05-30-10

Yesterday, I took a ride with Clyde and two other jeeps.
Patti was not feeling well, we aren't sure if it is just sinus problems or a cold but she stayed home.
We drove out Hwy. 128 again. After we crossed the Dewey Bridge, we stopped to check out an abandoned cave house.

The story is that, about 20 years ago a guy started to build this house in the side of a sandstone cliff but his permit was revoked when part of the ceiling collapsed.

He was pretty far along with a great room, a "grand staircase",

a fireplace, some of the kitchen back wall,

and a bedroom with a great view.

Unfortunately the material that he was digging in was just too soft.

From the cave house we drove farther up 128 to Kokopeli Trail where we turned west and stopped to air down our tires.

After that I lost track of all the roads and turns.
Along the way we stopped to check out some old cabins.

The interesting thing about these cabins was that they were built out of Railroad ties.

Behind the cabins a little ways is a large mine tunnel.

I didn't have a light so I could only go a short distance into the mine.

We passed these three old women.

The next place we stopped was at some caves in a huge sandstone cliff.
The first one was just a small cleft I call "the chapel"

The next was a trio of caves. The one in the center was the deepest and opened up into a large room.
I tried to get some pictures inside this cave but my camera was on the wrong setting and none of them came out.
I did get this shot looking out of the opening.

Our next stop was a large sandstone formation I'll call "The Whale".

We drove up the side, along the back and stopped at the dorsal fin.





After we left "the whale" Clyde got a little confused and we drove around for a while looking for the trail he wanted.
I know how that feels, after my experiences guiding people in Quartzsite.
There are a zillion roads out there and there are no signs.
Eventually we got to a road that Clyde recognized and headed east on this wide dusty road.

Eventually we came into the back of Arches National Park,

got back on the asphalt and were home around 6:30.

It was an interesting ride but a long day and very dusty.