Long, but I’d love people’s opinions.

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BartsPlace said:
I've watched this thread with a great deal of interest. Even with a lifetime of Lake Powell trips - and a deep love and fascination with the lake and surrounding areas - I'm sure that I haven't seen more than one or two of these "secret treasures." I think my point is that my experience hasn't been diminished in any way by not seeing (or even knowing about) them. There is so much to see and do, you couldn't get to all of it if you tried. Unfortunately, I feel that there is now a competition or one-up-manship prevalent in society - magnified by social media - that says, "if you haven't seen x, y, or z, you really haven't been to Lake Powell." A lot of people are caught up in it. We literally watched as this happened with Horseshoe Bend. It sat there quietly for centuries. Along comes a new "connected" culture, and the next thing you know, we need paved parking lots, improved restrooms, permits, daily capacity limits, etc.

Now, I have nothing against tourism. I'm not a hermit that wants to go back to "the way things were." I just want to exercise a little caution (and respect for others - past and present) as we move forward. This puts a burden of character judgement upon the shoulders of those who have special knowledge of the lake. They have to decide whether a person might be trustworthy with the information or not. Creating a list or database of the information would remove that human element - and then we all just have to live with the consequences.

I don't have the answers, but I am appreciative that we can share our love of Lake Powell through this community. And I'm exceedingly grateful that there are so many wonderful things to see and do at my favorite place on earth. I thank you all for your contributions!
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Well said, Bart. Totally agree with @Dworwood about putting things in perspective. Good to get down there, better to experience these places, but best to spend quality time and make memories with my family. Last Crusade is one of my favorite movies, and I certainly don’t want to take the Henry Jones approach to life.
 
John P Funk said:
I just finished it in the fall. If you can read that book and not see the parallels to what we're seeing in society today, you're not trying. The "Common Good" isn't good for anybody.
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Not hijacking the thread here.. You should read The Fountain Head... then watch the movie with Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal.. Then read FDR’s folly, how the new deal policies extended the Great Depression by 8 years by Jim Powell( see what I did there). A very good companion book to AS. Then you will see where her motivation came from and the irony is how it parallels to today. A great couple of books that should be required reading.
 
I used to live on the Navajo Nation in Kayenta, AZ. Kayenta is south of the San Juan arm. Having an interest in the local history, I accumulated numerous books on the area. One of them alluded to a giant serpent pecked into the rock somewhere between Navajo Mountain and Oljato. I have driven a trail between the two, discovering only tons of petrified tree logs in the sand, exposed by the wind. Ive asked local Navajo in the area about the snake but the Navajo are pretty tight lipped on that kind of stuff. Even asked a local park ranger once about it and all he could say was that he could not tell me where it was even if he knew.

I would like to see a way for people like me, that have spent time in research and effort in travel, to be "in" on the secret to where these places are at. Even a general location would be welcome.

The Zuni area has an inscription similar to the "paso por aqui" that has remained mostly unmolested and remains un-caged. Granted, it is higher above the ground and in an area that doesnt receive tourist traffic like Powell.

I was exploring the Comb Ridge north of Kayenta one day and came across a name and date carved into the rock. It pre-dated Mormon colonization. I always wondered what this person was doing there at that time. It must of been a lonely existence for a man with an Anglo name.

The Wetherills must of had a hayday in that area, shipping off wagon loads of relics. Their old trading post in Kayenta is still there, kinda, along with their gravesites at the top of a road in town.

I once read a synopsis from a Doctoral Thesis that theorized the Aztecs came from the area of land between the San Juan and the Colorado RIver in the area of the junction of the two. The author traced the migration of the Anasazi in the Powell area south to Mexico, where they became known as the Aztecs. It was a compelling read.

The Powell area is amazing not only for its beauty but for its history, much of which still remains in the arid climate.
 
DO NOT TELL ANYONE locations of sites that are historically significant ! Sooner or later the miscreants that destroyed the statue of Christopher Columbus will find out and continue their destruction ! When history is destroyed we lose all reference points for society
 
I saw my first D. Julien inscription running rivers in 1991. I did some research and made it a mission to find every one I could. There are a few that are very hard to find and one of them took me four years, or four trips on the same river. For the first few years I was so excited I would tell everyone their exact location. After a few more years and seeing more graffiti pop up I decided not to be so open. I have only told two people how to find the difficult one, although I suspect that not seeing it for at least 10 years it may have been rediscovered. I also would like to think there are others out there undiscovered, or that someone recognized as special and is withholding info, which I appreciate. This is a tough one and you need to do what is right for you. I personally would be against any public recognition as it would never last. Long, yes, but very enjoyable read, thanks for sharing.

TR
 
Had a Navajo girlfriend when I lived i page. Always heard that the Anasazi, The Ancient Ones, were to be approached with caution and respect. No touching any artifacts etc. We took a long hike into Navajo Canyon entering fron the reservation. After walking for a few miles we started seeing large pottery shards everywhere. It wasn't long before my girl had pockets full of shards. I found it interesting that she was unable to overcome the inate desire to "have" some of the pottery. I realized then that it is almost impossible to not want to have these pieces of beautiful history. Don't understand the grafitti part though.
 
birdsnest said:
Had a Navajo girlfriend when I lived i page. Always heard that the Anasazi, The Ancient Ones, were to be approached with caution and respect. No touching any artifacts etc. We took a long hike into Navajo Canyon entering fron the reservation. After walking for a few miles we started seeing large pottery shards everywhere. It wasn't long before my girl had pockets full of shards. I found it interesting that she was unable to overcome the inate desire to "have" some of the pottery. I realized then that it is almost impossible to not want to have these pieces of beautiful history. Don't understand the grafitti part though.
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When I lived in Kayenta, I read and heard about how the Navajo talk about respecting Mother Earth etc. I was talking with our Navajo aide in the parking lot at Bashas one day. He was eating a candy bar and when he was done with it he just dropped the wrapper on the ground. I asked him "what about Mother Earth and Walking In Beauty?" He just shrugged his shoulders and blew it off. I then started to see all the trash on the Rez and my opinion of the Navajo Mother Earth thing changed. Some might respect that old way but I saw that most do not.

Birdsnest, I saw A TON of cool stuff in Navajo Canyon. That old trail from Black Mountain to Oljato is a great adventure.
 
Yes, it was very disappointing to see how "Mother" is treated on the Rez. Unbelievable beauty tarnished by man. That old commercial of the tear in the natives eye when he sees litter is laughable. Hate it but just sayin. Name your village, Kaibeto, Le'che, Cedar Ridge, all the way to Chinle,all the same. Sad. Hikes were incredible but litter everywhere
 
Jammer864 said:
When I lived in Kayenta, I read and heard about how the Navajo talk about respecting Mother Earth etc. I was talking with our Navajo aide in the parking lot at Bashas one day. He was eating a candy bar and when he was done with it he just dropped the wrapper on the ground. I asked him "what about Mother Earth and Walking In Beauty?" He just shrugged his shoulders and blew it off. I then started to see all the trash on the Rez and my opinion of the Navajo Mother Earth thing changed. Some might respect that old way but I saw that most do not.

Birdsnest, I saw A TON of cool stuff in Navajo Canyon. That old trail from Black Mountain to Oljato is a great adventure.
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Had a friend whose family lived on the north side of Navajo Mountain. We left his family's place and took atvs on the old road to Paiute Canyon in the San Juan arm. It was so gnarly we gave up about 5 miles from the lake. Cool ride though.
 
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