Great canyons have been carved out of the mesa.
On a short trail to Sipapu Bridge, we came across a beautifully organized cactus garden! Almost as if it had been designed to please the eye.
Sipapu Bridge is the first one to be seen on the NBNM driving loop. Sipapu means "place of emergence", the entryway by which the Hopi believe their ancestors came into their world. The three bridges seen on this loop were originally named President, Senator, and Congressman in order of height. Later explorers renamed them Augusta, Caroline, and Edwin. In 1909 the park was enlarged to protect nearby Puebloan structures, and renamed in keeping with Hopi traditions.
This is Sipapu Bridge, the oldest of the bridges in the canyon. Deceptive optics in this photo make it seem a lot thicker, but closer examination shows reality. It is 220 feet in height, spans 244 feet and is 53 feet thick.
Unbelievable swirls of color, rock, and shrubs assault the senses. Everywhere you look there is another grand sight!
Kachina Bridge is the second bridge on the tour. In 1883 prospector Cass Hite wandered into White Canyon in search of gold along the Colorado River. In 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Natural Bridges to be Utah's first National Park System area.
Kachina is the youngest of the three bridges, looming big and bulky while White Canyon floodwaters still work to increase its span. Its height is 210 feet, span is 204 feet and it is 93 feet thick.
The interesting "slick rock" formations were formed of sand. It's believed that swirling sand dunes were covered and compressed over time, creating the "pudding" look!
In places, the sandstone has "shelved", that is, separated into it's various layers.
Lastly, we came to Owachomo Bridge. The difference between bridges and arches is subtle, but bridges are formed by the erosive action of moving water, while arches are formed by frost and seeping moisture after natural bridges have been formed by stream erosion. Owachomo means "rock mound," a feature atop the bridges's east abutment. Owachomo is now in its old age, having a thickness of only 9 feet. A height of 106 feet, and a span of 180 feet indicate that much of the bridge material has fallen to the ground below. The bridge may now have a fatal crack, or may last for many years.
In the distance, Bears Ears loom over the landscape. Navajo stories tell of Changing-Bear-Maiden, who was very beautiful and desired by many men. She married the trickster Coyote, in spite of warnings that the union would bring evil. Changing-Bear-Maiden began to change and by winter's end her transformation into a mischievous bear was complete. Realizing that the only way to save her was to change her into another form, her brothers killed Changing-Bear-Maiden, cutting off her ears and throwing them away. They became the buttes seen today!
The road into and out of Natural Bridges National Monument sneaks through an amazing slot cut into the spine of ancient mountains.
A storm began to develop, so we hurried on to our next stop.
We had only driven 90 miles when we returned to Blanding, so we headed north toward the town of Monticello, and beyond. A monolithic sentinel marks the side road that leads to our destination.
Twelve miles west of US Highway 191, we found Newspaper Rock. A petroglyph panel that records approximately 2,000 years of human activity. Pre-historic peoples etched on the rock until AD 1300, then in historic times, Navajo and Ute people have made their contributions. In Navajo, the rock is called "Tse Hane" (Rock that tells a story), but unfortunately, we do not know if the figures represent storytelling, doodling, hunting magic, clan symbols, graffiti or something else.
The road into Newspaper Rock has some very interesting rock formations both alongside and over the road.
We had escaped the rain, so headed back to Blanding, having put 183 miles on the car today! But it was fun and we saw some remarkable sights.
Our stay in Blanding has been rewarded with a tremendous sunset!
And so it ends. Tomorrow it's another day and another place!
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