Sandal Trail and the rest

Navajo National Monument

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Navajo National Monument was formed to protect well preserved cliff dwelling ruins and prides itself on being a free monument. That's not just a lack of entrance fee. The camping is free. The tours are free. Water is available and its free. The items in the visitor center shop aren't free and donations are happily accepted, so there is still a way to support them in some little way. Unfortunately for me, there is also a season. The seasonal rangers have gone and the snow fall last night has put an end to tours until spring. The actual land of the monument is just a couple of quarter quarter sections and you can't actually step foot on it without a tour. With the tours shut down, the only hiking is a few short trails around the visitor center. There is a longer trail to get to the further portion of the monument, but that is closed to entry when there are no tours on. I had time, so I set off to hike every inch I am allowed to hike over the rest of the afternoon.

A sweat lodge in miniature. Part of a display behind the visitor center.

There are three trails that leave off from behind the visitor center. The main one is the Sandal Trail that comes to an overlook with a good view of the Betatakin Ruins, the closer one. Before they break up, there is an exhibit of housing used by Navajo. The Canyon Overlook trail breaks off to the left next. That goes to Canyon Overlook Campground. Next Aspen Trail breaks off to drop down into the canyon. That is the one that would be used for the tours of Betatakin. Today it is closed at an overlook of the canyon's aspen trees. That is the first trail I want to take.

Just getting started down the trail. Sandal Trail is paved.

The start of Aspen Trail. It crosses the slickrock and drops down the canyon. It is dirt with built rock steps.

Alcoves are visible in the canyon, but these do not contain visible ruins.

One fellow starts down the trail ahead of me, but let's me pass after a short way. Then I am the first one down since the snow fell. I carefully keep my feet under me, but the new snow seems quite forgiving. Once people have crushed it down to ice, traction devices of some sort will be wise.

A high up glance down the canyon. Snow is only on the north slopes, but the trail starts on one of those.

I suppose someone may have been here before me after all.

Now I can see the leafless aspens below.

Caves in the far canyon wall caught my attention.

Heading back up again on the fresh snow is also easy, for now. There are a lot more footprints on the Sandal Trail and some of it has become ice, but most has melted. Signs along the way describe the local plants next to specimens of each.

A much larger alcove than was visible before is shrouded by the trees near it. This is the ruin.

Paved trail down to the overlook. It has been adjusted to remove the few steps that existed before, but gets mildly steep right at the end. Still, wheelchair use may be possible.

The overlook comes with fencing and signs to make it safe and educational. Trying to see it all from here is difficult. There is so very much of it to see. One sign shows a map that indicates rooms can be five deep. It notes that there were 135 rooms originally housing some 100-125 people.

Signs describing the ruin, now visible through the chain link.

The canyon wall on the far side, including the huge alcove with the ruins.

As advertised, this is an amazingly well preserved ruin. The more complete buildings are in the shade now. Some modern cut steps mark the path of the tour.

The buildings are vanishing where the sun gets them in the afternoon. More modern steps for the tour are visible here.

One sign goes on about large petroglyphs, but of course I can't see them from here however large they are. I head back to the first split and try out Canyon Overlook. It promises a bit of history as it passes the original ranger station for the monument. This one is dirt, sometimes under snow today.

A few have come this way and there's a little bit of mud with the dirt and snow.

The grandest view out over the canyon is on this trail.

The original building for ranger station and everything else. The sign says that visitors could watch a slide show that was displayed on a borrowed projector and had to be powered by their own 6V car batteries.

The only people I actually see on this trail are mildly lost. They are looking for the overlook to see the ruins and did not realize that the name of this trail is to signify the campground it goes to, not that it is the overlook. I look around a little more, decide I don't want to hike as the trail turns to road, and turn back.

Back to the display behind the visitor center. This is the forked stick hogan, mildly covered with snow over the wood and dirt.

©2019 Valerie Norton
Written 9 Dec 2019