15 April ‘07
Sunday
This morning we decided to run up the highway 75 miles to Flagstaff and then go and see a couple more Arizona wonders. The wind was still blowing, but if we were to travel only on the days that were perfect, we would still be sitting in Seattle. Apparently Flagstaff got its name from a large Pine tree that was devoid of its branches and used as a flag pole. As the settlers that were heading for California were to come into this area they could easily find a safe place to stay by locating this huge flag pole…the name stuck. Flagstaff is about the same size as Coeur d’Alene but without a lake and sitting at 6,905 feet above sea level. I have to tell you, at that altitude I found it surprising how the altitude affected my breathing. We did go to the Sunset Crater Volcano and take a 3/4 mile hike up its side to follow some of the lava flow. After a couple more stops along the way, we finally ended our drive east by coming to the famous Wupatki Pueblo Trail. From roughly 400 to 1700, a culture of farming and pottery, in the southwest, was started by large migrations of Sinagua, Cohonina, and Kayenta Indians. This became a densely populated landscape supporting a complex society of people, goods, and ideas. As people gathered here during the 1100’s, the housing grew into a 100 room pueblo with a tower, community room, and ceremonial ball court. This wasn’t what you would think was a perfect spot to stop and develop farming…summers are hot, dry and windy, and the water supply was and still is almost non-existence. By 1190, as many as 2,000 people lived within a day’s walk and today I would guess that you could possibly find as many as 6 people that live within a days walk, quite a difference. Another thing that we found very interesting was the "Blow Hole". At the bottom of the hill and next to the Ball Court, was this 12"x12" hole that was capped with local rock. If you were standing within 10 feet of the hole, you could hear what sounded like running water, but what it was, was wind that was pushing (with a lot of force) out of the hole. They say that the wind that was blowing, the more force coming out of the hole. It was another of those moments that tell us how lucky we are to be on our journey.
Sunday
This morning we decided to run up the highway 75 miles to Flagstaff and then go and see a couple more Arizona wonders. The wind was still blowing, but if we were to travel only on the days that were perfect, we would still be sitting in Seattle. Apparently Flagstaff got its name from a large Pine tree that was devoid of its branches and used as a flag pole. As the settlers that were heading for California were to come into this area they could easily find a safe place to stay by locating this huge flag pole…the name stuck. Flagstaff is about the same size as Coeur d’Alene but without a lake and sitting at 6,905 feet above sea level. I have to tell you, at that altitude I found it surprising how the altitude affected my breathing. We did go to the Sunset Crater Volcano and take a 3/4 mile hike up its side to follow some of the lava flow. After a couple more stops along the way, we finally ended our drive east by coming to the famous Wupatki Pueblo Trail. From roughly 400 to 1700, a culture of farming and pottery, in the southwest, was started by large migrations of Sinagua, Cohonina, and Kayenta Indians. This became a densely populated landscape supporting a complex society of people, goods, and ideas. As people gathered here during the 1100’s, the housing grew into a 100 room pueblo with a tower, community room, and ceremonial ball court. This wasn’t what you would think was a perfect spot to stop and develop farming…summers are hot, dry and windy, and the water supply was and still is almost non-existence. By 1190, as many as 2,000 people lived within a day’s walk and today I would guess that you could possibly find as many as 6 people that live within a days walk, quite a difference. Another thing that we found very interesting was the "Blow Hole". At the bottom of the hill and next to the Ball Court, was this 12"x12" hole that was capped with local rock. If you were standing within 10 feet of the hole, you could hear what sounded like running water, but what it was, was wind that was pushing (with a lot of force) out of the hole. They say that the wind that was blowing, the more force coming out of the hole. It was another of those moments that tell us how lucky we are to be on our journey.