Bear Trail

Went with Elsie, one our Navajo nurses, in Canyon De Chelly this evening. Elsie in her early 60s has lived in the canyon here whole life although now mostly spends her summers there.  Her family has farmed there since the time the Navajo migrated there perhaps 500 years ago. Elsie is in great shape and know a lot of canyon history as well as history of the area.  She loves the canyon and it shows.

There is only one trail (White House) that is open to the public and all other entries into the trail must be with a Navajo guide.  The Bear Trail, so named because of a bear that was once seen on the trail, is quite steep but very beautiful.  I would not even call it a trail as there are no markings and there is no dirt path.  It is just a route 1000 feet down into the canyon over sandstone.  There are many ruins along the way to see as well great rock formations. The Canyon is entirely different from the rest of Chinle as it has trees, flowers and even flowing water. The water is only inches deep and if fun to play in.  However, almost every year some yahoo drives up the stream and encounters quicksand. The car will sink into oblivion perhaps to be found by some archaeologist hundreds of years from now as evidence of not so intelligent life on the planet. For once in my life I avoided the quicksand even though I was tempted to see if people can really be swallowed up or is it just a western legend.