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Arizona: Canyon de Chelly National Monument pictures from the rim

May 18, 2007.

We are camped in the free Cottonwood Campground at Canyon de Chelly National Monument, in northeastern Arizona. There are no utilities other than a central dump station and a central place to get water. Cottownwood Campground probably has around 100 sites but not many for large motorhomes. There were probably 20 that we could fit our 35' motorhome in. There might be 5 sites that would hold a 40' motorhome. It is a first come first serve campground. You can't make reservations. The campground fills up in the late afternoon up until around 8PM then emptys out the next morning. The place has a lot of turnover. My advice would be to arrive in the early afternoon.

Yesterday we took a tour deep into Canyon de Chelly (pronounced d'SHAY) with a Navajo guide. Today we are doing the rim overlooks on both the north rim and the south rim.

We visited the overlooks on the north rim first.

Most of the rock you see in Canyon de Chelly is De Chelly Sandstone. It was formed from desert sand dunes around 250-million years ago.

This magnificent canyon was etched by water erosion and other natural forces out of ancient, many-layered rock formations. Several of these rock layers are visible throughout the canyon.

One is Shinarump Conglomerate, deposited when this region was a humid, subtropical jungle. This is an interesting layer of rock, composed of stream deposited sediments. It makes up most of the rim or cap rock of Canyon de Chelly. From a distance it is a Grayish-brown in color. This cap rock was deposited about 200-million years ago. It contains sandstone pebbles made up of, quartz, basalt, chert, quartzite and petrified wood. The pebbles are rounded like river rock, that is how scientist know this was deposited during a wet period.

It is easy to see this Shinarump Conglomerate cap rock on the far canyon wall. It is that dark brown layer on top of the De Chelly Sandstone.

Again the dark Shinarump Conglomerate cap rock is easy to see in this view.

This cap rock has large amounts of iron ore in it. Ax heads were fashioned out of this by some of the ancient inhabitants of Canyon de Chelly.

The majority of the canyon walls are formed from windblown sand dunes that date to about 280-million years ago. Notice that the grains of this rock are all the same size.

The pale color sandstone is De Chelly Sandstone formed around 250 million years ago.

The maroon-colored sandstone, silt stone, and mud stone is the Supai Formation was formed around 280 million years ago. This layer of rock was deposited on low, flat flood plains. It is only visible in a few areas in the canyon. Remember this is the oldest rock in the canyon and will always be the layer under the De Chelly Sandstone.

When bands of Navajo first arrived the Anasazi pueblos in Canyon de Chelly were deserted ruins. By 1600, the Navajo had become seminomadic farmers. A century later they were known for their sheep, blankets of finely woven wool, and fields of corn. The Navajo got those sheep by raiding Spanish settlements along the Rio Grande River in New Mexico.

By 1750, the Navajo was both a farmer and herdsman. Yet he remained a warrior, fighting his Indian enemies as well as the encroaching Spanish settlements. Raids and counter-raids dragged on for more than 100-years.

This is another example of De Chelly Sandstone with only a thin layer of cap rock visible on the far canyon wall.

I spotted this unusual mudstone-sandstone combination while walking on the rim. It seemed to be situated between the conglomerate cap rock and the sandstone that makes up the vast majority of Canyon de Chelly. Someone has created steps down to one of the overlook viewing areas by sawing steps into the sandstone. Note how the multiple layers of this sedimentary rock has been forced up at a 30-degree angle. I am wondering if this section of rock was formed when volcanos were spewing a lot of ash. It appears to me that there is a layer of sand sediment then a layer of ash followed by successive layers of sand and ash.

This is what the above rock that has been sawed to expose layers looks like when not sawed. The layers are still visible.

This is what the rim drive looks like when not at one of the overlooks.

On the canyon floor you can see where the stream flows as marked by the silvery green ribbon of Russian olive trees. The larger green trees are cottonwoods. The trail used by Navijo guides transporting tourist into the canyon is also visible.

These Anasizi ruins date from around AD-1160 and are constructed with stone blocks and mud mortar.

These ruins were here around 400 years before the Navajo occupied the canyon. We took this picture from one of the overlooks on the canyon rim.

Rim overlooks offer spectacular views like this into the canyon.

See if you can spot the small dwelling in one of the caves near the center of this picture. I have no idea how anyone reached this spot since it is mid-way between the top and bottom of the canyon.

While the Navajo farms on the canyon floor are still occupied these farms only produce crops for individual families, with little left over for sale.

The ribbon of trees follow the small stream of water. Also note the dark brown conglomerate cap rock.

The brown caprock is readily visible in this view. Remember that it is the youngest of the rock seen in this canyon at around 200- million years old.

If you look closely you can see vehicle paths or semi-roads in the valley. We rode along here yesterday with our Navajo guide.

We are seeing this icecream/cow patty form of sandstone structure from time to time in this area. Look for this form of sandstone in future travelogues.

In the distance, on top of the rim, you can see what looks like a building. It is the plug from an ancient volcano. From a distance it looks very much like the similar volcano plug at Devil's Tower, Wyoming.

There is over a 100-million years of geology visible between the top and bottom of these cliffs.

On the canyon floor Russian olive trees look like a planted orchard.

This spire is the result of having a really hard cap rock to protect the lower rock.

That volcanic plug is visible, on the horizon, in this picture of the spires.

Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix