Sipapu BridgeWe did a day trip from Monument valley today. First stop was Gooseneck State Park, where the San Juan river does about 4 turns right below the viewpoint, traveling several miles in what is probably no more than a 1000 feet in one direction. Then we took an interesting state highway, it went straight up a bluff in about 3 miles full of 5 MPH hairpin turns, all on a narrow gravel road.
The big stop was Natural Bridges National Monument where we viewed the 3 main bridges: Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo. I hiked down to the of Sipapu, an interesting 600 foot change in elevation in about .6 miles. Mary and I both went down to get a closer look at Owachomo. We learned that a bridge differs from an arch by how it was formed. Bridges have flowing water that carve them out, usually a river that pierces through the rock over time.
On the way back, we took the Valley of the Gods road, which has geology fairly similar to Monument Valley with lots of funny shaped buttes.
The big stop was Natural Bridges National Monument where we viewed the 3 main bridges: Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo. I hiked down to the of Sipapu, an interesting 600 foot change in elevation in about .6 miles. Mary and I both went down to get a closer look at Owachomo. We learned that a bridge differs from an arch by how it was formed. Bridges have flowing water that carve them out, usually a river that pierces through the rock over time.
On the way back, we took the Valley of the Gods road, which has geology fairly similar to Monument Valley with lots of funny shaped buttes.
Horsecollar Ruins, occupied 1050-1300 AD
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