Two weeks ago, quad friend Walt and I went way back onto Virgin Mesa overlooking Jemez Canyon and Jemez Springs looking for a mystery ruin he’d visited years ago.  ( http://gogittum.com/blog/?cat=104 )  His research indicated that this ruin was named “Quaia-tso-qua.”  The 1st waypoint we tried didn’t work out and we hiked for several miles along the rugged canyon wall.  Spectacular scenery but no ruins.  Later he checked old records and found another waypoint that may lead to the Pot of Gold.  :-)  On that 1st trip, we went to “Walt’s Ruin.”  The new location is at “Walt’s Ruin 2.”  We walked right past it previously.  Also, on the previous trip, we’d parked the quads in really rough country and hiked for miles.  This time we side-hilled farther on an old overgrown logging road and parked in more open country about ½ way between “Walt’s Ruin” and the 7250 ft altitude marker………………..

The difference 2 weeks makes in the high country is amazing.  The Aspen leaves had just begun turning color……….now at the 8200 ft. level, most of the trees were already bare.  As we progressed into slightly lower country we saw more and more of the brilliant yellow leaves.  Aspen leaves are almost perfectly round and have a very thin stem.  In the slightest breeze these leaves will tilt back and forth, giving the tree a shimmering appearance and the popular name, “Quaking Aspen.”……………..

Aspen are a high country tree and at this latitude we seldom see them at elevations of less than 8,000 ft.  Very pretty…………….

There was a tremendous windstorm last week and the chainsaw Walt carries on the front carrier of his quad was put to good use several times on this trip.  Something like this could really give you a headache……………..

The old logging road was indeed grown over, but the rugged little quads walked right thru and we parked on a ridge that was fairly close to (we thought) the ruins………………

As it turned out, for once we were right and after only about ¼ mile we came out onto the distinctive clearing of a ruin………………

I’ll tell ya true - after the 1st one or two, the ruins aren’t all that exciting to me, (seen one, seen ‘em all) but I’m getting more into the history of the places, the culture, the artifacts and so on.  It’s beautiful country, too, and looking for a specific ruin gives a clear focus to the day’s outing and there are always surprises.  Look at the tremendous scenery we found 2 weeks ago.  We’ve already found 2 more in that general area to look for and explore.  No chance of getting bored here.  In 2 weeks I’m moving the home trailer south to the small town of Socorro and can start all over. 

Quaia-tso-qua is built on more of a slope than the others we’ve seen and I could see at least 3 distinct levels in a modified U shape………………

I sent a SPOT Locater message from here and you can clearly see the ruins in the satellite image.  The pale striped area to the right is the huge cliff we walked along 2 weeks ago and Jemez Springs is north on Hwy 4.  From the top of the cliffs down to Hwy 4 is about 1400 feet elevation change……………..

Here, too, there is a great view from the eastern side.  Here, Walt’s excellent shot of The Lar in action clearly shows the edge of Jemez Canyon in the distance………..

As always, there are 1,000’s of potsherds, but here we found some with a different pattern.  I got a bit of an education, too.  I’d thought that the rougher hand molded pots were from an earlier era and the painted ones from a later time.  Walt’s done extensive research and tells me that the rougher pots were utility pots, for storage, etc. and the nicer ones for home use or whatever……………….

………..and again, another.  Please excuse the photography in all these shots.  I’d modified a setting on my camera a bit ago for a special purpose and forgot to re-set it.  All pictures from today were very dark and took extreme editing to make them view-able and they suffered for it…………….

These shards - we left them here - make an interesting story.  It’s tempting to pick some up and bring them home - there are 1,000’s of them everywhere, but it Is illegal according to the Antiquities Act.  I don’t see the harm in a couple of shards, and I’m sure most of us have a few at home, but where do you draw the line ??  At the present time there’s an awful mess in the Blanding, Utah area due to a federal sting that caught many people, many of them prominent citizens, who’ve been systematically locating and looting ruins for decades and have sold 100’s of 1,000’s of dollars worth - even including skeletons - to collectors.  To archaeologists, of course, this is a disaster, with items yanked out of context.  Not good…….which brings to mind another no-no.  Some ruins - notably at Bandelier National Monument and Chaco Canyon and others - have been professionally excavated, documented and restored and are now open to the public.  They are something to see.  Fascinating.  These ruins that we’ve been visiting with the quads - Giant Footprint, Amoxiumqua, Quaia-tso-qua - and others to come are pretty much just mounds of rock and dirt, as you can see in the pictures above.  It is Strictly Illegal for you or I to do Any digging whatsoever.  That’s fine, but here at Quaia-tso-qua, someone in the past has dug out a few corners and to me it gives a much greater insight as to construction, etc and makes it much more real for me.

For myself, illegal or not, I’m glad they did.  There are so many ruins scattered around this country that they’ll not ever all be “properly” excavated so I don’t see a problem with a little bit here.  Then again, once again, where do you draw the line ??  Right or wrong, agree or dis-agree, that’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it.  Here’s a look at a couple of dug out corners…………..

After a good look around, we headed back out and got a major surprise.  A large, rotten old Ponderosa Pine snag had fallen across the road, taking a couple of smaller trees with it - after we’d passed on the way in and it blocked our return.  Walt got to work with his trusty chain saw, and I used Suzy as a skidder to yank the chunks out of the way, (I carry a 20 ft tow strap) but it makes you shiver a bit, too.  What if it came down as we rode by ??……………….

Also on the way out, Walt spotted an Abert’s Squirrel running up a tree, waved me over and swung over to keep it there.  I pulled in beside him and just about the time I spotted the Squirrel it panicked and either fell or leaped about 20 ft to the ground on the other side of the tree and raced into a heavy thicket of brush and trees.  Not a chance of ever seeing it again.  Too bad - I’d really like to get some good pictures of one.  To my eyes, they’re the prettiest of the Squirrels.

Many of the roads here have been washed out by floods and quite often the channels cross the roads on a diagonal and they must be crossed.  Some are pretty ugly and tho’ I’m getting more comfortable with them, still can’t help thinking about rolling Suzy down the mountain last January.  ( http://gogittum.com/blog/?cat=69 )  These aren’t too bad, but show how they can cross you up……………

The ski goggles are to help keep the dust from the lead quad out of my eyes.  Works good.                      Lar.

Posted: October 12th, 2009 under 09 Santa Fe, 09-10-10 Quaia-tso-qua.
Comments: 1