Day 136 (Tuesday 12/4/12)- Gila Cliff Dwellings, NM

We started out for the Gila cliff dwellings with no idea that the drive entailed 44 miles of treacherous mountain side with significant downgrades and tedious speeds. We were thus relieved to even be there, but also had high expectations for the park, to justify the drive. The Gila dwellings were constructed by Mogollon people who called southwest New Mexico as well as parts of Arizona and Mexico home until the 1300's or so. A relatively easy hike led to the top of a cliff and the dwellings. On the way we got a view of the lovely late autumn landscape speckled with barren trees, yellow leaves collecting at their bases.

Our favorite thing about the park was they allow visitors to enter the two most intact sections of the dwellings, but the rooms were only intact because of our least favorite aspect of the experience. Due to a mistrust of the general public, explorations must be accompanied by a Ranger chaperon (this actually proved to be necessary as a woman in front of us had to be reminded again and again to keep her hands off the walls).

There were two reasons this dwelling was special. First the ceiling was marred with thick black soot. Many cliff dwellers lit indoor fires, but the soot here was not from the Mogollons. The fires were actually from 1500 year-old inhabits who used the cave as shelter, but were too nomadic to build any permanent structures.

The second special feature was a separate building at the entrance of the cave. Originally it was thought to be the home of an important family in the village, but was later determined to be a curing house for meat.

In the end the drive was well worth it.