Never too late to post an adventure!

Admittedly, I’m in denial that summer is almost officially over. It seems like the season was literally stolen from me with the move to New Mexico and the start of a new job. Of course, summer never has been the same “lazy days” as they once were when we were kids… it’s hard to be an adult.

Fortunately when making the trip down to Albuquerque at the end of June, I was able to turn the necessary road-trip into a mini-expedition with my little brother Jeff- we had so much fun! I know I shouldn’t admit this but I was probably more excited for the trip down to Albuquerque then than I was about the new job.

For nearly two weeks Lisa put up with me researching just about everything you could possibly find between Salt Lake and ABQ, and I even put together a detailed agenda of our trip (thanks for reading it Jeff!)

Beginning with breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa Teichert’s on Monday morning Jeff and I drove straight to a little museum in Monticello, Utah where we were fortunate to find a detailed map of the “Cedar Mesa” managed by the BLM. I had hoped to be able to talk with someone “in the know” about some places I had wanted to visit…luckily, we found just such a gentlemen who had been a retired ranger in the area for nearly 30 years and he was able to “neither confirm nor deny” the existence and whereabouts of Moon House and other unpublished cliff dwellings in the area. After getting our bearings it was off to Edge of the Cedars State Park and Museum in Blanding.

We made it to the museum an hour before it closed which was perfect because we had the place nearly all to ourselves. The museum has a fantastic collection of artifacts, including pottery and tools- I was most impressed with the Macaw feathers (further proof that the Pueblo people had connections to Mesoamerica). Jeff and I then had a great Navajo taco at a little restaurant in Bluff, Utah which would be our last connection to civilization for the next two days…


Alone and isolated before sunset on the old Mormon road somewhere between “Hole in the Rock”, Jeff and I found ourselves our heads as our pride had lead our little truck too far down a torturous road to turn back and too far from civilization to be found for days. We prayed our guts out and found a place just off the road to camp for the night. There is something about being about to admire the beauty of endless stars in the sky and the realization that you can only see them because you are so isolated from anything!


The next morning we made our way to the top of the mesa where the road leveled out and soon our spirits were lifted when we realized we weren’t going to die! After driving several miles we found the “drill pipe” down the remote road which marked our stop and we began hiking toward a secluded canyon. Moon House is a sheltered and little-known 13th century Anasazi (or "ancestral Puebloan") ruin that is incredibly well preserved because of its isolation and limited documentation. The secrets of Moon House are best left for those who make the effort to find it, explore its beauty and respect its secrets. Half the allure of Moon House and sites in Cedar Mesa is its discovery and I’ll leave that journey to you! Suffice it to say it was an incredible and profound adventure for Jeff and me, and if you happen to find such a place in your lifetime please take only pictures and leave only footprints.


After exploring the canyons most of the day we were off to Mesa Verde… Jeff had the inspiration to have us stop at Wal-Mart in Cortez and buy tarp which proved fortunate as we had heave rains that night and stayed quite dry.



Mesa Verde is incredible. Waking up at the crack of dawn and experiencing the whole park until the setting of the sun, Jeff and I did in one day what most do in a week; we visited Long House, Balcony House, the Farr view sites, Cliff Palace at sunset, the Chapin Mesa Museum, etc…, etc… It was such an awesome experience to look across the canyons and pick out sites and structures that are probably yet to be excavated. Crashing into our pillow’s we were excited to contract Mesa Verde with what we had heard of Chaco Canyon.

Day three we were back on the road in search for further mystery and adventure. Chaco Canyon had its campground closed for renovation so we knew we would be traveling a little further than we would have liked but the beauty of desolate New Mexico is enchanting, soon we were on another dirt road in the middle of nowhere and we arrived at the National Park just as the storm clouds rolled in. Once again, we felt like the only people in the park and we enjoyed a “personalized” tour with an exceptional tour guide. Chaco Canyon is so unique and beautiful; I could spend hours describing personal thoughts and reflections but as with most places of antiquity interpretation is best left the explorer.



Driving into Albuquerque in a beautiful rainstorm Jeff and I were relieved to take advantage of the comforts of a nice hotel room. Soon we would have the cares of the world again upon us and I would be moving into my new apartment and starting my job but for one more day we played adventurers and explored Petroglyph State Park in the heart of Albuquerque suburbia. Literally within yards of North West ABQ lie thousands of petroglyphs in a few untouched desert canyons. The images were beautiful and it was the perfect experience transitioning me from the opportunity to appreciate the past and look forward to a new future.



Certainly there are many more adventures ahead but the trip down to Albuquerque with Jeff will forever be a wonderful memory with far too many stories to share…