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Gallery 3
Anasazi Ruins, UT
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Gallery
5 -
Matt's Photos of the Anasazi ruins
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This is day 3 in Canyonlands,
Utah. After our Sixshooter climb, we struck out
northwest from our campsight in the morning, and
scaled through the levels of sandstone through the
canyon. These are the canyons that all start to
look the same very quickly, and you can get easily
lost. Matt kept going vertical with no gear, and
I got nervous. With him up on top and me on the
canyon floor, we found a more sane route up to the
top level. As soon as he yelled down that he already
found Anasazi ruins up there, I got much more bold. |
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The first ruin/dwelling.
This is only a few hundred yards as the crow flies from
where we camped.
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The valley where we camped
is seen below to the left. Note the masonry that has held
up for 1000+ years. This was a fairly primitive dwelling.
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Matt and Tony in a rare group photo. |
The really cool Anasazi dwelling. It was
80 feet down and 200 feet up. They must have had ladders
when it was used. |
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Matt rappelling down to the dwelling. We
brought our packs with us in case something happened technically.
Never leave your pack and/or water. |
Matt going over the edge. We had to use
ascenders to get back up. I had never done it before this
time. |
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These are 1000+ year-old joists holding
up the floor in the little living quarters. Matt noted that
they must have been small people. The openings were very
small. |
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Matt peering and marveling at the fine
construction of the 2-story sleeping quarters. |
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This is the view that the
inhabitants had. It is a well-protected canyon, which cannot
be scaled from below. |
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Matt, coming up after
I did.
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Using ascenders up a rope was fun, but
it was a serious exertion, and burned my quadriceps pretty
well. |
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This is the best photo of Matt with technical
climbing gear I have ever taken. Sweet. |
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If Matt's Mom or Dad (Marcia and John)
sees this, rest assured, I talked him out of trying to go
all the way up this slot to the base of the dwelling we
were just at earlier. He's nuts, but not THAT nuts. |
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This is what White People call Newspaper
Rock. It was a communication wall at the entrance of the
canyon. |
For the most part, it looks like: "Running
Wind saw elk, killed a few, bought a pack of smokes, where
is the beer?" |
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There was a gecko carved in the rock, and
Matt said, "Yeah, I see it. And there is a real gecko
standing on the rock right next to it, dude." |
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