. Early visitors to the park climbed down this tree to reach the canyon. At the base of the tree you can still see the remains of an earlier staircase. The ledge located halfway down the trail provides an excellent view of Sipapu. Please use caution around the cliff edges. The remaining portion of the trail leads down a series of switchbacks and ladders to the grove of Gambel's oak beneath Sipapu.

Horsecollar Ruin Overlook Trail This short, mostly level trail leads over the mesa top to the edge of White Canyon. From this perspective you can see the remains of an ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling in a large alcove near the bottom of the canyon. Two granaries with uniquely shaped doors give this ruin its name. To the left of the granaries is a kiva, the community’s ceremonial and meeting room.

Kachina Bridge Trail Kachina is a massive bridge and is considered the "youngest" of the three because of the thickness of its span. The relatively small size of its opening and its orientation make it difficult to see from the overlook. The pile of boulders under the far side of the bridge resulted from a rock fall in 1992, when approximately 4,000 tons of rock broke off the bridge. As you descend the switchbacks, notice the “Knickpoint” pour-off in Armstrong Canyon below to your left. During fl oods, this spout sends a muddy red waterfall plunging into the pool below. The bridge is named for the Kachina dancers that play a central role in Hopi religious tradition.

Owachomo Bridge Trail Owachomo means “rock mound” in Hopi, and is named after the rock formation on top of the southeast end of the bridge. From the overlook, the twin buttes called “The Bear’s Ears” break the eastern horizon. The original road to Natural Bridges passed between these buttes, ending across the canyon from Owachomo Bridge at the original visitor center (which was a platform tent). The old trail still winds up the other side of the canyon, but is seldom used. Notice that Tuwa Creek no longer fl ows under Owachomo like it did for thousands of years. The bridge’s delicate form suggests that it is has eroded more quickly than the other bridges.

Loop Trail The loop trail provides visitors an excellent way to experience the wonders of Natural Bridges. The full loop passes all three bridges,

but shorter loops between only two bridges are also possible. The loop trail may be started at any of the bridge parking areas. Visitors wishing to hike the full loop must follow the trail up the left side of the canyon after passing Kachina Bridge in order to skirt the “Knickpoint” pour-off.                         

        solar power opis

Electricity at Natural Bridges National Monument is produced from the sun. Solar cells convert sunlight to electricity through a process called photovoltaics, a word meaning electricity from light. When sunlight strikes a photovoltaic (PV) cell, photons interact with electrons in the cell to create direct current (DC) electricity. The DC current is then fed to an inverter where it is converted to alternating current (AC) electricity, the most commonly used form of electrical power. Excess power is stored in batteries for later use.

While only 10 percent of the sun's energy striking the PV cell is converted to electricity, the many cells that comprise the PV array produce up to 50 kilowatts of power. That is more than enough electricity to supply the needs of the small community of National Park Service personnel, their families and you, the public.

The PV array is located on an acre of land across the road from the visitor center. A short path from the west side of the visitor center parking area leads to a viewing platform. Here, with a push of a button, an audio message explains the photovoltaic process.

Natural Bridges National Monument was chosen as a demonstration site for the use of solar energy more than two decades ago. Situated at an elevation of 6500 feet in Utah's southeastern desert, Natural Bridges' moderate, sunny climate makes it an ideal location for a solar energy system. Other factors in this decision included Natural Bridges' remote location away from commercial power sources and the solar system's accessibility to the visiting public.

Following the dedication of the system in June 1980, visitors could see how nonpolluting, quiet, cost-effective electric power is produced from the sun by, what was then, the world's largest PV power plant.

Natural Bridges - Capitol Reef: 141 mi, 2 hours 49 mins 

Route # 95  - part of Trail of the Ancients    photo   wiki  Trail of the Ancients in UT

The Trail of the Ancients is an National Scenic Byway located in the states of Colorado and Utah. The route highlights the archaeological and cultural history of southwestern Native American peoples, and traverses the widely diverse geological landscape of the Four Corners region. The entire route is approximately 480 miles (772.5 km) long.

An Ancient Trail to Modern-Day Discovery 

This federally designated National Scenic Byway circles through the ancient Puebloan (Anasazi) Country of southeastern Utah, providing opportunity to view archaeological, cultural and historic sites, as well as Natural Bridges National Monument.

An extension of this route continues into Colorado, to Mesa Verde and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

The byways program recommends five days to explore this area. Shorter and longer trips can also be enjoyable. Start at any point along the route. Major stops are listed below:

Hovenweep National Monument: Located on the Utah/Colorado border. Hovenweep is known for its square, oval, circular, and D-shaped towers. The park invites exploration among the ruins of a culture that thrived here hundreds of years ago.

Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum: Located in Blanding. Here you can see an impressive Anasazi ruin restored at the site of a Puebloan surface village. It is distinct from the larger museums of Indian culture in the Four Corners states in that it offers the visitor an intimate look at the lifeway of the Ancient Puebloans. Visitors can walk the paths through the ruin and climb into the kiva via a ladder, just as the original residents did. Exceptionally rare and well-preserved artifacts are at the heart of the museum exhibits.

Butler Wash and Mule Canyon Indian ruins: These ruins are located along Highway 95, between Blanding and Natural Bridges National Monument. Butler Wash shelters a cliff dwelling that can be seen after a short hike. Mule Canyon Ruin is adjacent to the road and contains dwelling units, a reconstructed open kiva, and a partially reconstructed tower.

Natural Bridges National Monument: Located along Highway 95 west of Blanding. Here you can see three of the world's largest natural stone bridges. All are easily viewed from overlooks, or you can hike down into the canyon and walk under them. Several Ansasi ruins can be viewed within the monument.

Hite Crossing Bridge on the Colorado wiki

The Hite Crossing Bridge is an arch bridge which carries Utah State Route 95 across the Colorado River northwest of Blanding, Utah, United States. The bridge informally marks the upstream limit of Lake Powell and the end of Cataract Canyon of the Colorado River, but when the lake is at normal water elevation, the water can back up over 30 miles (48 km) upstream into Cataract Canyon.[1] The bridge is the only automobile bridge spanning the Colorado River between the Glen Canyon Bridge, 185 miles (298 km) downstream near the Glen Canyon Dam and the U.S. Route 191 bridge 110 miles (180 km) upstream near Moab. The bridge is near Hite Marina on Lake Powell, and a small airstrip is immediately adjacent to the north side of the bridge.

[edit] History

The Colorado River served as a major barrier to early settlers and explorers of the region. In 1880 a prospector named Cass Hite established a ford near the mouth of the Dirty Devil River, 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream from the present-day bridge location. This ford, named "Dandy Crossing", served as one of the few locations in the region where travelers could cross the Colorado River. The settlement which formed at the crossing location took the name of its founder, Hite. In 1946, a settler named Arthur Chaffin constructed an automobile ferry using an old car engine and a thick steel cable to hold it in place. The ferry operated for 20 years, before the rising waters of Lake Powell inundated the settlement of Hite.[2]

The bridge was completed as part of the realignment of State Route 95, which was approved in 1962 due to the construction of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell's subsequent flooding of the original roadway alignment and the original river crossing in Hite. The bridge was designed by David Sargent and was advertised for bids on June 29, 1963 at a cost of approximately US$3 million.[3] The bridge was dedicated on June 3, 1966.[4]

Slot Canyons near Hite list - 2h

propozycje kanionow:

Rock Canyon   PHOTOS fairly short, north-side tributary of the Colorado River/upper Lake Powell; a good deep slot giving way to shallower, less enclosed narrows, before a high dryfall near the river

Length: 3 miles for the upper section, 2 miles for the lower part, to a viewpoint of the Colorado River

Difficulty: Easy to moderate; at least one dryfall to climb

Trailhead: 3 miles along Hite Road; 37.916722,-110.342524; other start points possible

Trachyte Creek  filmik    Long, branched drainage holding a permanent stream; a section of the upper canyon has an enclosed section with waterfalls, while a north fork forms shallow narrows through nicely colored rocks

Length: 6 miles, round trip; down the north fork and up the main canyon

Difficulty: Easy; Trailhead: Start of a side track, along UT 276 just north of the bridge over the creek; 37.961004,-110.575444

Trail Canyon PICTURES  Tributary of Trachyte Creek; the upper north fork forms tight narrows through smooth, orange-red rocks, containing several sheer drops where ropes are needed (when exploring from the top), but a reasonable amount of the lower end is accessible by hiking; Length: ca 0.6 miles, to the unclimbable narrows; Difficulty: Easy to moderate; a few lesser obstacles in the lower canyon; Trailhead: Parking area on the west side of UT 276; 37.887222,-110.567998

Tributaries of North Wash Four popular slot canyon tributaries on the northeast side of North Wash, easily accessed by short walks from UT 95, and increasing in difficulty from west to east. All need rappelling to descend fully but parts of the westernmost three are explorable by regular hiking; Length: ca. 6 miles total, for four separate hikes into the accessible parts of the lower ends of the canyons

Difficulty: Moderate - tight narrows, muddy pools, chokestones; Trailhead: Short track leading to BLM noticeboard, near a primitive camping area; 38.016541,-110.533065; there are plenty of other parking places along the road

Descriptions:

Canyon one (Shillelagh, mile 27.4) - the shallowest of the four, this has several forks with fine slot-like sections mixed with more open areas.

Canyon two (Blarney, mile 27.6) - this has two main branches, one of which becomes quite enclosed and difficult to follow.

Canyon three (Leprechaun, mile 28.1) - a long tributary with an unusual enclosed approach that narrows abruptly then splits into two main forks, both of which need ropes to explore and are best entered from the top end.

Canyon four (Sandthrax, mile 28.5) - a comparatively short tributary, but partially flooded and very dark, with long stretches only inches wide but still many yards deep.

 nocleg: Capitol Reef - maybe primitive Cathedral Valley? photo consider backcountry

BACKCOUNTRY USE (435) 425-3791 ext. 4111

Capitol Reef offers many hiking options for serious backpackers and those who enjoy exploring remote areas. Marked hiking routes lead into narrow, twisting gorges and slot canyons and to spectacular viewpoints high atop the Waterpocket Fold. Popular backcountry hikes in the southern section of the park include Upper and Lower Muley Twist Canyons and Halls Creek. Backcountry hiking opportunities also exist in the Cathedral Valley area and near Fruita...the possibilities are endless!

Stop in the visitor center for more information on backcountry hiking. If you plan to take an overnight hike, you need to obtain a free backcountry permit at the visitor center prior to your trip.

The visitor center is open daily (except for some major holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with extended hours during the summer season until 6:00 p.m.

DAY 6 - Thursday - dzień czerwonych skał i hoodoo

4h jazdy, 10h zwiedzania

Capitol Reef - 4h szlaki   terragalleria  ranking atrakcji  USSW wstep $5 od auta

        Waterpocket fold  aerial view  terragalleria   wiki  tour description

The spectacular Waterpocket District (or southern section) of Capitol Reef National Park is open year-round. Vehicles with high ground clearance, such as pickup trucks, vans, and a variety of passenger cars, can usually negotiate most of the roads without difficulty. However, road conditions can vary greatly depending on recent weather conditions. Spring and summer rains and winter snows can sometimes leave roads slick, muddy, washed out, and impassable to the best high-clearance four wheel drive vehicle. Many of the roads are unpaved, and are often rough, sandy, and corrugated. Check at the visitor center for current road and weather conditions before you begin.

Vehicle and foot travel in the southern part of the park can be light to moderate, depending on the time of year, so be prepared for the unexpected. If you have problems, help may not arrive for hours or even days. Carry plenty of water, food, gas, adequate clothing, a shovel, and emergency supplies. Cool or cold temperatures will accompany sudden summer storms or an unexpected night out in the backcountry. Daytime temperatures in the summer may top 100 °F (37.8°C) and winter highs may stay below freezing, so dress and plan accordingly.

THE LOOP TOUR Most visitors to the southern part of the park drive the 125-mile (201.2 km) loop, or various sections of it. Start at the visitor center and follow Hwy 24 east to the Notom Road; take the Notom-Bullfrog Road south to the Burr Trail Road; continue on the Burr Trail Road west to Boulder; continue north on Hwy 12 to Torrey; and then drive east on Hwy 24 back to the visitor center. Highways 24 and 12 and the first 11 miles (17.7 km) of the Notom Road from Hwy 24 are paved. The Burr Trail Road from the park boundary west to Boulder is also a paved road.

Side trips can be taken south of the Burr Trail Road junction along the Notom- Bullfrog Road to short day hikes at Surprise and Headquarters Canyons (each is a moderate 2-mile (3.2 km) round trip), or to the Hall's Creek Overlook, which may require high clearance and/or four wheel drive, for an outstanding view of the Fold and Brimhall Natural Bridge. Along the Burr Trail Road, a high-clearance four-wheel-drive side road follows Upper Muley Twist Canyon to the Strike Valley Overlook for a bird's eye view of the Fold and the Henry Mountains.

Camping is restricted to the 5-site Cedar Mesa campground located along the Notom-Bullfrog Road 20 miles (32.2 km) south of Hwy 24. The campground is free and is run on a first-come, first-served basis. Picnic tables, grills, and pit toilets are provided. Water is not available. Wood collecting is not permitted in the park. A 3.5-mile (5.6 km) round trip hike to Red Canyon, a colorful, high-walled box canyon, starts from the campground.

Cathedral Valley: The Cathedral Valley District of Capitol Reef National Park is open all year. Vehicles with high ground clearance, even those without four wheel drive, can usually negotiate the roads without difficulty. However, road conditions can vary greatly depending on recent weather conditions. Spring and summer rains and winter snows can leave the roads muddy, washed out, and impassable to the best high-clearance four wheel drive vehicle, so check at the visitor center for current road and weather conditions before visiting Cathedral Valley.

Foot and vehicle travel in the Cathedral Valley area is light, so be prepared for the unexpected. If you have problems, help may not arrive for hours or even days, depending on the time of year. Carry plenty of water, food, gas, adequate clothing, a shovel, and emergency supplies. Cool or cold temperatures will accompany sudden storms or an unexpected night out in the backcountry. Daytime temperatures in the summer may reach the upper 90s°F (30s °C) and winter highs may stay below freezing, so prepare accordingly.

THE CATHEDRAL VALLEY LOOP TOUR Most visitors to Cathedral Valley drive the 59 mile (95.0 km) loop, starting at the River Ford (11.8 miles or 19.0 km east of the visitor center on Hwy 24), following the Hartnet Road to the Cathedral Road (also known as the Caineville Wash Road) and returning back to Hwy 24 just west of Caineville (18.6 miles or 29.9 km east of the visitor center.)

The River Ford is passable at most times of the year, except during spring runoff or following a thunderstorm, when the river may be in flood. The ford has a hard packed, rocky bottom and water levels are normally a foot or less deep. The access road to the River Ford crosses private land. Please honor the posted no trespassing signs along the road near the ford by not parking off-road or camping in the vicinity.

        Burr Trail Road zachwyty

        Capitol Gorge Trail USSW  zdjecia

Many narrow ravines cut all or part of the way across the Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef National Park - some are blocked at intervals by chokestones and dryfalls so are quite difficult to explore (such as Burro Wash, Cottonwood Wash or Sheets Gulch), but two are much easier to follow and have a recognized trail all the way through. These are Grand Wash, 3.5 miles by road south of the national park visitor center, and Capitol Gorge, 7 miles further south along the same scenic drive, which is paved for most of the way though the last 2.5 miles is unpaved, winding its way along the deep but relatively wide upper part of the gorge to the trailhead, beyond which the canyon narrows significantly.

In the course of just one mile, the Capitol Gorge Trail passes a petroglyph panel, several hundred historic signatures (the Pioneer Register), a small natural arch and a sequence of water-filled potholes (the Tanks), and a narrow, rocky side canyon that also has potholes, and dryfalls. Together with Capitol Gorge itself - which although never particularly enclosed, and not a slot canyon, is quite impressive, with mostly sheer walls of multicolored Navajo sandstone - the hike encounters a variety of interesting features, and is very popular; a good choice for families and children.

Sunset Point Trail Panoramic view of cliffs and domes; dramatic lighting a day's end. PHOTO

Summary: Arrive in the last two hours before sunset on any evening and you will see photographers setting out their soul-catchers for a popular view in the park. Like mites or spiders, their tripods dot the landscape. Just look around them and enjoy the scenery.

You've come for one thing: to watch the sunset. Though the trails are short, they do present hazards: a lack of shade during the day time, dangerous dropoffs at the points, and no water at the parking lot.

Stick to the trails when you are crossing dirt so that you do not damage the cryptobiotic crust (which is literally living soil filled with bacteria that have taken thousands of years to build their inches tall towers -- one footstep in the wrong place and you've crunched Manhattan). You may walk on solid rock here, but watch for the ledges! It's a four hundred foot near vertical fall to Sulphur Creek!

Time your visit right so that you see the whole show. The view under the full moon is stunning.

From the Visitor Center, proceed west on Utah 24) towards Torrey. At the Panorama Point turnout, make a left. Cross the paved parking lot and look for the dirt road on your left (hidden from Utah 24 by a knoll). Proceed approximately one mile on the dirt road to the Goosenecks/Sunset Point Parking Area.

The Goosenecks Trail begins directly at the end of the parking lot. The Sunset Point Trail is unmarked, but located next to the trashcans to your left as you go in. Make sure that you have found the trail before proceeding.

Sulphur Creek opis - chyba jednak za daleko

Chimney Rock Trail  photos  opis         the best short path in the national park, as it is relatively short, not too steep, provides the shortest hike to a high elevation viewpoint, and passes varied surroundings;

Just inside the west entrance to Capitol Reef along UT 24, the Chimney Rock Trail is perhaps the best short path in the national park, as it is relatively short, not too steep, provides the shortest hike to a high elevation viewpoint, and passes varied surroundings; besides Chimney Rock itself, an eroded pillar of red sandstone, the trail encounters colorful badlands, tall cliffs, and the mouth of a narrow canyon. Another trail leads down this ravine and meets the much longer Spring Canyon, which can be followed for many miles either up or downstream, though the majority of visitors just come for the main Chimney Rock loop, a journey of 3.5 miles and 580 feet elevation gain, which can be done in about 90 minutes.

Trailhead: Parking area along UT 24; 38.315554,-111.303996

Capitol Reef- Goblin: 69.7 mi – about 1 hour 37 mins

San Rafael Swell terragalleria  wiki   galeria  foto

        The Swell has been used by Hollywood filmmakers as a location setting for alien planets, including the Planet Vulcan in

the 2009 film Star Trek 

The San Rafael Swell is a large geologic feature located in south-central Utah, USA about 30 miles (50 km) west of Green River, Utah. The San Rafael Swell, approximately 75 miles (121 km) by 40 miles (64 km), consists of a giant dome-shaped anticline of sandstone, shale, and limestone that was pushed up during the Paleocene Laramide Orogeny 60-40 million years ago. Since that time, infrequent but powerful flash floods have eroded the sedimentary rocks into numerous valleys, canyons, gorges, mesas and buttes. The Swell is part of the Colorado Plateau physiographic region.

Interstate 70 divides the Swell into northern and southern sections, and provides the only paved road access to the region. The swell lies entirely within Emery County.

The northern Swell is drained mainly by the San Rafael River, while the southern Swell is drained mainly by Muddy Creek which eventually joins the Fremont River to become Dirty Devil River northeast of Hanksville, Utah. The Dirty Devil River flows southward into the Colorado River, while the San Rafael River joins the Green River before it also flows into the Colorado. Muddy Creek cuts into the western edge of the Swell, exits at Muddy Creek Gorge, and then flows across the Blue Hills Badlands near Caineville to its confluence with the Fremont River.

        OPCJA gdyby sie czas duzo zwyzszyl:

        The Gorge of Muddy Creek 38° 24′ 10″ N, 110° 41′ 35″ W  WIKI   PDF about hiking  more about hiking  aerial photo

        Hidden Splendor Mine 38° 33' 25.69" N  110° 57' 0.96" W   on old abandoned uranium mine from back in the 50's   FORUM z fotkami   zdjecia  relacja

        [z Goblina do kopalni 41.2 mi, 2 hours 26 mins w jedna strone...]

Goblin Valley State Park - 2h  filmik  utah.com-fajne zdjecie   wiki   brochure

        The Visitor Center is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. $7 per vehicle

        Its eminent feature is its thousands of hoodoos and hoodoo rocks, which are formations of mushroom-shaped rock pinnacles, some as high as several meters. The distinct shape of these rocks comes from an erosion-resistant layer of rock atop softer sandstone.The unusual stone shapes in Goblin Valley result from the weathering of Entrada Sandstone. They consist of debris eroded from former highlands and redeposited on a former tidal flat of alternating layers of sandstone, siltstone and shale. The rocks show evidence of being near an ancient sea with the ebb and flow of tides, tidal channels that directed currents back to the sea and coastal sand dunes.

Goblin - Canyonlands: 112 mi – about 2 hours 24 mins

OPCJA: Crystal Geyser wiki  article + Photos  filmik 4.5 miles (7.25 km) downstream from Green River, Utah 

38° 56′ 17.71″ N, 110° 8′ 7.58″ W

The activity of cold-water geysers is similar to their hot water counterparts, except that CO2 bubbles drive the eruption instead of steam. In cold-water geysers, CO2-laden water lies in a confined aquifer, in which water and CO2 are trapped by less permeable overlying strata. Only in a handful of places, such as at faults, joints, or drilled wells, can the water and CO2 readily escape the underlying aquifer. If a well is drilled through a confining layer into a CO2-laden aquifer, the borehole provides a path for the pressurized water and CO2 to reach the surface. Faults and joints also may provide routes for gas-laden water to penetrate an overlying confining layer. Aquifer and plumbing attributes, including plumbing depth, CO2 concentrations, aquifer yield, and so on, combine to provide the differing scales and frequencies of eruptions.

Analogous to steam bubbles expanding to displace water in a hot water geyser, the column of water in a cold-water geyser’s plumbing exerts enough pressure to keep the CO2 in solution and in small bubbles. A decrease in pressure of the water column allows CO2 to outgas and any existing CO2 bubbles to expand. This “boiling” deep in the system is comparable to water flashing to steam in a hot water geyser. As the CO2 outgasses, it displaces water and starts the eruption.

Crystal Geyser is located on the east bank of the Green River approximately 4.5 miles (7.25 km) downstream from Green River, Utah. It is a rare example of a cold water carbon dioxide driven geyser; geothermal activity does not play a role in the activity of the geyser. The ground water near the geyser has significant quantities of dissolved carbon dioxide, along with substantial underground gas accumulations in the surrounding area. Saturation of the aquifer with CO2 creates enough pressure to force groundwater through the geyser and out on to the surface.

The geyser erupts sometimes to a height of 40 meters or more. During 2005, a study of the timing of the eruptions found them to be bimodal. About 66% of eruptions in the study occurred about 8 hours after the previous eruption, and the rest about 22 hours after. The geyser erupts for an average of one hundred minutes a day, with eruptions either lasting 7–32 minutes, or 98–113 minutes. The bimodal distribution of eruptions is not a well-understood pattern, but is found in other geysers, both cold-water and otherwise.

Between eruption events, the water level is approximately seventeen feet below the surface of the geyser—at the level of the water table. In the preface to an eruption, water surfaces, fills the pond around the geyser, and begins to bubble. Bubbling events occur with increasing frequency in the time leading up to an eruption, but are not constant; bubbling events last for a few minutes, with a few minutes of calm in between. Bubbling events at the main geyser also frequently alternate with bubbling events at natural side-pools.

The current form of the geyser was created by an exploration well drilled in 1935 in attempt to locate oil. The well was originally 800 metres deep, but an earlier owner of the land partially filled it in, meaning that the well is now only a couple hundred metres deep.

The area surrounding the modern geyser is covered in a thick layer of orange travertine. Near the river, adjacent to the modern orange travertine, are substantial deposits of white travertine, perhaps reflecting the original depositional environment of the geyser (before the exploratory well was drilled.)

DOTAD DOJECHALAM Z MAPAMI

Canyonlands - 4h wstep $10 od auta (435) 719-2100

        Island in the Sky  szlaki  [Mesa Arch - great sunrise hike blogasek  photo   ale odjaaaazd]

SZLAKI

Several short trails exist along the scenic drive at the Island. These include Aztec Butte, Grand View Point, Mesa Arch, Whale Rock and Upheaval Dome (to the first overlook). Each of these trails highlights some aspect of the park's natural or cultural history. Guides are available for some of the trails at trailheads and in the visitor center.

Aztec Butte Trail Length: 2 mi/3 km round-trip; Start: Aztec Butte parking area; Time: 1.5 hours, Elevation Change: 225 ft/69 m

A steep climb up a slickrock dome leads to some ancestral Puebloan granaries and outstanding views of Taylor Canyon.

Grand View Point Trail Length: 2 mi/3 km round trip Start: Grand View Point Time: 1 hour

An easy walk out to the very end of the Island in the Sky mesa. Panoramic views.

Mesa Arch Length: .5 mi/.8 km round trip Start: Mesa Arch parking area Time: 30 minutes

A mild walk out to an arch perched right on a cliff edge. A great sunrise hike.

Upheaval Dome Overlook Trail  Length (round-trip): 1 mi/1.5 km to first overlook Start: Upheaval Dome parking area

Time: 30 minutes Elevation Change: 50 ft/15 m Good view of a very intriguing rock formation. Hiking to the second overlook adds 1 MI/1.5 km and at least 15 minutes.

Whale Rock Trail  Length (round-trip): 1 mi/1.5 km to main overlook Start: Near Upheaval Dome parking area Time: 1 hour Elevation Change: 100 ft/30 m A short climb up Whale Rock leads to views of upheaval dome and the surrounding area.

 nocleg w Canyonlands: Island in the Sky or Needles  photo $10, znizka niepewna

other camping options

The Island in the Sky mesa rests on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Every overlook offers a different perspective on Canyonlands' spectacular landscape. The Island is the easiest district to visit in a short period of time, offering many pullouts with spectacular views along the paved scenic drive. Hiking trails and four-wheel-drive roads access backcountry areas for day or overnight trips.

Willow Flat Campground

Located at the Island in the Sky, the Willow Flat Campground is a short walk from one of the finest sunset spots in the park: Green River Overlook. Twelve sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sites include picnic tables, fire grates and vault toilets. No water. Maximum RV length is 28 feet. Group size limit is 10 people and 2 vehicles. Fee is $10 per night. Willow Flat typically fills every day from late March through June and again from early September to mid-October.

The national parks and monuments of the Colorado Plateau have long been popular destinations for travelers. In addition to their stunning landscapes and rich cultural history, these areas share another resource: some of the darkest skies remaining in the contiguous 48 United States.

Though often unappreciated, the utter dark of a moonless night in Canyonlands surprises many visitors. As few as one in ten Americans live in areas where they can see the estimated 2,500 stars that should be visible under normal conditions. In many cities, the night sky is completely obscured by the glow of urban settlement. At Canyonlands, the naked eye is sufficient to witness a wealth of stars. Under the right conditions, common binoculars may even reveal the rings of Saturn.

DAY 7 - Friday - dzień wody i piachu

9h jazdy, 4h zwiedzania

Canyonlands - Black Canyon: 197 mi – about 3 hours 42 mins

Canyonlands - Ouray (Box Canyon): 179 mi, 3 hours 39 mins

        Gilsonite link  link  40°4'54"N   110°2'27"W

Box Canyon - 2h  fotki  

The Box Canyon Waterfall & Park is Ouray’s natural wonder—formed when the rushing waters of Canyon Creek eroded a deep and narrow box canyon through fault weakened limestone. The park's short trails are easily accessible from the southwest corner of town. You can reach the visitor center and entrance either by car or by foot. The lower trail, an easy 500-feet hike via a walkway and suspension bridge will lead you straight into the belly of the falls. You will be silenced by roaring water as the force of thousands of gallons a minute ricochet off a mix of rugged crags and smoothly eroded pre-Cambrian rock, rushing eighty feet to the canyon’s bottom.

Stop and soak up the beauty of the surrounding forests in one of the numerous sheltered picnic houses situated throughout the park. Some of the gazebos have grills and are perfect for a family gathering or for a peaceful place to get away with friends. Be sure to walk through the Visitor Center and see the interpretive exhibits on the geology, wildlife, rare plant life, and history of the area. From the visitor center, you can also take the short but steep hike to the bridge above the falls and look down on the fury of the water as it plummets into the canyon and, as an added treat, enjoy beautiful views of Ouray. The native plant loop is a short and level trail near the visitor center where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the forest.

In 2001, this breathtaking park was designated an important bird watching area by the National Audubon Society. It supports one of the state’s largest populations of Black Swifts, a protected species. These birds nest in their preferred habitat— the canyon walls sheltered by overhanging rocks near waterfalls.

The Park is located at the west end of Third Avenue. To reach the entrance to the falls by foot, walk two blocks up the left fork at the end of Third Avenue. At the end of this quarter-mile moderately sloped hill, you will find the entrance to the Park and the Visitor Center. To drive from town, follow Hwy 550 south of Ouray, taking an immediate right onto CR 361 after the first hairpin turn. Follow the signs to the right, going over the Uncompahgre Gorge to the drive-in entrance.

The "Box Canyon" Falls, Ouray's own wonder of the world, is the culmination of Canyon Creek narrowing and spilling thousands of gallons a minute of water over the falls. It is truly a dramatic scene, and one that you can enjoy from both above and below the falls. The "Box Canyon" Box has been designated an important bird area by the National Audobon Society. At this most spectacular geological formation, the 285 foot waterfall plummets into a narrow, quartite canyon with walls overhanging the falls by nearly 100 feet. Take Highway 550 south of Ouray, and take a right on County Road 361. Signs point across the Uncompahgre Gorge to the visitor's parking lot.

Hours:8 a.m. - 8 p.m. or until dark

Ouray - Black Canyon: 49.1 mi, 1 hour 0 mins

Black Canyon - 2h wstep $15 od auta [chyba najpierw Box, potem Black?] fotki  NPS  wiki 38° 34′ 0″ N, 107° 43′ 0″ W

South Rim Road The South Rim Drive is 7 miles from Tomichi Point to High Point, and has 12 overlooks. Most are reached by walking a short trail. Allow 2-3 hours to view several overlooks. Those with limited time should consider stopping at Gunnison Point, Chasm View, Painted Wall and Sunset View.

The South Rim Visitor Center, which features exhibits on the canyon, is located at Gunnison Point. The visitor center is open daily throughout the summer, and most days of the week the rest of the year. The South Rim Road beyond Gunnison Point is closed to vehicles in winter.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a United States National Park located in western Colorado, and managed by the National Park Service. There are two entrances to the park; the more-developed south rim entrance is located 15 miles (24 km) east of Montrose, while the north rim entrance is located 11 miles (18 km) south of Crawford and is closed in the winter. The park contains 12 miles (19 km) of the 48-mile (77 km) long canyon of the Gunnison river. The national park itself contains the deepest and most dramatic section of the canyon, but the canyon continues upstream into the Curecanti National Recreation Area and downstream into the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area.

The Gunnison River drops an average of 34 feet per mile (5 m/km) through the entire canyon, making the 5th steepest mountain descents in North America. In comparison, the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon drops an average of 7.5 feet per mile (1.4 m/km). The greatest descent of the Gunnison River occurs in the park at Chasm View dropping 240 feet per mile (45 m/km).[3] The Black Canyon is so named on account of its steepness which makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate very far down the canyon. As a result, the canyon walls are most often in shadow, causing the rocky walls to appear black. At its narrowest point the canyon is only 40 feet (12 m) across at the river.[3][4]

The extreme steepness and depth of the Black Canyon formed as the result of several geologic processes acting together. The Gunnison River is primarily responsible for carving the canyon, though several other geologic events had to occur in order to form the canyon as it is seen today.[5]

Jedziemy przez Curecanti National Rec Area  NPS  mapa   pictures

Curecanti National Recreation Area, in Colorado, is formed by three reservoirs, named for corresponding dams on the Gunnison River. The national recreation area borders Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park on the west. Panoramic mesas, fjord-like reservoirs, and deep, steep and narrow canyons abound.

Recently discovered dinosaur fossils, a 6,700-acre (20 km2) archeological district, a narrow gauge train, and traces of 6000 year old dwellings further enhance the offerings of Curecanti.

RESERVOIRS

Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado's largest body of water. Created by Blue Mesa Dam, Blue Mesa Reservoir is 20 miles (32 km) long, has 96 miles (154 km) of shoreline, and is the largest Lake Trout and Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States. Blue Mesa Dam was completed in 1945, becoming the first large dam built along the Gunnison River. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison begins below Blue Mesa Dam.

12 miles below Blue Mesa Dam is Morrow Point Dam. Morrow Point Dam was completed in 1967 creating narrow Morrow Point Reservoir. While the primary purpose of Blue Mesa Dam is to store water, the primary function of Morrow Point Dam is to produce hydroelectricity. It has about twice the power capacity of Blue Mesa Dam.

Crystal Dam is a double curvature thin arch dam located six miles (10 km) downstream from Morrow Point Dam. Crystal Dam is the newest of the three dams in Curecanti; construction on the dam was finished in 1976. Crystal Reservoir is the site of the Gunnison Diversion Tunnel, a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. Just below Crystal Dam is the eastern boundary of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

        Scenic Drive NPS

        Cimarron CO - Railroad Exhibits

        Cimarron - Morrow Point Dam

        Blue Mesa Summit on the South of road  photos

        Blue Mesa Dam Overlook  photo  

Blue Mesa Dam is a 390-foot-tall (120 m) zoned earthfill dam on the Gunnison River in Colorado. It creates Blue Mesa Reservoir, and is within Curecanti National Recreation Area just before the river enters the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. The dam is upstream of the Morrow Point Dam. Blue Mesa Dam and reservoir are part of the Bureau of Reclamation's Wayne N. Aspinall Unit of the Colorado River Storage Project, which retains the waters of the Colorado River and its tributaries for agricultural and municipal use in the American Southwest.[1][2] The dam's primary purpose is hydroelectric power generation.[3] Colorado State Highway 92 passes over the top of the dam. Blue Mesa Dam houses two turbine generators and produces an average of 264,329,000 kilowatt-hours each year.[4]

        Blue Mesa Reservoir wiki

        Narrow Gauge Trestle 38° 27′ 6″ N, 107° 32′ 59″ W wiki   NPS  remont :(  (970) 641-2337

        Gunnison Diversion Tunnel opis  NPS  mapka  wiki   stary artykul

        Lake Fork Bridge photo

        Middle Bridge photo  + Dillon Pinnacles photo  

        Lake City Bridge photo  - nie przejezdzamy

The D & RG Narrow Gauge Trestle (Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad Narrow Gauge Trestle) is a narrow gauge railroad trestle crossing of the Cimarron River, located near Cimarron, Colorado, United States. It is within Curecanti National Recreation Area, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The trestle was built in 1895 by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad replacing a wooden trestle that was built sometime around 1882. The trestle was originally 288 feet (88 m) long but only a small portion of it remains today. Today the D & RG Narrow Gauge Trestle is the last remaining railroad trestle along the Black Canyon of the Gunnison route.

The bridge has a steam locomotive, boxcar, and caboose on display (all from the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad narrow gauge). The steam locomotive is D&RGW #278, a 2-8-0 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1882. The D&RGW used the designation C-16 for this class of locomotive; the letter C stands for consolidation (2-8-0) and the 16 for the number of thousands of pounds of tractive effort of the locomotive. The boxcar, D&RGW #3132, was built in 1904 by the American Car and Foundry. Caboose #0577 was manufactured in 1886.

Black Canyon - Great Sand Dunes: 206 mi, 4 hours 24 mins

Monarch Pass - przelecz :)  wiki  11,312 ft (3,448 m) filmik  (druga polowa filmiku - zjezdzanie z przeleczy) 38° 29′ 48″ N, 106° 19′ 30″ W

The pass is located on the continental divide at the southern end of the Sawatch Range along the border between Gunnison and Chaffee counties, approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of the town of Salida. The pass carries U.S. Highway 50 over the Sawatch Range, providing a route between Tomichi Creek in the upper basin of the Gunnison River on the west and the South Arkansas River, a tributary of the Arkansas River on the east. The pass is traversable by all vehicles under most conditions and is generally open year-round, however 7% grades exist. It is prone to heavy winter snowfall however, and is often temporarily closed in heavy winter storms. Ramps for runaway trucks are located about halfway down both the eastern and western sides of the pass.

The pass is widely considered one of the most scenic in Colorado, offering a panoramic view of the southern end of the Sawatch Range from the summit. A gift shop and small restaurant are located near the summit of the pass. During the summer, an aerial tram from the parking lot at the summit carries visitors to the top of Monarch Ridge above the pass (at approximately 12,000 feet (3,700 m) above sea level), allowing a wider view of the surrounding peaks. During the winter, visitors enjoy skiing at Monarch ski area.

Old Monarch Pass connects to Monarch Pass at two points. Old Monarch Pass is traversable by passenger vehicles at most times during the summer and early fall months. However, heavy rainfalls occasionally wash out the east entrance to the pass. Check with a local ranger station for current conditions.

An automated weather station (AWOS), provided by the Federal Aviation Administration, is located atop Monarch Pass, broadcasting at 124.175 mHz, providing pilots of small aircraft access to real-time weather conditions near the summit. The high terrain and frequent storms, however, make this route problematic for light aircraft; the pass is steep and narrow, especially when approached from the east, with a sharp turn required at the summit. Aircraft accidents in the vicinity of Monarch pass are frequent. Many Colorado pilots suggest small aircraft avoid Monarch and, whenever possible, make use of the lower, flatter, Marshall Pass just a few miles to the south.

 Nocleg: Great Sand Dunes - Pinyon Flats rezerwacje znizka niepewna 37° 43′ 58.33″ N, 105° 30′ 43.63″ W camping description   camping photos

Bonus: Zapata Falls is just south of the national park off Highway 150. A short but slippery 1/2-mile hike leads to a 25-foot high cascade. Simply driving to the trailhead provides an excellent view of the entire dunefield and San Luis Valley, especially at sunrise or sunset.   WIKI   OPIS SZLAKU+ ZDJECIA  

DAY 8 - Saturday - dzień przepaści i wysokich struktur

7,5h jazdy, 8h zwiedzania

Sand Dunes - 2h  wstep 2x$3=$6 satellite image  TERRAGALLERIA

It is the newest of the United States National Parks.The park contains the tallest sand dunes in North America, rising about 750 feet (230 m) from the floor of the San Luis Valley on the western base of the Sangre de Cristo Range, covering about 19,000 acres (77 km2). Researchers say that the dunes started forming less than 440,000 years ago.

OPCJA - zjezdzanie :)    filmik o parku

Sand Dunes - Bridge: 142 mi – about 3 hours 2 mins

Royal Gorge Bridge - 1h  wiki  photos    38° 27′ 42.01″ N, 105° 19′ 30″ W  webcam  o parku 

Rides are available from 1/2 hour after park opening to 1/2 hour before park closing. (See above)

Bridge-only Hours (daily, all year) 7:00 am to 8:30 am and from one hour before ride closing time until dusk.

The Royal Gorge Bridge is a tourist attraction near Cañon City, Colorado, within a 360-acre (150 ha) theme park. The bridge deck hangs 955 feet (291 m) above the Arkansas River,[2] and held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 until 2001, when it was surpassed by the Liuguanghe Bridge in China. It is a suspension bridge with a main span of 938 feet (286 m). The bridge is 1,260 feet (384 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, with a wooden walkway with 1292 planks. The bridge is suspended from towers that are 150 feet (46 m) high.

The bridge was constructed in six months, between June 5, 1929, and late November 1929, as a toll bridge, at a cost of $350,000. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The bridge was not constructed for transportation purposes; instead, it was built with the intent that it serve as a tourist attraction, and has continued to be one of the most-visited tourist attractions in Colorado since its construction. The road is designated as Fremont County Road 3A. The Royal Gorge Route Railroad runs under the bridge along the base of Royal Gorge.

Measuring from deck to the river below, the Royal Gorge Bridge held the record of highest bridge in the world from 1929 to 2003, with a height of 956 ft. In 2003 it was surpassed by the Beipanjiang River 2003 Bridge with its height of 1,201 ft, however The Royal Gorge is still the highest bridge in the United States. The cable-stayed Viaduc de Millau, completed in December 2004, is currently the tallest bridge in the world, at 1,118 feet (341 m), measured from the ground to the top of the bridge piers. However, its deck is only 885 feet (270 m) above the River Tarn.[citation needed]

In 1980 the bridge hosted the television show That's Incredible! for a different kind of jumping. On the show a group of British bungee jumpers from the Oxford Dangerous Sports Club set, at the time, world records for the highest bungee jump.[citation needed] The record setting jump went 800 feet (240 m) into the 1,053-foot (321 m) canyon. In 1981 the bridge was the subject in a GM Super Bowl commercial where in which GM suspended several hundred one gallon gas cans from under the bridge to demonstrate the amount of gas their new car would save someone.

The bridge was closed to vehicle traffic from 1982-83 for significant renovations. During this time new cable anchors were installed. The original rusting cable ends were replaced by new multi-strand cables and then each of the 2,100 strands of existing suspension cable were spliced together with the new anchor cables. The bridge also got new floor timbers, wind cabling, and improvements to the bridge towers. The cost of the renovations were $2.8 million or about 140% of the original purchase price, accounting for inflation.

In October 2003, while performing a proximity demonstration, wingsuiter Dwain Weston was killed attempting to fly over the bridge.[3] Weston was wearing a wingsuit, a skydiving suit with fabric extended below the arms to the body and between the legs to catch air allowing for horizontal travel when skydiving. Weston was to go over the bridge while fellow skydiver Jeb Corliss was to go under it. Miscalculating his distance from the bridge, Weston struck a railing while traveling an estimated 120 mph, killing him instantly and dismembering extremities. Cleanup from his impact took two full days, and many parts of Weston's body were never recovered.

Bridge- Colorado Springs: 58.2 mi – about 1 hour 18 mins

Garden of the Gods - 3h  filmik  wiki   National Natural Landmark.38° 52′ 3.97″ N, 104° 53′ 27.92″ W

Entrance to the park is free according to the wish of Charles Elliott Perkins, whose children donated the land to the city of Colorado Springs in 1909.

[edit] Great American Place

Garden of the Gods Park has been designated as a Great American Public Place of 2011 by the American Planning Association. The Great American Place are defined by many criteria, including architectural features, accessibility, functionality, and community involvement.[1]

[edit] Recreational opportunities

The Garden of the Gods Park brings a lot of opportunities to the city of Colorado Springs by its varied recreational features. The park is popular for hiking, technical rock climbing, road and mountain biking and horseback riding. It attracts more than two million visitors a year and becomes the city’s most visited park. There are more than 15 miles of trails with a 1.5 mile trail running through the heart of the park that is paved and wheelchair accessible. Annual events including two summer running races, recreational bike rides and Pro Cycling Challenge Prologue also take place in this park.[2]

It contains numerous trails for hiking, walking, mountain biking and horseback riding. One of the most popular trails, named Perkins, has been paved in an effort to combat the erosion of the park's central garden caused by its numerous visitors. Visitors receive frequent reminders to watch out for rattlesnakes in the hot days of summer.

Because of the unusual and steep rock formations in the park, it is an attractive goal for rock climbers. Rock climbing is permitted, with annual permit obtained at the Garden of the Gods Visitor and Nature Center. The only requirements are reading the rules, proper equipment, climbing with a "buddy", and staying on established climbing routes. Due to the often unstable conditions of the sandstone—particularly after much precipitation—several fatalities have occurred over the years. This is a very popular bicycle-riding area because of the scenic views, safe one-way recently paved roads, and healthy clean air.

[edit] Geological formations

The outstanding geologic features of the park are the ancient sedimentary beds of red, blue, purple, and white sandstones, conglomerates and limestone that were deposited horizontally, but have now been tilted vertically and faulted by the immense mountain building forces caused by the uplift of the Pikes Peak massif. Evidence of past ages; ancient seas, eroded remains of ancestral mountain ranges, alluvial fans, sandy beaches and great sand dune fields can be read in the rocks. A spectacular shear fault can be observed where the Tower of Babel (Lyons Sandstone) contacts the Fountain Formation.[3]. There are many fossils to be seen: marine forms, plant fossils, and some dinosaur fossils.

The hogbacks, so named because they resemble the backs and spines of a pig, are ridges of sandstone whose layers are tilted. Instead of lying horizontally, some layers are even vertically oriented. Each hogback can range up to several hundred feet long, and the tallest (called North Gateway Rock) rises to a height of 320 feet (98 m) tall.[4] A notable rock feature on this hogback, the Kissing Camels, appears to be two very large camels sitting face to face with their lips touching.

One of the most popular features in the park is a large balancing rock, known locally as Balanced Rock.

On one occasion during the nineteenth century, Dr. George Frederick Kunz, vice-president of and "gem expert" of Tiffany & Co., wrote about a “specimen of obsidian” he was shown from the Garden of the Gods in Colorado. “A friend recently made a trip through parts of Colorado, and knowing our desire to obtain materials suitable for cutting into gems, he purchased at a pavilion, near the gateway of the Garden of the Gods, a specimen of what the dealer called “obsidian.” It was carefully packed and carried thousands of miles, and was handed to us with the ceremony befitting an elegant gift. We received it with much delight, and after removing yards of tissue paper, held it before a lamp light, and saw a transparent mass of about 4x4" of pure bottle green- glass.”[5]

SZLAKI

Start at the main parking lot for the PERKINS CENTRAL GARDEN TRAIL. This is an easy, 1 1/2 mile roundtrip over a concrete foot path, with less than a 30 foot rise. Wheelchair and stroller accessible, this loop is in the heart of the Park at the base of the highest rock formations.

Other great trails include RIDGE TRAIL, a moderate, 1/2 mile loop, with less than 100 foot rise in elevation. This path gives you the feeling of being among the rocks.

SIAMESE TWINS TRAIL is an easy 1 mile roundtrip, with less than a 150 foot rise. There is a unique view of Pikes Peak through the natural window of the twins.

CHAMBERS/BRETAG/PALMER TRAIL is a moderate, 3 mile circle with less than a 250 foot rise. Nearly circling the entire Park, this trail covers rolling, rocky terrain away from the traffic.

SCOTSMAN/BUCKSKIN CHARLIE TRAIL is a moderate trail that loops through the Park. Enjoy the distant views of the Central Garden formations from these rolling, rocky trails.

Garden of the Gods to the Chapel: 18.6 mi, 31 mins

Colorado Springs - Air Force Academy Chapel - 2h 39° 0′ 29.88″ N, 104° 53′ 24.9″ W filmik   wiki - worship areas!

The Cadet Chapel is the most popular man-made attraction in Colorado, with more than a half million visitors every year. Groundbreaking began on the iconic landmark Aug. 28, 1959, and was completed in 1963 at a cost of $3.5 million.

The Cadet Chapel's principal designer and architect was Walter A. Netsch Jr. A Chicago native, Mr. Netsch studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving his degree in 1943 and joining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He was 34 when he completed the design for the chapel.

The chapel's aluminum, glass and steel structure soars more than 150 feet into the Colorado sky. Its 17 spires can be easily spotted from Interstate 25, several miles east.

The Cadet Chapel staff's mission is to inspire men and women to become leaders of character through spiritual formation. The chapel is open to visitors Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. Large groups can request a tour led by a chapel guide by e-mailing the director of Cadet Chapel Public Relations at cadet.chapel@usafa.edu.

Architecture and construction

The most striking aspect of the Chapel is its row of seventeen spires. The original design called for nineteen spires, but this number was reduced due to budget issues.[4] The structure is a tubular steel frame of 100 identical tetrahedrons, each 75 feet (23 m) long, weighing five tons, and enclosed with clear aluminum panels. The panels were fabricated in Missouri and shipped by rail to the site. The tetrahedrons are spaced a foot apart, creating gaps in the framework that are filled with 1-inch-thick (25 mm) colored glass. The tetrahedrons comprising the spires are filled by triangular clear aluminum panels, while the tetrahedrons between the spires are filled with a mosaic of colored glass in aluminum frame.

The Cadet Chapel itself is 150 feet (46 m) high, 280 feet (85 m) long, and 84 feet (26 m) wide. The front façade, on the south, has a wide granite stairway with steel railings capped by aluminum handrails leading up one story to a landing. At the landing is a band of gold anodized aluminum doors, and gold anodized aluminum sheets apparently covering original windows.

The shell of the chapel and surrounding grounds cost $3.5 million to build. Various furnishings, pipe organs, liturgical fittings and adornments of the chapel were presented as gifts from various individuals and organizations. In 1959, a designated Easter offering was also taken at Air Force bases around the world to help complete the interior.

[edit] Worship areas The Cadet Chapel was designed specifically to house three distinct worship areas under a single roof. Inspired by chapels at Sainte-Chapelle in France and the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi in Italy, architect Walter Netsch stacked the spaces on two main levels.[5] The Protestant nave is located on the upper level, while the Catholic and Jewish chapels and a Buddhist room are located beneath it. Beneath this level is a larger room used for Islamic services and two meeting rooms. Each chapel has its own entrance, and services may be held simultaneously without interfering with one another.

[edit] Protestant chapel The Protestant Chapel is located on the main floor, and is designed to seat 1,200 individuals. The nave measures 64 by 168 feet (51 m), reaching up to 94 feet (29 m) at the highest peak. The center aisle terminates at the chancel.

The Chapel's tetrahedrons form the walls and the pinnacled ceiling of the Protestant Chapel. Stained glass windows form ribbons of color between the tetrahedrons, and progress from darker to lighter as they reach the altar. The chancel is set off by a crescent-shaped, varicolored reredos behind the altar. Semi-precious stones from Colorado and pietra santa marble from Italy cover its 1,260-square-foot (117 m2) area. The focal point of the chancel is a 46-foot (14 m) high aluminum cross suspended above it. The pews are made of American walnut and African mahogany. The ends of the pews were sculpted to resemble World War I airplane propellers. The backs of the pews are capped by a strip of aluminum similar to the trailing edge of a fighter aircraft wing.

Above the narthex, in the rear, is a choir balcony and organ, designed by Walter Holtkamp of the Holtkamp Organ Company, and built by M. P. Moller of Hagerstown, Maryland. The organ has 83 ranks and 67 stops controlling 4,334 pipes. Harold E. Wagoner designed the liturgical furnishings for both the Protestant and Catholic chapels.

[edit] Catholic chapel

The Catholic Chapel is located below the Protestant Chapel, and seats approximately 500 people. The nave is 56 feet (17 m) wide, 113 feet (34 m) long and 19 feet (5.8 m) high. The focal point of the Catholic Chapel is the reredos behind the altar. An abstract glass mosaic mural, designed by Luman Martin Winter, the reredos is composed of varying shades of blue, turquoise, rose and gray tessera to form a portrayal of the firmament. Superimposed on the mural and depicting the Annunciation are two 10-foot (3.0 m) tall marble figures, the Virgin Mary on the left, and the Archangel Gabriel on the right. Above and between these two figures is a marble dove.

In front of the reredos is the altar, a gift from Cardinal Francis Spellman, who dedicated the Catholic Chapel on September 22, 1963. The altar is Italian white marble mounted on a marble cone-shaped pedestal. Above the altar is a six-foot sculptured nickel-silver crucifix. Along the side walls of the chapel are the 14 Stations of the Cross, also designed by Lumen Martin Winter, and carved from four-inch (102 mm) thick slabs of marble. The figures are done in Carrara marble, from the same quarries where Michelangelo drew his stone. The classical pipe organ, in the 100-seat choir loft, was designed by Walter Holtkamp and built by M. P. Moller Co. It features 36 ranks and 29 stops controlling its 1,950 pipes.

[edit] Jewish chapel The Jewish Chapel is also on the lower level. Seating 100, it is circular in shape, with a diameter of 42 feet (13 m) and a height of 19 feet (5.8 m). It is enclosed by a vertical grill with inserts of clear glass opening to the foyer. The circular form and transparent walls were used to suggest a tent-like structure. The floor is paved with Jerusalem brownstone, donated by the Israeli Defense Forces.

The walls of the foyer are purple stained glass panels alternating with green and blue stained accent windows. The circular walls of the synagogue are panels of translucent glass separated by stanchions of Israeli cypress. The paintings, done by Shlomo Katz in 1985 and 1986, depict a Biblical story. They are divided into three groups; brotherhood, flight (in honor of the Air Force) and justice.

The focal point of the Jewish Chapel is the Aron Kodesh, which shelters the Scrolls of the Torah. The Ner Tamid hangs to the right of the Ark. In the foyer of the chapel is a display cabinet with a Torah Scroll that was saved from the Nazis during World War II. It was found in Poland in 1989 in an abandoned warehouse and donated to the Jewish Chapel in April 1990. This "Holocaust Torah" is dedicated to the memory of all of those who fought against the Nazis.

[edit] All-faiths rooms

The All-Faiths Rooms are worship areas for smaller religious groups. They are purposely devoid of religious symbolism so that they may be used by a variety of faiths. Distinguishing faith-specific accoutrements are available for each group to use during their worship services.

Colorado Springs - Burlington: 169 mi, 2 hours 58 mins  39°18′15″N 102°16′7″W

 Nocleg: Burlington

Marshal Ash  link (719) 348-5141  39.29591N, -102.6051W

Shady Grove  link  970 664 2218  102.8696111, 39.2986639, 0  {priority}

DAY 9 - Sunday - dzień turlania się do domu

Denver - CS: 984 mi, 15 hours 43 mins

Colorado Springs - home: 1,052 mi – about 16 hours 44 mins

Burlington CO - CS: 861 mi, 14 hours 22 mins

ROZPISKA SKRÓCONA

DAY 1 - Saturday - dzień jazdy na Dziki Zachód

CS - Clayton: 1,051 mi – about 17 hours 28 mins

DAY 2 - Sunday - dzień dinozaurzych łap i czubatych skałek

7h jazdy, 4h zwiedzania

Clayton - Taos: 165 mi – about 3 hours 47 mins

Taos - 2h

Taos - Kasha: 108 mi – about 2 hours 19 mins

Kasha - 2h

Kasha - Cochiti: 8.0 mi, 26 mins

nocleg: Cochiti Lake info image albo Tetilla Peak info

DAY 3 - Monday - dzień wielkich teleskopów

9h jazdy, 2h zwiedzania

Cochiti - Very Large Array: 175 mi, 3 hours 2 mins

Array - 2h

Array - Chaco: 283 mi – about 5 hours 30 mins

nocleg - Chaco. photo  info

DAY 4 - Tuesday - dzień starożytnych kultur

4h jazdy, 8h zwiedzania

Chaco - 3h

Chaco - Aztec: 75.9 mi – about 2 hours 7 mins

Aztec - 3h

Aztec - Yucca: 88.8 mi – about 1 hour 47 mins

Yucca - 2h

Yucca - Canyon of the Ancients: 27.5 mi, 1 hour 7 mins

Canyon - 2h

Canyon of the Ancients - Hovenweep: 17.3 mi, 36 mins

nocleg - Hovenweep  info  

DAY 5 - Wednesday - dzień szerokich mostów i wąskich przejść

5h jazdy, 7h zwiedzania

Hovenweep - 3h

Hovenweep - Natural Bridges: 78.7 mi, 1 hour 56 mins

Natural Bridges - 2h

Natural Bridges - Capitol Reef: 141 mi, 2 hours 49 mins

Route # 95 wiki  more info

Hite Crossing Bridge on the Colorado wiki

Slot Canyons near Hite list - 2h

nocleg: Capitol Reef - maybe primitive Cathedral Valley? photo consider backcountry

DAY 6 - Thursday - dzień czerwonych skał i hoodoo

4h jazdy, 10h zwiedzania

Capitol Reef - 4h

Capitol Reef- Goblin: 69.7 mi – about 1 hour 37 mins

Goblin - 2h

Goblin - Canyonlands: 112 mi – about 2 hours 24 mins

Canyonlands - 4h

nocleg w Canyonlands: Island in the Sky or Needles  photo

DAY 7 - Friday - dzień kanionów i piachu

9h jazdy, 4h zwiedzania

Canyonlands - Black Canyon: 197 mi – about 3 hours 42 mins

Black Canyon - 2h

Black Canyon - Box Canyon: 50.5 mi – about 1 hour 5 mins

Box Canyon - 2h

Box Canyon - Great Sand Dunes: 237 mi – about 4 hours 49 mins

Nocleg: Great Sand Dunes

DAY 8 - Saturday - dzień przepaści i wysokich struktur

7,5h jazdy, 8h zwiedzania

Sand Dunes - 2h

Sand Dunes - Bridge: 142 mi – about 3 hours 2 mins

Bridge - 1h

Bridge- Colorado Springs: 58.2 mi – about 1 hour 18 mins

Garden of the Gods - 3h

Colorado Springs - Cathedral - 2h

Colorado Springs - Burlington: 169 mi, 2 hours 58 mins

DAY 9 - Sunday - dzień turlania się do domu

Denver - CS: 984 mi, 15 hours 43 mins

Colorado Springs - home: 1,052 mi – about 16 hours 44 mins

Burlington CO - CS: 861 mi, 14 hours 22 mins

mapka 2 - bieżąca wersja:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Carol+Stream,+Il&daddr=141+Clayton+Lake+Road,+Clayton,+New+Mexico+to:Taos,+NM+to:Kasha-Katuwe+Tent+Rocks+National+Monument,+Jemez+Springs,+NM+to:34%C2%B004%E2%80%B243.497%E2%80%B3N+107%C2%B037%E2%80%B205.819%E2%80%B3W+to:Chaco+Culture+National+Historical+Park+Visitors+Center,+Nageezi,+NM+to:Aztec+Ruins+National+Monument,+Aztec,+NM+to:yucca+house+national+monument+to:Hovenweep+National+Monument,+Cortez,+CO+to:natural+bridges+national+monument,+san+juan,+ut+to:Capitol+Reef+National+Park,+Torrey,+UT+to:Goblin+Valley+State+Park,+Green+River,+UT+to:Canyonlands+National+Park,+Moab,+UT+to:Black+Canyon+of+the+Gunnison+Campgrounds,+Montrose,+CO+to:box+canyon+ouray+co+to:Great+Sand+Dunes+National+Preserve+to:Royal+Gorge+Bridge,+Ca%C3%B1on+City,+CO+to:Garden+of+the+Gods+Campground,+Colorado+Springs,+CO+to:colorado+springs+to:Carol+Stream,+IL&hl=en&ie=UTF8&sll=37.958655,-99.69807&sspn=20.634866,43.549805&geocode=FdGIfwIddyu_-in9E-CYPKsPiDGFBRhOpACgeQ%3BFaBOLAIdunnZ-SnhpmsH7V0FhzH-jlpeUL9oYw%3BFdCHKwIdNhW1-Smx_BF_2mQXhzGCt6lhg5HqkA%3BFT8pIAIdlVSo-SEvbREekU6HKCnBviH_mXAYhzEvbREekU6HKA%3BFR0ACAIdFeCV-Q%3BFeo0JgIdVa2Q-SEhp0QedG-PhikJUH2wiK48hzEhp0QedG-Phg%3BFfsMMgIdAgyQ-SGk3WUihIyOCylT9i6Jh3Y8hzGk3WUihIyOCw%3BFVBmOAId9ZSF-SHuXiL2dPIw3ilVGHsIlXs5hzHuXiL2dPIw3g%3BFVJuOgIdJq9_-SEO4pADUK_66ikzfFQen5k5hzEO4pADUK_66g%3BFSPNPQId13Zx-SEX7Xy5Et5Xbikp-MwPjaA3hzEX7Xy5Et5Xbg%3BFReMRgIdApNf-SFh_Dr8RtHdAilToucH_wBKhzFh_Dr8RtHdAg%3BFcFpTAIdxL1m-SH5jNO38M2VOClpId6Ofb1JhzH5jNO38M2VOA%3BFbLiSAIdtmZz-SGq5gLFqVKkFSmpphhF7uFHhzGq5gLFqVKkFQ%3BFaEbTAIdRMqU-SE5DLdiRuEW2imNP9dUCl4_hzE5DLdiRuEW2g%3BFTEiRAIdwwaV-SHZ0bxqYkQt1ClrccW10CE_hzHZ0bxqYkQt1A%3BFWitPwId2wq0-SHZgw_QipHXMykVVN4b5i8UhzHZgw_QipHXMw%3BFdzhSgIdrN-4-Sk19oZT5Y0UhzEqssJ7lGiAMA%3BFVYoUQIdyI-_-SErb_YMZvmG3in1Oa-peFAThzErb_YMZvmG3g%3BFdqOUAIdjY3A-Skr0uahLkEThzETa-j1kuuOQQ%3BFdGIfwIddyu_-in9E-CYPKsPiDGFBRhOpACgeQ&oq=GArden+of+the+&mra=ls&t=m&z=5

STARE:

DAY 2 - Sunday

Clayton - Taos: 165 mi – about 3 hours 47 mins

Taos - Kasha: 108 mi – about 2 hours 19 mins

tu by sie przydal nocleg: Cochita Lake image albo Tetilla Peak info

DAY 3 - Monday

Kasha - Chaco: 175 mi – about 3 hours 52 mins

Chaco - Aztec: 75.9 mi – about 2 hours 7 mins

Aztec - Mesa Verde: 85.8 mi, 2 hours 10 mins

nocleg: Mesa verde park map

OPCJA: Very Large Array! info

kasha- chaco - 4hrs / 175

kasha - socorro - chaco - 9h / 470 mil

INNA OPCJA: El Malpais NM - volcanic field, oldest trees

DAY 4 - Tuesday

Messa Verde - Yucca: 36.9 mi, 1 hour 8 mins

Trail of the Ancients National Scenic Byway wiki

Yucca - Canyon of the Ancients: 27.5 mi, 1 hour 7 mins

Canyon of the Ancients - Hovenweep: 17.3 mi, 36 mins

Hovenweep - Natural Bridges: 78.7 mi, 1 hour 56 mins

Natural Bridges - Capitol Reef: 141 mi, 2 hours 49 mins

Route # 95 wiki  more info

        Hite Campground info

Slot Canyons near Hite list
Hite Crossing Bridge on the Colorado wiki

nocleg: Capitol Reef - maybe primitive Cathedral Valley? photo consider backcountry

DAY 5 - Wednesday

Capitol Reef- Canyonlands: 156 mi, 2 hours 56 mins

po drodze: Goblin Valley State park wiki 

nocleg w parku: Island in the Sky or Needles  photo

DAY 5 - Wednesday

Canyonlands - Black Canyon: 197 mi – about 3 hours 42 mins

Black Canyon - Great Sand Dunes: 199 mi – about 4 hours 8 mins

Nocleg: Great Sand Dunes

DAY 6 - Thursday

DAY 7 - Friday

Sand Dunes - Bridge: 142 mi – about 3 hours 2 mins

Bridge- Colorado Springs: 58.2 mi – about 1 hour 18 mins

DAY 8 - Saturday

Colorado Springs - home: 1,052 mi – about 16 hours 44 mins

DAY 9 - Sunday

Camping

The Pinyon Flats campground is open year-round: first-come, first-served, and self registration. Facilities include picnic tables, fire grates, flush toilets, and drinking water. With 88 sites, the campground fills by noon on summer weekends and by evening during the week. Maximum per site: six. Handicapped sites available. NPS about camping 

mapka 1 - wszystko:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Carol+Stream,+Il&daddr=Great+Sand+Dunes+National+Preserve+to:Black+Canyon+of+the+Gunnison+Campgrounds,+Montrose,+CO+to:Canyonlands+National+Park,+Moab,+UT+to:Capitol+Reef+National+Park,+Torrey,+UT+to:CEDAR+BREAKS+NATIONAL+MONUMENT,+Cedar+City,+UT+to:Grand+Staircase-Escalante+National+Monument,+Kanab,+UT+to:Navajo+National+Monument,+Navajo,+AZ+to:Walnut+Canyon+National+Monument,+Flagstaff,+AZ+to:37.37056%C2%B0N+109%C2%B0W+to:Hovenweep+National+Monument,+Cortez,+CO+to:yucca+house+national+monument+to:Aztec+Ruins+National+Monument,+Aztec,+NM+to:Taos,+NM+to:Kasha-Katuwe+Tent+Rocks+National+Monument,+Jemez+Springs,+NM+to:Carol+Stream,+IL&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=37.26531,-106.413574&spn=5.113854,7.064209&sll=38.542475,-100.483445&sspn=20.062537,28.256836&geocode=FdGIfwIddyu_-in9E-CYPKsPiDGFBRhOpACgeQ%3BFWitPwId2wq0-SHZgw_QipHXMykVVN4b5i8UhzHZgw_QipHXMw%3BFaEbTAIdRMqU-SE5DLdiRuEW2imNP9dUCl4_hzE5DLdiRuEW2g%3BFbLiSAIdtmZz-SGq5gLFqVKkFSmpphhF7uFHhzGq5gLFqVKkFQ%3BFReMRgIdApNf-SFh_Dr8RtHdAilToucH_wBKhzFh_Dr8RtHdAg%3BFXhFPgIdLB5G-SEYeZ_oYJlOPSmttlUVaKbKgDEYeZ_oYJlOPQ%3BFT9SOwId_E5Y-SHoSLjOBr3iKilztNbbhKQ1hzHoSLjOBr3iKg%3BFYeqLwIdF0dp-SERlOMzL3wefilhWzFHEjAxhzERlOMzL3wefg%3BFSCuGAIdwoBa-SHQd4yrrmUB2Cm7kP9hP40thzHQd4yrrmUB2A%3BFcA6OgIdwMqA-Q%3BFVJuOgIdJq9_-SEO4pADUK_66ikzfFQen5k5hzEO4pADUK_66g%3BFVBmOAId9ZSF-SHuXiL2dPIw3ilVGHsIlXs5hzHuXiL2dPIw3g%3BFfsMMgIdAgyQ-SGk3WUihIyOCylT9i6Jh3Y8hzGk3WUihIyOCw%3BFdCHKwIdNhW1-Smx_BF_2mQXhzGCt6lhg5HqkA%3BFT8pIAIdlVSo-SEvbREekU6HKCnBviH_mXAYhzEvbREekU6HKA%3BFdGIfwIddyu_-in9E-CYPKsPiDGFBRhOpACgeQ&oq=ca&mra=ls&t=m&z=7

Colorado Springs

US Airforce Academy Cadet Chapel http://www.usafa.edu/hc/visitors.cfm 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_Academy_Cadet_Chapel

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Air_Force_Academy_Chapel.html 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Air_Force_Academy

http://bios.weddingbee.com/topic/usafa-chapel

http://www.ericwulfsbergphotography.com/blog/2012/01/05/air-force-academy-chapel/

Garden of the Gods: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_the_Gods

Black Canyon of the Gunnison River

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Canyon_of_the_Gunnison_National_Park

http://www.cliffshade.com/colorado/black_canyon/

http://www.terragalleria.com/parks/np.black-canyon.html

Colorado Sand Dunes

http://www.terragalleria.com/photos/?keyword=colorado-sand-dunes