a walk into the past

A WALK INTO THE PAST
one of the highlights of our trip to southern utah
is that the owner of this mcr place mr db knows the area so well
he knows the history of the area probably better than folks
who have lived there all their lives
especially when it comes to the anasazi indians who
loved in the canyons where the ranch sits
they lived for miles and miles in those cliffs
in the ad 1000+-
then they just poofed disappeared
they were there when the mesa verde ancestral puebloans were there
in southwestern colorado
probably the best known sites in that area

mr db has been exploring this area since he was a kid
and has developed a love and appreciation for the area and
its history

because of this knowledge and respect for the land and its
history
the local landowners allow him to explore their properties

we the ogd and my wife she and the wwoofers get to benefit by
going on long hikes with him to areas that no one really knows about

some sites he has discovered have stimulated archaeological evaluation
of the sites

how he found these places on those cliffs and then remembers how
to get them is amazing to us
our hike was 5-6 hours long
but was well worth it

we drove down the canyon for several miles
then off the road we went down a dirt road
which stopped
now i was skeptical even though we had done this last year
and was amazed at what we saw

we werent disappointed again this year

now we left at noonish in the middle of the day when the
temperatures were in the low to mid 90s
luckily the humidity not like austin is low so the heat is more
tolerable
it reminds me of the high dessert we lived in while in college

luckily we carried a lot of water in our back packs
walking at a good pace not too fast
i think mr db was use to moving faster when he is with
younger folks or by himself

ok so i got real hot but i kept up my water intake as i went
since ive seen a lot of folks in my career with heat exhaustion
severe leg and muscle cramps from dehydration
plus
we took our time took some breaks under shade
especially those small caves in the cliffs
man i could live there

i did think a lot as we walked across the canyon floor
up the canyon walls thinking how in the hell did those
anasazi indians live here
water food was sure a problem
there is a river that runs through the canyon
but its dry part of the year with areas where the
water is present

i think they mainly ate corn and beans called anasazi beans
which i am able to buy at our local supermarket
they have a good sweet flavor and dont have to be cooked as long
as other beans
and what my wife she likes is they produce less you know what
flatulence

we hiked up to this small area where the petroglyphs were
and dogs hank and jack took a break
it was amazing at times they seemed to know exactly where
we were going

i did share some of my water with hank the ranch dog

then we climbed up to the tower rock where we are told you can
stand and see four states-utah colorado new mexico arizona
my wife she and i didnt make it to the top
but we came close
there was a jump from one rock to another that was an
upward jump i didnt want to do

you cant really appreciate it in this picture but there is a dwelling
under the left side of the large tower rock

then off we went across the valley to the other side of the
canyon
up the wall of the cliffs
i was wondering whattheheck are we looking for
then seemingly out of the blue
or turquoise

we saw this long row of petroglyphs along the cliff wall
how did they get up there to do that

there was the area where they ground their corn
you could see where the rock has gotten smoothed out
they decorated the work site carving pectros in the rock

then there was what i called the peace symbol one
my favorite one of course

then the large tourquoise petroglyph that stood out over the rest
the final destination of the hike
worth all the effort

good job again mr db

as we made it back to the truck i put the mouthpiece of
my camelback in my mouth and as i began to suck in the
remaining water all was left was air
good timing on my part

i survived the hike
but
in the end it was worth it

when we left that last day
we took a deep breath
i even climbed up on the roof and looked around the ranch
took in its beauty
thought of all the new friends we met
our interactions with these interesting folks
and
realized that people would actually pay to spend five days here
to do what we did
and
we got to do it all

we are ready to return already

the organicgreen doctor

hope on the range

HOPE ON THE RANGE
once we got our key situation straightened out
off we went on our trip to the oasis mcr vineyard and orchards
the name and location ill not give out since like i wrote before
i dont want people to know where this place is

we loved the drive on the way there through the desert
and hills with the colorado mountains in the distance

we lived in the high desert in southern california while
attending college so we have an appreciation for the desert
you can only have if you live there and study that environment
like i did as  a biology major

its where i learned to capture and hunt down rattlesnakes
much to the chagrin of my historian brother who was a
roommate at that time
he had many a sleepless night knowing that there was a cage of
rattlesnakes in his living room

after a 10 mile torutuous drive down a dirt road that drops
2000 feet we made it to our destination at 5000 ft elevation
a meca in the desert

we were able to stay in this cabin while we were there
the daytime temperatures were in the 90s and the nighttime
temps were in the 50s
its off the grid being on solar
no ac was needed since its nestled under the trees
at night a cool breeze came through which reminded me of
sleeping with the windows opened in santa barbara
and getting that ocean nighttime breeze

the mcr is off the grid totally
the power comes from solar panels that is stored in batteries
which provides the power for the ranch

the cabin where the wwoofers stay is also solar powered

whats a wwoofer  you ask
its stands for
world wide opportunities on organic farms or
willing workers on organic farms
www.wwoofusa.org is the link for the usa organization
so who are these folks

the ones we  worked with were all young folks

an ohioan college student who just graduated and waiting to enter
americorp for a period of time before moving on with his life

a young couple who recently hiked the appalachian trail
and are from north carolina

an idaho college senior a business major who is doing her internship
at mcr
she plans to do peace corps after graduating before she enters
the business world

a philadelphia student who has done 1-2 years of school who is not
sure whathe wants to do in life
hes taking a pause for now before he moves on

a student from florida a senior who wanted to see a different
part of the country before she hits that last year of school
she just returned from europe earlier this summer

all have a love for the outdoors
they like hiking rock climbing
they work 30 hours a week
in return they get room and board
they have two days off each week
many take a day of rest
but commonly mr db the owner who is only slightly older than they are
will take them on long hikes to places that only he knows how to get there
to see the anasazi indian ruins
or
like some do they do hiking in that part of southern utah
and southwest colorado
its also close to a lot of national parks
even the grand canyon is not that far away
a delightful group of kids

after spending the five days with them we always feel so refreshed
and
we do feel good about the youth when you work beside them
hike with them and just sit around at night talking with them
hours together
you realize yes on yes there
is hope for the future

the organicgreen doctor