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Archaeology of Cedar Mesa: Hiking in Southeastern Utah

A Learning Vacation in Beautiful Utah
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Cedar Mesa, a high, forested table of sandstone dissected by dramatic slickrock canyons, offers hikers endless vistas, solitude, and a chance to understand what daily life was like for the ancestral Pueblo Indians (the Anasazi) who called this area home for more than 2,000 years. Along each trail, cliff dwellings, granaries, artifacts, natural arches, vaulted amphitheaters, rock art, and hoodoos await discovery.

Guided by scholars Jonathan Till and Winston Hurst, we explore the sculpted sandstone gorges of Cedar Mesa and hike along the northern tributaries of the San Juan River system, including Montezuma Creek, Recapture Wash, and Road Canyon. We spend two nights camping in the desert and four days hiking in the footsteps of the ancients along rarely traveled pathways.

Trip Scholars: Jonathan Till and Winston Hurst

Jonathan Till, a lab analysis specialist at Crow Canyon, has conducted research in the Four Corners region since 1986 and has spent many years exploring the Cedar Mesa area. His primary interest is the study of the monumental architecture and landscape archaeology of Chaco-era ancestral Pueblo Indians.

Winston Hurst, a prominent archaeologist and researcher in southeastern Utah, has been actively engaged in archaeological research in the Colorado Plateau since the early 1970s. He is a native of Blanding, Utah, and all four of his grandparents settled in the Bluff and Blanding area of Utah in the late 1800s.

Educational Focus

The repeated periods of emigration from the Cedar Mesa area and the theories that attempt to explain this phenomenon

The cultural and environmental dynamics that may have led to the building of defensive architecture in the Cedar Mesa area.

The causes of the eventual emigration out of the northern ancestral Pueblo Indian world in the late A.D. 1200s

Trip Dates and Cost

Dates: Sunday, October 4—Saturday, October 10, 2009

Tuition: Donor* $1,895; Nondonor: $2,020

Deposit: $400

Balance due: August 4, 2009

Daily Trip Itinerary

Sunday, October 4: Cortez

Arrive in Cortez by 4 p.m., in time to check into the Holiday Inn Express and meet for dinner and introductions on Crow Canyon's beautiful campus. Overnight in Cortez. (D)

Monday, October 5: Montezuma Creek • Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum

We drive west to Utah, through a pinyon-, juniper-, and sage-studded landscape, to explore the canyons of Montezuma Creek, in the central Mesa Verde region. In the afternoon, we visit the Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding, where we see remarkable examples of basketry, woven fabrics, and even a necklace made from iridescent beetle legs and shells! Head curator Debbie Westfall gives us a behind-the-scenes tour designed to provide additional background for our upcoming hikes. We spend the night at the charming Recapture Lodge in Bluff, and we can take an optional walking tour of Bluff's historic district or the Bluff Great House. Overnight in Bluff. (B, L, D)

Tuesday, October 6: Recapture Wash

Today we explore ancestral Pueblo sites in different reaches of Recapture Wash—one of the major tributaries of the San Juan River. Two sites are perched high on mesitas and their towers conjure questions about defensive locations, ritual architecture, and ceremonial gatherings. The sites are dotted with pithouses and kivas and strewn with pottery and other artifacts. One of these sites, Sacred Mesa, is located near the mouth of the wash and offers wonderful views of the river valley, Recapture Wash, and the Abajo Mountains. We also visit several smaller sites, including a rock art panel that dates to more than 2,000 years ago. We return to Recapture Lodge in the evening. Overnight in Bluff. (B, L, D)

Wednesday, October 7: Citadel House • Cigarette Springs Ruin

We ascend the dramatic switchbacks of the Moki Dugway to the top of Cedar Mesa and set up base camp on the rim of Road Canyon. After lunch, we split into two groups to hike. One group winds through pinyon and juniper forests to Citadel House. Its strategic location and controlled access leave little doubt as to its defensive nature. The second hike brings us to Cigarette Springs Ruin high above the canyon floor. Here we find a kiva and rock art decorating the cliff face. Both hikes require short but steep scrambles into and out of the canyon. However, our pace will be leisurely, and plenty of assistance will be given. We return to our camp for the evening where, around the campfire, Jonathan and Winston share stories of their fieldwork in the Southwest. Overnight camping on Cedar Mesa. (B, L, D)

Thursday, October 8: Fallen Roof Ruin • Seven Kivas Ruin

In the morning, the destination for one group is a jewel-like cliff dwelling named Fallen Roof Ruin. The dry air has preserved the structures here so perfectly that one might expect the inhabitants to return at any moment. The second group hikes along the canyon to Seven Kivas Ruin, where kivas are well-preserved with intact roof timbers and remnants of plaster still on the walls. In the afternoon, we continue our hikes to Fallen Roof and Seven Kivas ruins. In the evening, we relax around the campfire after a delicious dinner. Overnight camping at Cedar Mesa. (B, L, D)

Friday, October 9: Cigarette Springs Ruin • Citadel House

This morning we switch groups to repeat Wednesday's hikes to Cigarette Springs Ruin and Citadel House. Back at camp we eat lunch, break down camp, and make our way back to Cortez in time for a farewell dinner. Overnight in Cortez. (B, L, D)

Saturday, October 10: Departures from Cortez

Departures can be scheduled anytime after breakfast. (B)

B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner

Tour Details

General Itinerary: Begins and ends in Cortez, Colorado. Travels to Blanding, Bluff, and Cedar Mesa in southeastern Utah. Plan to arrive in Cortez by 4 p.m., October 4. Schedule departure from Cortez anytime after breakfast on October 10.

Tuition: Tuition is per person and is based on shared accommodations. Tuition includes accommodations, meals listed, entry fees and permits, most gratuities, and transportation from arrival in Cortez on October 4, 2009, until departure from Cortez on October 10, 2009. Transportation to and from Cortez is your responsibility.

Accommodations: Four nights are spent at comfortable hotels, and two nights are spent at a primitive campsite without running water. You may bring your own camping equipment, or we will rent equipment for you at an additional cost. Hotel accommodations are based on double occupancy. Single accommodations are available for an additional fee of $225.

What to Expect: All travel is by Crow Canyon vans. This program involves hikes of several miles, sometimes over uneven and difficult terrain, at elevations of more than 5000 feet. There are no formal or maintained trails, and you must feel comfortable traversing off-trail areas of uneven sandstone and thick brush. A reasonably good level of physical endurance and hiking skill is required. Hiking in canyons may involve walking close to precipitous edges or along sloping canyon sides. These hikes are not dangerous, but a fear of heights could limit your enjoyment. If you have any doubts about your ability to participate, please contact us.

To satisfy BLM permitting regulations, participants will hike in two small groups, one led by Winston and the other by Jonathan, alternating each day. Everyone will hike the same trails and visit the same sites, but not necessarily on the same day.

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center's programs and admission practices are open to applicants of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California
CST 2059347-50

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