Kartchner Caverns State Park

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan/A stately pleasure dome decree:/Where Alph, the sacred river, ran/Through caverns measureless to man/Down to a sunless sea – Coleridge, Kubla Kahn

You might not know it from reading Coleridge’s stanzas, but Xanadu is actually in Southern Arizona. To be precise, the entrance to Xanadu is found in Benson, Arizona. Don’t believe me? It’s true. That’s where the Kartchner Caverns are found, caves that were originally named “Xanadu” by Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts to protect them and keep them secret from the general public. Alright, fine – if you want to be technical, Coleridge was talking about an imaginary land, one that only existed in his mind and one that was probably fostered by a wicked opium addiction, but he might as well have been talking about the Kartchner Caverns, because they are that phantasmagorical.

Enough about Coleridge – let’s talk caves. The Kartchner Caverns are over 50,000 years old, and are some of the most well preserved limestone caves in the world. These caves are a part of the Arizona State Park system, and have an interesting human history from the late twentieth century on. As I mentioned above, the caves were discovered by Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, and they were so concerned that the caves would be co-discovered or found by other parties and either ruined or despoiled, they only referred to the caves with code words. Eventually, they introduced the caves to various parties, and eventually the caves were acquired by the State Park system to be protected in perpetuity for the general public. (A more extensive history of all the secret shenanigans of Gary and Randy can be found here: http://www.explorethecaverns.com/caverns-history.html).

I recently visited the Caverns, and took the Rotunda/Throne Room tour. As the park website suggested, I booked my cave tour tickets early, and arrived early. Even though the parking lot was beginning to fill up on a sunny Sunday, the park rangers helpfully moved me to an earlier tour that had availability with no charge. The Ranger leading the earlier tour noted that my group was somewhat lucky, as it only had 13 people in it, as opposed to the usual thirty (30!). The first unique thing I noticed about the Caverns, after the informative museum and shuttle ride to the cave entrance were the massive airlock doors that you must pass through to enter the caverns. That’s right; I said doors – plural, as there are three. The state of Arizona spent over 28 million dollars to protect the caves – and their warm, moist environment from the dry environment of the desert. From what I could feel, the doors are doing a great job. The ambient temperature in the cave was roughly ten to fifteen degrees warmer than outside (it was a cold morning), and it was downright muggy.

As for the remainder of the tour, I’ll be honest: I’d prefer to explore this location or any location on my own. Now that I’ve complained, I’ll be the first to admit that the Ranger leading the hike was well versed in the different formations of the Throne Room and the Rotunda, and very knowledgeable about the history of the caverns, and the scientific processes that formed them. The tour ended with a light and music show at the infamous “Kubla Kahn” pillar – which is the largest limestone column in Arizona, which was also pretty cool.

Directions: The State Park website provides this handy web form to get you to their park:  http://azstateparks.com/parks/kaca/map_driving.html

Tips: Astute readers and even first time visitors will notice that I have posted no pictures of the caverns and are probably wondering why there are no photos in this entry. Alas, the caverns do not allow photography at all. However, there are some great videos of the formations at these links, which give you an idea of what you can see: http://youtu.be/ISewwO38xs0, http://azstateparks.com/parks/kaca/index.html. It’s also important to note that portions of the caverns are closed during the year to protect the native bat population. Finally, if you’re one for conspiracy theories and or good fiction, read this link to learn how the caverns may be inhabited by a monster, and why that is the real reason why photography isn’t allowed: http://sylvestrusmaximus.tumblr.com/post/15805539951/the-creature-of-kartchner-caverns-preview.

More Information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartchner_Caverns_State_Park, http://www.moon.com/destinations/tucson/excursions-tucson/kartchner-caverns-and-the-huachuca-mountains/sights/kartchner-caverns-state-park

Tuzigoot National Monument

Tuzigoot Ruins, Spring 2012

Tuzigoot. That’s right. I said it – Tuzigoot. It’s not a curse, it doesn’t mean anything about aliens, it’s a word from a long lost past. Tuzigoot is the Apache word for “crooked water”. But, if you’re considering going to Tuzigoot, there’s something even more interesting than long-lost words – it’s the fact that the entirety of the ruin was partially hidden when it was excavated in the 1930’s. As I mentioned last week, Tuzigoot is the ruins of a small city, and now is the second National Monument located in the Verde Valley (the first being Montezuma’s Castle). Like Montezuma’s Castle, Tuzigoot was inhabited by the Sinagua people in the 1000’s. Again, like Montezuma’s Castle, the site was mysteriously abandoned in the 1400’s by those same Sinagua people.

Unlike Montezuma’s Castle, however, Tuzigoot was constructed atop a reasonably sized hill with commanding views of the Verde Valley. To me, this is where things get interesting – whereas Montezuma’s Castle was (and is) hidden away from inquisitive eyes for hundreds of years in niches in a slot canyon, the ruins of Tuzigoot were in plain view for hundreds of years. That’s right: the ruins of Tuzigoot were in plain view for hundreds of years – and yet hidden. Now, I know there’s bound to be skeptical readers that are reading this blog and saying, “Yeah right – I know that someone had to have seen those ruins”.

Riddle me this though,  readers: would you have known that ancient ruins lurked here in 1934 had you been walking through the Verde Valley and examining the hill that Tuzigoot stands on at a distance? Would you have? Would you have known that based on seeing something that looked exactly like this: http://www.nps.gov/tuzi/images/20090728174213.jpg ? Personally, I rather doubt it. And, this goes to my larger point that I talked about a week ago: use your powers of observation – there’s always something magical and mysterious waiting to be discovered out in the world. (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2012/5/1/chapel-of-the-holy-dove-kendrick-park-arizona.html) The archeologists and people that worked on the Tuzigoot excavation certainly thought that there were many interesting things to be discovered too!

 Tuzigoot Ruins, Spring 2012

Directions: The National Park Service advises potential visitors not to Mapquest or use Google to find Tuzigoot (aha, here is the evidence of an alien conspiracy, as it is clearly unplottable!) as such services supposedly give you bad directions. Since I’m bad at following directions, I used Google Maps and…..had no problems. Nevertheless, the NPS directions are quite good, so for your convenience, here they are:

“Tuzigoot National Monument is 52 miles south of Flagstaff, Arizona via U.S. Alternate Highway 89A, or 90 miles north of Phoenix. Travel Interstate Highway 17, take Exit 287 and travel west on Highway 260 to Cottonwood. You will continue through Cottonwood on Hwy 89A and go toward Clarkdale. At the first traffic light after turning on to 89A, signs will direct you to turn left to stay on 89A. Go straight through this intersection. This will put you on HISTORIC 89A (designated on the map above as HWY 260) and take you through “Old Town Cottonwood”. As you can tell from the map, Main Street (Historic 89A) does a lot of twisting around. Once you leave Cottonwood you are almost there. There will be a sign telling you where to turn to get to Tuzigoot. You take Tuzigoot Road and follow it to the end…that is where Tuzigoot National Monument is.”

Tips: As Tuzigoot was a small city for a number of years, it also contained the remains of a number of individuals that died during that period of time. According to the National Park Service, the Sinagua people buried the remains of dead children under their living space, in order that they could be with their family. As such, when you are walking around the site, remember to treat it with respect as it is sacred to the decedents of the original inhabitants. It’s also interesting to note that the entrances to most of the living spaces at Tuzigoot were located on the ceilings, rather than the sides, which allowed the inhabitants to maximize the amount of space within the city. The Visitor Center at Tuzigoot also has some great information regarding other former sites in the Verde Valley which used to be within the line-of-sight of the city, and good information about the excavation of Tuzigoot and the Sinagua people.

More Information: http://www.exploring-arizona.com/exploring-arizona-a-fresh-look/parks/tuzigoot-national-monument/,http://www.nps.gov/tuzi/index.htm, http://www.nps.gov/history/archeology/sites/antiquities/profileTuzigoot.htm

Montezuma's Castle National Monument

Montezuma's Castle, Spring 2012

If I was to tell you that out of all fifty states, Arizona has the most National Monuments; chances are you would not believe me. However, this is a fact, as Arizona has eighteen National Monuments, and the next closest state, New Mexico only has twelve. And, for bonus trivia points, the difference between a National Monument and a National Park is that the President of the United States can create a National Monument without Congressional approval and that a National Park must be enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President. Placing questions of law and land use aside, all of the National Monuments and State Parks present in Arizona mean that there’s plenty to do other than go to the Grand Canyon.

One of the more interesting and little known National Monuments present in Arizona is Montezuma’s Castle. The Castle itself is one of two companion National Monuments in the Verde Valley/White Hills region of Arizona, the second being Tuzigoot National Monument (which I’ll discuss next week). Montezuma’s Castle is interesting because of what it is not. First, it is not a castle, it’s a cliff dwelling. Second, Montezuma never lived there. Third, it was inhabited by the Sinagua people – but around 1400 A.D., the site was abandoned by these people, and was uninhabited by the time it was re-discovered by settlers. Fifth, while it’s a great example of Native American cliff dwellings, it’s not even the largest example at the site – the “Castle A” remnants are ruins of a much larger structure. Now, I don’t know about you, but to me any one of these five points provides something interesting to speculate and ruminate on while you visit the site.

 Castle A Ruins, Spring 2012

Directions: Per the National Park Service, you’re going to want to take Interstate 17 to exit 289 (which is 90 minutes north of Phoenix, and 45 minutes south of Flagstaff). From Exit 289, drive East through two traffic circles (I know, bizarre, right? Another mystery – why two traffic circles in the middle of Arizona?) for a half mile (.5) to the blinking red light, where you will turn left and follow Montezuma Castle Road into the park. Once you enter the park, there is ample parking next to the visitor center. Once you have explored the visitor center to your heart’s content, there is a 1/3 (.33) of a mile interpretive trail that leads past the ruins of both Montezuma’s Castle and Castle A. The trail is flat, paved, and contains great views of the ruins and interpretive panels regarding the area.

Tips: Unless you have a time machine, and can travel back to before 1951, you will not be allowed to enter the ruins of Montezuma’s Castle or Castle A (and yes, the National Park Service did allow people into the ruins until that point). However, the interpretive trail does provide some great views of the ruins. While you are on the interpretive trail, you will also be next to Beaver Creek (which no doubt provided water for the early inhabitants and their crops) which is one of the few year-round creeks in Arizona. If you’re itching to actually explore some ruins though, you’re stuck with two options: 1) become a Ninja and sneak in at night; or 2) visit Tuzigoot, which I’ll talk about next week!

More Information: http://www.nps.gov/moca/index.htm, http://www.arizonaruins.com/Sinagua/MontezumaCastle/index.html

Sentinel Dome Trail (2012)

Sentinel Dome Trail, Spring 2012When I was in Yosemite a couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to get up and about on the South Rim for a bit. As always, the South Rim still has a bit of snow accumulation that remains due to less sun exposure and higher elevations. Rather than take in the view of the High Country from Glacier Point, I elected to take an early morning walk up to Sentinel Dome to see how the park looked in early spring while I ate my breakfast. I parked at the Sentinel Dome trailhead, a couple of miles shy of Glacier Point, and noticed two things: that the meadow at the trailhead still had occasional drifts of snow that were approximately six (6) inches to one (1) foot high in several locations; and that these drifts completely covered the trail heading South towards Taft Point.

Since I wasn’t heading toward Taft Point that day, I had no route-finding concerns, and immediately set out across the meadow toward Sentinel Dome. After crossing the meadow, I encountered my only route-finding challenge of the day, crossing the creek within .10 miles of the trailhead. From the South side, the bridge was not readily apparent at that point in time; however, the creek was not running high enough that it could not be crossed in several other locations, which is what I did with a quick jump. From that point, the trail was easily visible, and had little to no snow accumulation present on it.

At about the half mile mark from the trailhead (.5) there was a large tree that had fallen and was blocking the trail, but aside from that, the trail was clear and easy to follow all the way to the summit. The only snow accumulation I saw on the trail was on the final ascent of the dome, which had some small lingering snowfields of slushy snow by midday. I don’t expect that those remaining patches of snow on the dome will last much longer due to the direct sun exposure they are receiving. From the summit, I had a great breakfast view of the surrounding areas, which made me really realize what a dry winter California experienced, but other than that, it was a great hike!

Directions: I followed the standard route that I discussed here: http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/12/8/sentinel-dome-yosemite-national-park.html, and based on the conditions, anytime between now and winter would be a great time to do this hike.

Sentinel Dome Summit, Spring 2012

Missing Hiker Found Dead in the Arroyo Tapiado

A couple of days ago, I was talking to a friend of mine, and she casually mentioned that the body of Guillermo Pino was found "in some caves somewhere in the desert". At the time, I didn't know what she was talking about - I hadn't heard of Guillermo Pino, and her description of the area -"some caves" was incredibly vague. I had some theories, however, and after a few questions I realized we were talking about the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves, an area I am fairly familar with, and an area I talked about earlier this year (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2012/1/3/the-arroyo-tapiado-mud-caves.html), and an area I was most recently in a year ago. When I got back home, I searched the internet and found out that Guillermo Pino did indeed go missing in the Arroyo Tapiado Mud Caves, and that his body was indeed found there recently. (http://cavingnews.com/20120507-body-of-missing-hiker-found-in-crevice-arroyo-tapiado-mud-caves, http://ramona.patch.com/articles/guillermo-pino-body-in-anza-borrego-cave-successfully-removed-identification-pending, http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/05/guillermo_pino_missing_anza-bo.php).

Obviously, at a time like this, one first feels enormous sympathy for the deceased's family, and for the deceased himself - this is a tragedy for all of them, and a very sad day for the hiking community in general. The lesson to take from all of this, however, is to always recognize the risks attendent in outdoor activities, and to always be properly prepared for whatever adventure you are attempting. In this respect, its always a good idea to have someone with you, and if you don't have someone with you, have left a detailed plan of where you are going, when you will be back, and possibly to have some sort of portable beacon (GPS or otherwise, such as SPOT: http://www.findmespot.com/en/). The thing that stands out about Guillermo's death is my recollection of the Arroyo Tapiado last year. I remember my friend Jaime and I explored a number of caves; and that the caves closest to the "parking area" were somewhat busy with people (somewhat busy meaning that there was minimal foot traffic going in both directions). But as we delved deeper into the caves, into chambers and other areas off the beaten path, there were no other visitors. At that point, it could have been easy to get lost - and this was in conditions that were pretty much optimal (warm day, other cave visitors).

The end result of this is that sadly, as mentioned above, a young man is dead. The other end result is that traffic to this area - the Arroyo Tapiado - will increase. While thats a macabre thing to say, it is also true. This is an area that has become more popular over the last five years as more people have become interested in outdoors activities, and now that it is in the news, the sensational aspect will no doubt attract more visitors ("hey, this is the cave that someone DIED in"). Disrespectful as it may be, this is how the world works. With this in mind, hopefully future visitors remember to take the necessary precautions needed for visits, and remember to be careful. Because, while the world is beautiful, as Guillermo noted, it is also dangerous, and the lesson we can take from his death - and honor his life - is to always be prepared when adventuring.  

Mist Trail to Nevada Fall, Yosemite National Park (2012)

Vernal Fall, Spring 2012

After I wrote a couple articles about the Mist Trail last year (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/12/15/mist-trail-to-nevada-fall.html, http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/12/14/the-mist-trail-to-vernal-falls-summer.html), I received a number of e-mails wondering when the best time was to hike the Mist Trail. In all honesty, I’d say now what I said then – anytime is the best time to hike the Mist Trail to either Vernal or Nevada Fall. However, for 2012, if you are looking to experience “the mist” and want to get wet, now would be the best time to hike the Mist Trail.

The reason right now is the best time to do this hike is simple: the snowpack is already melting. As I’ve said on many occasions this year, 2012 was a bad year for the Sierra snowpack as California has had a warm winter. At this point, from about two weeks ago until mid-summer, what snow was present at the higher elevations will be melting – and at times, melting rapidly. This means that this year, from mid-to late summer, the rivers and seasonal flows will be running at a low level, or not at all. When rivers and other seasonal flows are at a low level, what waterfalls that exist flow at a low level, or not at all.

Mist Trail, Spring 2012

So, if you want to get wet, now, is the time to go for 2012, before all of the snowpack melts. When I was recently in Yosemite, I hiked the Mist Trail up to a tenth of a mile under Nevada Falls. I would have gone all the way up to Nevada Falls and come back down the John Muir Trail, but earlier in the day I had been hiking in another area of the park, and at that point, was perfectly content to take it a little easy.

From what I saw on my hike, the trail is in good to excellent condition, with few dead trees and branches on the trail to Nevada Fall. No snow remains on any section of the trail to Nevada Fall, and from my observations of that area as well as other areas of the park, the snowline is running at ~8500 feet or higher, depending on the sun exposure of the area. As conditions are warm, and only going to get warmer, it’s a great time to get out and do this hike!

Directions: As noted in previous articles, you’re going to either want to take the Yosemite Park Bus to Happy Isles, where the trailhead for the Mist Trail is, or you’re going to want to bike or walk there. Further directions on distances and everything else can be found here: http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/12/15/mist-trail-to-nevada-fall.html, http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/12/14/the-mist-trail-to-vernal-falls-summer.html .

More Tips: Another good reason to hike this trail this time of year is the opportunity to see wildlife – on my recent hike, I saw a number of animals that will likely not be present during the busy summer season. As for traffic on the trail: it was busy, but it will only be getting busier as the season progresses, so get out there to avoid the rush while you can!

Nevada Fall, Spring 2012

Chapel of the Holy Dove, Kendrick Park, Arizona

One of my core beliefs is that there's something mysterious and magical in every aspect of life. Sometimes these mysterious things and places are right in front of us - strange plaques in city parks, for example (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/12/1/the-white-deer-of-mission-hillsinspiration-point-1.html); and sometimes these places are almost myths in that they are difficult to find, like lost cave art (http://lastadventurer.com/last-adventurers-fieldnotes/2011/12/30/the-blue-sun-cave.html); and sometimes, they're just place you stumble upon when your on your way from Point A to Point B.

Chapel of the Holy Dove

The only trick about the last kind of place is that you have to keep your eyes open so that you can see what the world is presenting to you. A good example of the last type of place is the Chapel of the Holy Dove. A couple weeks ago, I was leaving the Grand Canyon on the heels of a late spring snowstorm; and as I drove down the snow covered Highway 180, I saw something on the side of the road that caught my attention. There, in two and a half feet of fresh snow was a small structure with only forest and distant mountain peaks as its neighbors. The sign next to it read, "Chapel of the Holy Dove". 

Snow was swirling over the road and my windshield, but I was curious, even though the warmer option would have been to keep driving. I pulled over as far as I could, hit the hazards on my car, and waded through the powder to the door. It was a small door - the type Bilbo Baggins would have in his burrow. Not expecting it to be open, I tugged on it - and was surprised when it opened partway into a drift of snow. Inside were rows of benches, a solid beamed roof, and an expanse of glass windows looking into the forest. I took a few minutes, and learned all about the Chapel - how it had been built by a Doctor who had worked at the Grand Canyon; how it had burned down in a fire and rebuilt, and how it was open to all. I noticed the prayers, comments, and thoughts that other visitors had placed on the roof and walls in a respectful way.

Chapel of the Holy Dove

Most of all, I felt the feeling of serenity that the Chapel gave me. I'll be honest - I'm not always the most religious person, but the feeling of comfort and peace that the Chapel provided me was close to how I'd like religion to be for the world. After a few minutes I got back into my car, and drove back into the storm; but I'll always remember that spot because I had the vision to see it, despite the storm that was around me. So, my advice for anyone out there is always keep looking, because there's plenty of blank spots left on the map still - you just have to find them for yourself.

Directions: The Chapel is right off the Highway 180, eighteen (18) miles North of Flagstaff.

 Walls of the Chapel of the Holy Dove

More Information:http://www.yelp.com/biz/chapel-of-the-holy-dove-flagstaff,  http://joeorman.shutterace.com/Bizarre/Bizarre_Holydove.html