Ancestral Puebloan Traces, Bears Ears National Monument, Utah

The Trip

Hiking in Comb Ridge and Cedar Mesa, Utah, within the breathtaking expanse of Bears Ears National Monument, offers a captivating experience for amateur archaeologists and nature lovers. This rugged country is home to the thousands of antiquities of those people who came before Europeans. The appeal of Comb Ridge and Cedar Mesa lies in its unparalleled blend of natural beauty and cultural significance. Hiking the many winding sandstone canyons and red rock mushroom formations, we are treated to many geological wonders, from gorgeous cliffs and canyons to hidden caves and natural amphitheaters. The region's unique desert landscape is home to a diverse array of flora and fauna, making it a prime destination for understanding southwestern ecology.

What sets Comb Ridge and Cedar Mesa apart is its rich cultural heritage, as it houses an abundance of ancient Native American ruins, rock art panels, and historical artifacts dating back thousands of years. This historical tapestry offers hikers a profound opportunity to connect with the past and gain a deep appreciation for the Ancestral Puebloan cultures that once thrived in this region. The sense of wonder that comes from stumbling upon a perfectly preserved ancient dwelling or a captivating pictograph panel amidst this gorgeous canyon country is an experience unlike any other. Bears Ears National Monument thus becomes an educational and spiritually enriching journey through time, offering a unique blend of natural splendor and cultural significance that makes it an incredibly appealing hiking destination. Today many native American tribes including the Navajo Nation, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Hopi Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni consider this area sacred and will play an active part in the management of the Monument.

Note that this itinerary is an outline. The leader is familiar with dozens of archaeological sites in Bears Ears NM. We will concentrate our hiking in Butler Wash, which is near Bluff, and has many archaeological treats. In addition, we might also go to Arch, Road, Bullet, Shiek, Slickhorn Canyons, or even Grand Gulch depending on the hiking abilities and preferences of the group.

Day 1: We will meet at our campground where we will stay for the week in the afternoon. After introductions and some guidelines for the week, we will visit our first rock art panel, the Wolfman panel, which requires only a short hike. It is a good introduction to the kind of country we will be hiking in and the archaeological sites we will see during the week. We will then return to our camp for our evening meal and get a good night’s rest for the first full day of the trip.

Day 2 - 7: Our typical day will start early with breakfast and then our drive to our first hike of the day. We will usually take a packed lunch and snacks and return to camp in the late afternoon. After a good dinner and conversation, we rest up for the next day’s explorations. The archaeological sites we will visit have many names, but some are nameless. A sampling of the sites we might visit includes Procession, Target, Split Level, Green Circle, Big Crane, Over Under, Eagle’s Nest, Monarch, Citadel, and more.

Day 8: Our trip will end after breakfast on the last day.

We will not be hiking fast but will keep up a steady pace. Mileage will vary from 5 to 10 miles in a day. At times, the trails will be rocky and rough with some exposure. And sometimes we might just be hiking in a wash or cross-country. We will take regular breaks during the day.

Getting There

We will meet in Bluff, UT at our campground (details will be provided later) at 4:00 p.m. After introductions and a trip briefing, we will drive to our first short hike to an archaeological site.  Note that we will drive our vehicles to and from trailheads and the leader will facilitate sharing rides or rental vehicles. A high-clearance vehicle is preferable.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Our first trip meal will be dinner on day one of the trip and the last will be breakfast on the final day. The menu is vegetarian-friendly and includes dairy, wheat, and nuts. Some accommodation for dietary needs will be considered. Please contact one of the assistants (Phil or Margaret) for more information before you sign up. Participants will be expected to help with kitchen tasks during the week.

Trip Difficulty

We will hike from about 5 to 10 miles a day over sometimes rocky and rough country. When we visit archaeological sites, the routes can be steep, sandy, rocky, and treacherous at times. All the hikes are optional so you can decline if a hike sounds too difficult, but most hikes will be manageable for the average hiker who is reasonably fit.

Weather:

It is often lovely in Bluff and Cedar Mesa in late October. Skies are usually clear with warm days in the 70’s and cool nights in the 40’s. Occasionally, there can be hot spells lasting into late October or an early winter storm. When storms come to this area they can be fierce but usually do not last long.

Equipment and Clothing

All cooking equipment will be provided but you will need to bring your plate, bowl, cup, and cutlery. Participants will need to bring their own sleeping bags, tents, and day packs. A complete equipment list will be sent to participants accepted on the trip.

References

Maps:

• Trails Illustrated: "Grand Gulch, Cedar Mesa Plateau." A contour map that shows the entire Cedar Mesa area; a good general hiking map but lacks fine detail.

Books:

• Roberts, David, The Bears Ears: A Human History of America’s Most Endangered Wilderness, W.W. Norton Co., 2021. Robert brings the history of the region where we are traveling alive with his extensive knowledge and love of the area.

• Plog, Stephen, Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest (2nd ed.). Thames & Hudson, 2008. This is an excellent introduction to what is known about the people who lived in the Southwest before the arrival of Europeans.

• Childs, Craig, House of Rain: Tracking a Vanished Civilization across the American Southwest, Little, Brown, and Company, 2006. A fascinating adventure about the peoples that came to these lands before Europeans. The child discusses what is known but does not hesitate to speculate in dramatic language about what is unknown.

• Roberts, David, In Search of the Old Ones: Exploring the Anasazi World of the Southwest, Simon and Schuster, 1996. A page-turning adventure about Robert’s explorations looking for ruins and rock art in the Four Corners.

• Zwinger, Ann, Wind in the Rock, University of Arizona Press, 1978. Zwinger’s work as a naturalist is highly regarded and her focus in this book is on the five canyons near Bluff that pour into the San Juan River.

• Crampton, C., Gregory, Standing Up Country (2nd ed.). Rio Nuevo, 2000. A richly illustrated history of how the United States discovered and then sought to protect the Southwest's canyon country.

• Preston, Douglas and Lincoln Childs, Thunderhead. Grand Central Publishing, 1999. A great book to listen to (available on Audible) on your way to Bluff. This fictional archaeological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat and set the tone for what we might discover.

• Williams, David B., A Naturalist's Guide to Canyon Country. Morris Books in Cooperation with the Canyonlands Natural History Association, 2000. A handy manageable field guide to the plants and animals of canyon country.

• Spinkel, Douglas A. et al, Geology of Utah's Parks and Monuments (2nd ed.). Utah Geological Association and Bryce Canyon Natural History Association, 2003. For the geology enthusiast, this book is full of maps, diagrams, and photos that will help you understand the geology of Bears Ears and the surrounding areas.

Conservation

Bears Ears National Monument was reduced in size under a former administration and has been restored to its original grandeur under the current administration. The Bears Ears and the surrounding area are sacred and important to many Native Americans and contain some of the most stunning landscapes anywhere in the world. During the trip we will discuss the history of public lands in the U.S. and efforts to preserve archaeological and historic places by educating participants about the Antiquities Act of 1906, National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA), and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 (NAGPRA). We will be near the San Juan River which flows into Lake Powell, providing an excellent opportunity to discuss the controversial history of the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams and water use in the Western United States. Finally, we will discuss climate change, which is warming the Southwest faster than other areas of the country and is contributing to the extreme drought that much of the Southwest has been experiencing for over 20 years.