I Found The Heart of an Ancient World While Backpacking

Desert Drifter
16 Mar 202434:53

Summary

TLDRIn this adventure, the explorer backpacks into a remote canyon in the American southwest, encountering challenging weather and terrain. The journey is rich with historical evidence of ancient inhabitants, including well-preserved structures and artifacts. The traveler navigates through the canyon's beauty and mystery, reflecting on the past and the importance of preserving these sites for future generations. Despite the looming threat of a storm, the experience is a memorable blend of discovery, solitude, and connection with nature.

Takeaways

  • 🏞️ The narrator embarks on a 3-day backpacking trip into a remote canyon complex in the American southwest, encountering various challenges and rewards along the way.
  • 🌧️ Despite adverse weather conditions and battling through tangled brush, the journey is worth it for the glimpses into the lives of the ancient inhabitants of the area.
  • 🌲 The trip takes place during a transitional season, with spring on the horizon but not yet fully arrived, affecting the availability of resources like water.
  • 💧 Desert hiking often involves sourcing water from potholes, which are eroded, shallow impressions in sandstone that collect rainwater.
  • 🏚️ The explorer discovers ancient structures, including a grainery and habitation sites, with evidence of past inhabitants such as soot-covered walls and preserved wooden beams.
  • 🧬 The age of the structures is highlighted by the presence of original fibers used to tie sticks together, possibly over 800 to 900 years old.
  • 🌳 The environment plays a crucial role in the preservation of these ancient sites, with overhangs protecting them from sun, rain, and snow.
  • 🌲 The narrator reflects on the sensory experiences of the trip, such as the smell of pinion pines and the challenges of balancing the desire to explore with the practicalities of carrying water.
  • 🏕️ The discovery of an old cowboy camp with vintage items like a pack saddle, horseshoes, and a Lifesaver candy tin serves as a reminder of the historical continuum of people in the canyons.
  • 🔍 The explorer's finds, including pottery shards and ancient corn cobs, provide insights into the agricultural practices and daily life of the ancestral Pueblo people.
  • 🌌 The trip concludes with the narrator setting up camp, preparing a meal, and reflecting on the day's experiences, with plans to continue the exploration in a second part to be shared later.

Q & A

  • Where is the backpacker heading in the script?

    -The backpacker is heading into a remote canyon complex in the American southwest for a 3-day adventure involving camping, hiking, and exploring.

  • What challenges does the backpacker face during the trip?

    -The backpacker faces adverse weather conditions, battles through tangled brush, and is reminded that they might not be alone in the canyon.

  • What evidence of the ancient ones does the backpacker encounter?

    -The backpacker encounters evidence such as ancient structures like granaries and habitations, with blackened ceilings and soot-covered interior walls, indicating past human activity.

  • How does the backpacker ensure their water supply during the hike?

    -The backpacker ensures their water supply by filtering water from potholes, which are common in desert hiking, and carrying a standard amount of 3 liters, though they reduce this to 1 liter due to the abundance of water sources.

  • What historical find does the backpacker come across related to cowboys?

    -The backpacker discovers an old cowboy camp with relics such as old cans, a pack saddle, horseshoes, and a vintage Lifesaver orange-flavor candy box and matches.

  • What does the backpacker feel about the loss of historical relics?

    -The backpacker feels saddened and concerned about the loss of historical relics, fearing what these places will look like in the future if people do not learn to respect and preserve history.

  • What type of structures does the backpacker find in the canyon?

    -The backpacker finds structures such as granaries, habitations with blackened ceilings, and large walls with portholes or peepholes, which might have been used for defense or observation.

  • How does the backpacker describe the pictographs and petroglyphs found in the canyon?

    -The backpacker describes the pictographs and petroglyphs as colorful, with depictions of animals, atlatls, and human figures, some of which are very clear and others less so.

  • What is the backpacker's reaction to the ancient corn cobs found in the canyon?

    -The backpacker is impressed by the ancient corn cobs, which indicate that the ancestral people were able to grow a significant amount of corn in the past.

  • What is the backpacker's strategy for balancing the desire to explore with the practicality of carrying a backpack?

    -The backpacker acknowledges the challenge of wanting to explore every nook and cranny while also managing the weight of the backpack, and concludes that it's not possible to do everything, so they must choose between covering miles and exploring in detail.

  • What does the backpacker do to cope with the imperfections of the trip?

    -The backpacker, a recovering perfectionist, learns to accept imperfections and enjoy the trip by finding little things to be grateful for, such as a small piece of corrugated pottery.

Outlines

00:00

🏞️ Backpacking into Ancient Canyons

The video begins with the protagonist backpacking into a remote canyon complex in the American southwest, where he plans to camp, hike, and explore for three days. He encounters adverse weather, tangled brush, and realizes he might not be alone in the canyon. Despite the challenges, he is rewarded with evidence of ancient inhabitants, making the trip memorable. He reflects on the beauty of the desert in spring, the abundance of water in potholes, and the importance of filtering water in desert hiking. He discovers an ancient granary and a larger structure, indicating past habitation, with blackened ceilings and walls covered in soot, suggesting the use of fire. The protagonist is in awe of the ancient construction and the preservation of history in the canyon.

05:01

💧 Abundance and Conundrum of Water

The protagonist faces a conundrum of water abundance during his trip. Despite initial concerns about water availability, he finds the desert to be filled with water, even deciding to carry less water due to its weight. He stumbles upon an old cowboy camp with relics such as cans, a pack saddle, horseshoes, and a vintage lifesaver, indicating the historical presence of people in the area. The discovery of these relics serves as a reminder of the continuous human activity through the centuries in the canyons. He expresses concern about the preservation of historical artifacts, fearing the loss of these relics in the future due to theft or lack of respect from visitors.

10:03

🍂 Exploring Historical Sites and Agriculture

The protagonist continues his exploration, finding more historical sites and evidence of ancient agriculture. He discovers a piece of corrugated pottery and ancient corn cobs, indicating the extent of farming in the past. He marvels at the pictographs and petroglyphs on large boulders, including depictions of animals and ancient weapons like the atlatl. He also finds a pottery piece with a drill hole, sparking curiosity about its use. The protagonist reflects on the challenges of farming in the desert and the ancient people's success in growing corn, beans, and squash, which were staples for survival.

15:04

🏠 Ancient Pueblo Sites and Structures

The protagonist encounters a large ancient pueblo site with numerous structures tucked under a cliff. He describes the portholes, which he believes were used as ancient 'doorbells', and the main doorway of the site. He also finds sealed-off rooms and original cordage used for construction. The site is filled with pottery shards and handprints, indicating a rich history. He continues to another overlook and plans to set up camp, despite the fading daylight and the need to find a suitable spot. He also discusses his camping gear and prepares for the night, planning for an early start the next day.

20:06

🌄 Morning Routine and Exploration

The protagonist wakes up at first light and begins his day with camp chores. He prepares a hearty breakfast with dehydrated eggs, pre-cooked bacon, vegetables, and corn tortillas. After breakfast, he continues his exploration, noting the potential for a storm in the mountains. He follows a trail with deer tracks and mountain lion tracks, adding an element of intrigue to his journey. The day is marked by continued exploration and appreciation for the natural and historical beauty of the canyon.

25:07

🏜️ Discovering Impressive Ancient Ruins

The protagonist comes across an impressive sandstone bench and decides to leave some camping gear there for a lighter exploration. He discovers a pictograph panel with vibrant colors and various figures, including a large bird and handprints. He encounters a significant structure built into the canyon wall, with solid construction and multiple levels, suggesting a defensive purpose. Inside the structure, he finds wooden support beams, corn cobs, and a matate for grinding corn, indicating the importance of agriculture to the ancient inhabitants. The protagonist reflects on the effort and care that went into constructing these structures and the preservation of history within the canyon.

30:07

🌅 Reflecting on the Journey and Future Exploration

The protagonist continues to explore the main building, marveling at the wooden beams and the construction of the two-story ruin. He finds a sandstone slab used for grinding corn and seeds, and handprints of various sizes, including a small one likely from a child. He contemplates the purpose of the structures and their potential defensive use. The video ends with the protagonist planning to continue his exploration in a second part, which he intends to post the following week. He invites viewers to join him in the next installment of his journey.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Backpacking

Backpacking refers to the activity of hiking or traveling with all one's belongings (and often food) carried on one's back in a backpack. In the video, the narrator embarks on a backpacking trip into a remote canyon complex, highlighting the adventure and self-reliance involved in this outdoor pursuit.

💡Ancient Structures

Ancient structures are historical architectural remains from past civilizations. In the context of the video, these structures are encountered in the canyon and are evidence of the 'ancient ones' who once inhabited the area. They provide a tangible connection to the past and offer insights into the lives of those who lived there centuries ago.

💡Desert Hiking

Desert hiking involves traversing arid, sandy landscapes with minimal water sources. It requires specific skills and preparations, such as knowing how to find and purify water from potholes. The video script describes the narrator's experience with desert hiking, emphasizing the challenges and strategies for survival in such an environment.

💡Petroglyphs and Pictographs

Petroglyphs and pictographs are forms of rock art. Petroglyphs are images created by removing the surface of the rock, while pictographs are painted onto the rock. Both are significant cultural expressions and historical records of ancient peoples. In the video, the narrator encounters these forms of art, which serve as windows into the beliefs, activities, and aesthetics of past inhabitants of the canyon.

💡Camping

Camping is the activity of staying overnight in a temporary shelter, often a tent, in outdoor environments away from urban areas. It is a key component of backpacking trips and involves skills such as setting up a campsite, preparing meals, and maintaining safety in the wilderness. The video details the narrator's camping experiences, including the selection of a campsite and the preparation of meals.

💡Historical Relics

Historical relics are physical objects remaining from past human activities, which can provide valuable information about history and culture. In the video, the narrator comes across various historical relics, such as an old cowboy camp and ancient corn cobs, which offer a glimpse into the lives of those who traversed the canyons in earlier times.

💡Preservation

Preservation refers to the act of maintaining or protecting something to prevent loss, damage, or change. In the context of the video, it relates to the conservation of ancient structures, historical relics, and the natural environment. The narrator expresses concern about the preservation of these sites for future generations and the impact of visitors on their integrity.

💡Ancestral Pueblo

The Ancestral Pueblo, also known as the Anasazi, were a group of Native American people who inhabited the Four Corners region of the United States. They are known for their sophisticated architecture, including cliff dwellings, and their agricultural practices. The video references the 'ancestral Pueblo' in connection with the corn cobs found, indicating the presence of this ancient civilization in the area.

💡Atlatle

An atlatle, also known as a spear-thrower, is a tool used to increase the velocity and range of a spear or dart. It is a significant technological development in prehistoric hunting and is depicted in one of the pictographs the narrator encounters, suggesting the use of such technology by the ancient inhabitants of the area.

💡Coyotes

Coyotes are wild canids native to North America and are known for their adaptability and presence in various environments, including deserts. In the video, the narrator mentions seeing coyotes, which adds to the wild and natural atmosphere of the setting and may also indicate the presence of a food source for these animals.

Highlights

The narrator embarks on a 3-day backpacking trip into a remote canyon complex in the American southwest.

Despite facing adverse weather and battling through tangled brush, the narrator is reminded that they might not be alone in the canyon.

Evidence of ancient inhabitants who once lived in these areas is discovered, adding historical depth to the trip.

The narrator reflects on the beauty of the desert landscape, especially during the transitional period from winter to spring.

Desert hiking strategies are discussed, including the common practice of drinking from potholes and the importance of filtering water.

An ancient granary and a larger habitation structure with blackened soot on the walls are found, indicating past use of the space.

The narrator describes the construction and preservation of the ancient structures, some over 800 to 900 years old.

The protective nature of the canyon overhangs is highlighted, explaining the good condition of the ancient sites.

The narrator encounters a conundrum of having too much water, deciding to carry less to avoid the weight.

An old cowboy camp is discovered with remnants of old cans, a pack saddle, and horseshoes, providing a glimpse into more recent history.

The narrator finds a vintage Lifesaver orange-flavor candy box and an old matchbox, adding to the collection of historical artifacts.

The narrator reflects on the loss of historical relics due to visitors taking items from the sites, expressing concern for the future of these places.

Ancient corn cobs are found, showcasing the agricultural capabilities of the ancestral Pueblo people.

Pictographs and petroglyphs are seen on large boulders, depicting animals and ancient tools like the atlatl.

The narrator explores a large site with multiple structures, portholes, and pottery, indicating a complex and long-standing community.

The narrator sets up camp, reflecting on the day's findings and preparing for the next day's adventures.

A detailed exploration of a high wall with a large doorway and multiple structures built into the cliff edge is described.

The narrator finds handprints of varying sizes, including a small one likely from a child, and discusses the preservation of these ancient markings.

The trip concludes with the narrator's intention to continue the exploration in a second part, to be shared in the following week.

Transcripts

00:00

[Music]

00:01

on this episode I'm backpacking into a

00:04

remote Canyon complex in the American

00:07

southwest where I'll be camping hiking

00:10

and exploring for the next 3

00:13

days along the way I face adverse

00:17

weather conditions battle through

00:19

Tangled brush and I'm reminded I may not

00:22

be the only one in this

00:24

Canyon but I'm rewarded with seeing many

00:27

evidences of the ancient ones that used

00:30

to call these places

00:31

[Music]

00:34

home this is one trip I'll remember for

00:38

a very long

00:44

time oh man it's just just one of those

00:47

days I am grateful to be out here

00:50

full-on spring hasn't hit things aren't

00:53

greened up yet but the weather's really

00:55

starting to feel nice it's the time of

00:57

year when water really shouldn't be an

00:59

issue you and we just had a storm come

01:01

through about 5 days ago so it's good

01:04

sign seeing all these potholes already

01:06

full of water if you're not familiar

01:09

with desert hiking drinking out of

01:11

potholes is very common of course you

01:13

want to filter it like you always do but

01:15

a pothole is basically just an eroded

01:18

kind of shallow impression sometimes

01:19

they're deep um but just an impression

01:21

in the Sandstone that collects

01:24

water ah feels good to be in the

01:28

canyon wow that that was fast I

01:30

literally just dropped in sort of around

01:32

this Bend about 200 yds back and clearly

01:36

that is an ancient route to get into

01:39

this Canyon because we've got a little

01:41

Grainery

01:43

there and I just noticed bigger

01:46

structure right

01:48

there I'm realizing there's a lot on

01:50

this overhang but let's check this one

01:53

out first looks just like a standard

01:58

Grainery in here

02:01

okay so about 25 ft to the right is this

02:05

much

02:06

bigger structure or what remains of it

02:11

this was clearly a habitation because

02:13

you've got all the blackening up there

02:15

on the

02:17

ceiling wow yeah this whole interior

02:20

wall is just covered in

02:25

soot here's some more down

02:28

here

02:30

not really sure if that's original or

02:33

somebody more recent times stacked all

02:35

that Juniper wood like

02:43

that look at this there's still a little

02:46

bit of the original fibers that they

02:49

used to tie those sticks

02:53

together probably 8 900 plus years

02:58

old

03:02

here's the inside

03:04

construction these things are pretty

03:05

much always empty these days so and

03:08

imagine what was in here at one point in

03:19

time so the second one has a great

03:21

example of you know how these things

03:24

would have originally been sealed up

03:26

this is not sealed this is just sort of

03:28

propped propped up against that but it's

03:32

a good example of how when these things

03:33

were actually in use they would have

03:35

sealed this front little doorway with

03:38

like a Sandstone slab like that so many

03:41

fingerprints up here in this

03:43

mortar so you can just see how like

03:46

perfectly three fingers just sort of fit

03:49

right up in there and push that in there

03:51

and it's always fascinating to think you

03:54

know how old was that person what was

03:56

their life like you know how long did

03:58

they live for

04:00

so if you're wondering you know how can

04:02

these ancient structures that are 800 a

04:05

th000 plus years old uh be in such good

04:07

shape out here well you're really

04:10

looking at it right here this big

04:12

overhang protects them from pretty much

04:15

all sun and definitely all rain and snow

04:18

and so already it's a dry climate out

04:20

here but then you throw in something

04:22

like this and yeah these things have you

04:25

know withstood

04:28

centuries well that's a great start if

04:30

this is a sign of things to come I think

04:33

we're in for a special

04:38

trip now that the days are getting

04:40

warmer the sun's heating up all the sap

04:43

out of these pinion Pines and the smell

04:46

is just so good it's definitely one of

04:48

my favorite scents out

04:58

here what well we've got a little bit of

05:01

a

05:02

conundrum clearly water is not going to

05:04

be an issue this trip but maybe too much

05:07

water will be an issue I would prefer to

05:11

stay dry so I think I'm going to see if

05:13

there's any way I can walk around the

05:15

rim here and drop in lower

05:19

down okay well that wasn't too bad just

05:22

a little extra

05:24

work we'll see what's up

05:27

ahead starting to wonder if there's

05:29

going to be more deep potholes that I

05:31

can't

05:34

avoid looks like a huge chunk of this

05:37

cottonwood tree fell down probably this

05:41

winter I am just blown away by how much

05:43

water is in here it's good Southwest

05:47

needs all the water it can

05:51

get it's insane there's literally water

05:58

everywhere there so much water that I'm

06:01

actually going to just dump out a couple

06:03

extra bottles I had I started off with 3

06:07

l which is kind of my standard amount

06:10

but yeah I mean when the water is this

06:12

plentiful I'll just carry like one one

06:15

liter and just refill frequently water's

06:18

heavy every liter is about 2.2 lbs so

06:21

you know I just shed about 4 lbs

06:25

here all right this is pretty cool so I

06:28

was just walking down here in the wash

06:30

and as I walked by I spotted the corner

06:33

of this box and I was like what the

06:35

heck and so I walked up here and I

06:38

realized oh this is an old cowboy Camp

06:41

old

06:43

cans looks like an old pack saddle here

06:54

maybe I think this is an old pack

06:58

saddle huh

07:00

wonder what

07:01

vintage old

07:13

horseshoes

07:14

some pan of some

07:17

kind think it's seen better days this is

07:21

up on the

07:22

overhang can't really make it out I

07:24

don't know if it's just a a name or a

07:27

date looks sort of like it says you know

07:30

maybe

07:31

like June or January 12th 1914 but I

07:36

could be completely making that up it's

07:39

like a huge uh kind of storage

07:46

deal

07:49

huh whole

07:53

bucket what do we got

07:56

huh a very old vintage lifesaver

08:01

orange

08:03

flavor what book is this

08:07

from all my friends are honest

08:11

folk I have to look that up when I get

08:18

back

08:20

and old box of

08:23

matches true American

08:26

brand I wonder what era that's from

08:31

it's like a little time machine back in

08:33

here looks like that's it that was a

08:36

cool little find wasn't it just a

08:39

reminder people have been crisscrossing

08:41

through these Canyons for you know

08:43

centuries up until the modern day as I

08:46

continued on I had an odd feeling that I

08:48

had seen this site before but how when I

08:52

got home I did some searching and

08:55

realized I had come across unnamed

08:57

photos of that same Cowboy camp

09:00

I looked at the photos with new eyes one

09:02

of them was from 2016 and showed the

09:05

inside of that same metal bin first I

09:08

was surprised at what I saw in the

09:10

picture then saddened to realize that a

09:13

mere 8 years ago there were more than

09:15

twice as many historic relics in the

09:17

same

09:21

container some selfish hiker or

09:24

Backpacker with sticky fingers had

09:26

walked away with numerous relics of the

09:28

Cowboys past

09:30

robbing not only me but everyone who

09:32

comes after of experiencing history

09:36

firsthand I truly fear what these places

09:38

will look like in 10 20 or 50 years if

09:42

we can't learn how to tread lightly

09:44

respect others and leave artifacts in

09:47

[Music]

09:50

place but for the time being I hiked on

09:53

oblivious to this still Blissful because

09:56

of my

09:58

ignorance

10:02

I just dropped my pack and ran up to two

10:05

different promising looking sites and

10:07

nothing was there that's kind of always

10:09

the Crux in places like this is you know

10:12

there's so many possible areas of just

10:15

some really neat historical and

10:17

archaeological finds that you're just

10:20

you're torn between you know covering

10:22

miles with the backpack and exploring

10:25

every nook and cranny and you can't do

10:27

it

10:28

all and I'm definitely a recovering

10:31

perfectionist always want everything to

10:33

be you know just right and sometimes

10:35

that serves me well and other times I

10:38

got to come out in places like this and

10:40

remember

10:42

hey it ain't going to be perfect and

10:45

just enjoy it find the little things to

10:47

be grateful

10:49

for speaking of which literally as I

10:52

said that look down

10:55

here next to my

10:57

footprint it's time

10:59

tiny but that's just a little piece of

11:02

corrugated

11:03

Pottery just washed down here the bottom

11:07

of the Canyon

11:09

from some ancient life probably

11:12

somewhere up on these

11:13

Ledges where

11:16

exactly hard to

11:20

say nothing but coyotes ahead of

11:28

me trying to knock some miles out then

11:31

my eyes spy that up in the corner

11:34

there

11:35

wow didn't even make it up there

11:40

yet where they went somewhere right

11:42

around the

11:45

corner so just down here looks like

11:49

we've

11:51

got it's like the style I saw down in

11:54

the

11:58

creek

12:04

so there's like two entryways

12:06

here it's pretty

12:28

cool

12:34

wow look at this I think it might be a

12:36

packrats nest and he just took you know

12:40

whatever he could find around here but

12:42

there are literally I mean dozens if not

12:46

like a 100 plus ancient corn cobs in

12:50

there from The ancestral

12:56

peblo just goes to show how much corn

12:59

they were able to

13:04

grow in the past Century when

13:06

archeologists and Scholars have been

13:08

trying to you know kind of classify

13:11

people and and put different cultures

13:13

into different time periods uh one of

13:15

the major distinguishing factors that

13:17

they've used is the development of

13:19

Agriculture here in the southwest it's

13:21

always hard for us in the modern day to

13:24

to try to wrap our heads around how you

13:25

farmed so extensively out here um but

13:29

you know the ancient people eventually

13:31

figured out how to grow corn beans and

13:33

squash and those were kind of some of

13:34

their main Staples for survival out here

13:37

so I just came up down from the bottom

13:39

here walked up this little wash and

13:43

already I can tell this place is

13:46

impressive there's pictographs and

13:50

petroglyphs

13:51

everywhere look at the size of these

13:54

Boulders I mean they're like the size of

13:56

a small

13:58

house and some of them

14:01

have various petroglyphs on

14:05

them some animals maybe a snake turkey

14:13

[Music]

14:19

tracks so this panel I know is pretty

14:22

old and the large reason I say that is

14:26

this what looks almost like a the New

14:29

Year's Eve ball in Time Square um is

14:32

actually a depiction of an at latle

14:34

which was U like a predecessor of the

14:36

bow and

14:37

[Music]

14:51

arrow here's some pottery this one in

14:54

particular caught my eye it's got a

14:56

drill hole through it which

14:59

I've kind of heard different theories

15:01

about what people think that was used

15:03

[Music]

15:07

for here's the first structure tucked up

15:10

under the cliff and these

15:15

[Music]

15:19

handprints then here's a look down the

15:23

ledge where there's a lot

15:27

more

15:35

this a pretty big sight I mean I'd say

15:37

it's 40 to 50 ft

15:40

long one of the first things I notice

15:43

are these Port holes which if you've

15:46

watched other of my videos you know

15:47

you've seen

15:49

before so I climbed up right here but I

15:52

wouldn't be surprised if at one point in

15:55

time all of this was like sealed off

15:59

here where this wall starts I think it's

16:02

probably crumbled and then I'll walk you

16:06

over I suspect the main entry was right

16:11

here that's definitely a

16:14

doorway and this port hole is like an

16:17

ancient ring doorbell system like this

16:20

literally looks out and right there is

16:23

the door that I just showed you so if

16:26

you're curious that's what I just showed

16:28

you you here's the main

16:31

doorway and then this wall I'm sure has

16:34

fallen but it goes all the way

16:38

back into

16:43

there and along this whole

16:46

way there's Port

16:49

holes

16:54

everywhere oh wow that is really cool

16:59

there is a ton of pottery back

17:02

here

17:04

wow some big chunks

17:07

too look at

17:10

that

17:23

amazing it's a really fascinating site

17:26

for a lot of reasons but look at this

17:30

it's like an old doorway that's been

17:33

sealed

17:34

up so at one point in time the original

17:37

inhabitants obviously changed the use

17:40

and function of that room in there for

17:43

whatever reason they sealed it

17:46

up so back here on this door there's

17:49

still a little bit of the original

17:52

cordage that they use to tie

17:57

that

17:59

[Music]

18:27

oh

18:31

[Music]

18:42

never ceases to amaze me it's just so

18:44

cool let's keep moving we got to find a

18:47

campsite before it gets

18:57

dark

19:10

[Music]

19:40

so I came to another pourover probably

19:44

40 ft off the ground I'm confident

19:46

there's a way around it but I don't know

19:49

whether I go to the right or

19:52

left so with daylight fading and having

19:55

to do some troubleshooting I'm tempted

19:57

to go up on this ledge somewhere up in

20:00

here just find a flat spot and set up

20:03

camp there's a little pool of water

20:06

right back here that that'll do too so

20:10

well I think this is it got a little

20:13

patch of sand here mostly slick Rock but

20:15

that's fine it's flat um yeah I've had

20:20

better had worse campsites so I think

20:22

I'm going to drop the pack and go grab

20:25

some water get some dinner going get

20:28

tent set up all that kind of

20:39

[Music]

20:52

stuff sometimes I see comments and

20:54

people ask me what kind of gear I use

20:57

I've got some of it linked in in the

20:59

description um not all of it so if you

21:01

want to see more just I guess let me

21:03

know and I can add that this is just a

21:07

little oneman tent from

21:14

REI it is nice not to be freezing as

21:16

soon as the sun goes

21:18

down I think it's still supposed to get

21:20

down to about 32 tonight but you know

21:24

it's still probably in the mid-40s now

21:26

which feels pretty nice

21:37

nice nothing special for dinner tonight

21:40

I had a feeling it'd be probably a late

21:42

night to Camp so just freeze-dried meal

21:45

think I'm going to sit here eat that

21:48

watch the stars and then head to bed so

21:50

we can get an early start

21:53

tomorrow good morning everybody I'm up

21:56

at first light

21:59

I think we got a big day ahead so I'm

22:01

going to get started with some Camp

22:03

chores like grabbing water and um going

22:06

to make a big breakfast and we'll get

22:10

rolling if you're curious what's on the

22:13

menu this morning it's kind of like a

22:15

breakfast scramble of sorts the main

22:19

thing you got these dehydrated eggs that

22:21

actually tastes really good I can't

22:23

really tell the difference um some of

22:25

that pre-cooked bacon all you have to do

22:27

is warm it up

22:29

and then I throw in a little bit of

22:31

zucchini pepper and shallot not the

22:33

whole thing that'll be for dinner

22:35

tonight and then add some carbs I just

22:37

crumble up some uh corn tortillas of

22:40

course you got to top it with some

22:42

cheese yeah pretty good stuff eat good

22:45

you feel good top it with a salsa packet

22:48

and some hot

22:50

sauce and that my friends is a good

22:52

breakfast for a good

22:57

day

23:00

all right let's get rolling I'm excited

23:03

although it's looking kind of for boing

23:05

in that direction we're headed uh

23:08

there's a big storm moving into the

23:09

mountains later this afternoon and I

23:12

watched the weather really closely for

23:14

this area um and they were only

23:16

predicting like 20% chance of rain SL

23:19

snow today which I was kind of skeptical

23:22

about because given the forecast I was

23:24

seen for the mountains but I don't know

23:27

we will see could get interesting before

23:30

it gets

23:33

over well here's the

23:37

20% if it gets worse I'll have to stash

23:41

this camera and break out the rain gear

23:44

but we'll see I'm hoping it's just a

23:47

kind of a passing

23:55

shower so I'm hiking along this water

23:58

and and you know seeing a lot of deer

23:59

tracks nothing in commmon with that and

24:03

I was

24:04

walking right over

24:07

here and check those out those aren't

24:11

deer tracks that's a mountain

24:24

line possibly tracking those deer

24:30

a little intriguing isn't it I mean

24:33

those aren't brand new fresh or anything

24:35

that wasn't in the last day or probably

24:38

a handful of days ago I would

24:42

guess beautiful

24:45

day cleared up pretty quickly who knows

24:49

there may be more coming in but for now

24:52

I'll take

24:54

it feeling increasingly small I

24:57

continued on firmly held within the

24:59

confines of the

25:01

canyon although the threat of Storm

25:03

still seemed possible the weather held

25:06

and I was able to quickly put miles

25:08

behind

25:09

me eventually I came to a Sandstone

25:12

bench I decided to drop some camping

25:14

gear here then continue on with a

25:16

lighter pack coming back to camp at this

25:19

ledge by

25:21

Nightfall okay let's go explore I was

25:24

just walking in the wash and I noticed

25:27

right at this like huge kind of overhang

25:29

and I thought huh I should go check up

25:31

in

25:33

there and there

25:36

is a really cool looking pictograph

25:39

panel up

25:41

there

25:43

wow I think the first thing that really

25:46

stands out to me is just the

25:48

colors like you've got green red orange

25:55

yellow oh and I just realized white too

25:58

too it's pretty uncommon to see you know

26:01

all of these colors in the same

26:05

panel I believe that's representative of

26:08

a corn

26:11

plant bunch of

26:14

[Music]

26:18

handprints wonder what that guy's doing

26:21

is he

26:22

dancing so I realized okay there's a

26:25

huge bird here it's I

26:28

it's like a

26:31

bullseye so

26:34

[Music]

26:49

cool there's so much some of it more uh

26:53

clear than

26:57

others

26:59

look at that figure at the top he's got

27:01

like a sash around his

27:05

waist look at

27:08

that that's kind of

27:13

[Music]

27:16

creepy so while I had my backpack off um

27:20

I kind of went around the corner and

27:22

climbed up on a little bit of a ledge

27:24

while I was up there I could look up

27:26

Canyon and I saw a pretty interesting

27:28

looking Rune up there so let's go check

27:30

that

27:32

out wow there it is through the

27:37

trees this is far more impressive than I

27:40

could tell from a

27:42

distance there's a lot of structures up

27:46

there so it sits about I don't know

27:48

probably close to 40 ft off the canyon

27:57

bottom

28:01

man this is

28:04

unreal so here's what you first come to

28:07

you know probably honestly about a 7ot

28:11

high

28:12

wall with a really large doorway in

28:15

terms of like what you normally see out

28:18

here and this thing is really solidly

28:22

constructed like they didn't want this

28:24

thing just knocked down

28:26

easily and then then I was just sitting

28:28

here marveling so this is built out like

28:32

right to the very

28:34

edge and then there's a little Cliff

28:36

here I mean not like a death defined

28:38

Cliff but you know 8 ft or something you

28:41

wouldn't want to fall off there and it's

28:43

pretty steep I mean I'm just sort of

28:45

sitting up here on this and yeah it's

28:49

like I get that it can be done but just

28:52

to think about the work and the care

28:55

that had to go into the construction of

28:57

this

29:00

and just some huge chunks of sandstone

29:02

as well like like this one right here I

29:05

mean that's probably at least 2 fet long

29:09

you've got one over here little bit

29:12

smaller but still I mean Hefty and of

29:15

course more Port holes here peep holes

29:19

loopholes whatever you want to call

29:21

them and I just turned back to grab

29:24

something out of my backpack and I

29:26

realized there's a bunch of

29:28

handprints look how small this one is in

29:31

particular you know it's probably it's

29:33

not even the length of my index finger

29:35

that's that's a young kid like I don't

29:38

know 5 years old look at these wooden

29:41

support

29:43

beams perfectly intact and

29:56

preserved bunch of corn cobs just inside

29:59

the

30:00

doorway you know this wall is just so

30:03

big and imposing like a lot bigger than

30:07

uh really any other Rune I can think

30:09

I've come across and it makes me wonder

30:12

you know was this fully enclosed at one

30:15

point or was its purpose to be really

30:17

just like a kind of a defensive line you

30:20

know something to keep keep the unwanted

30:23

people whoever that might be

30:26

out

30:28

so right over the

30:29

door it's another little pictograph

30:33

figure maybe 15t down from

30:37

him all of

30:40

this there's just so much look at this

30:44

handprint with like the swirl to

30:47

it that's different I continued on down

30:51

the ledge past a small storage structure

30:54

to the main building that had first

30:56

caught my attention

31:00

it's it's

31:03

unreal I don't even know where to

31:08

begin and look at these wooden beams

31:10

coming

31:25

out I just noticed right outside the

31:27

door door there's this big Sandstone

31:30

slab um it's what we call a matate and

31:33

you can see there's like a faint

31:35

indentation around it and that's where

31:38

they would have ground corn and seeds

31:40

and things like

31:50

that so it's best not to enter buildings

31:53

like this because inadvertently we bump

31:56

the the doors or the walls or something

31:59

when we go in but I'll put the camera in

32:01

here for sure so they had another

32:04

doorway so you could exit and enter via

32:08

both

32:09

sides

32:11

wow you can see really how they built

32:14

these things it's like a twostory ruin

32:21

here

32:26

amazing

32:35

okay I'll put this action camera on the

32:38

selfie stick through

32:40

[Music]

32:56

here

33:01

seems like a fitting time to wax poetic

33:04

and say some deep things about life or

33:07

the Ancients

33:09

but I got

33:12

[Music]

33:26

nothing

33:30

[Music]

34:28

taking it in like hopefully you guys can

34:31

do on the screen for the afternoon I'm

34:34

going to head up another side Canyon and

34:36

explore and so I think this makes kind

34:38

of a fitting breaking point where uh

34:41

I'll do the rest of the trip in a second

34:42

part I'll post it next week and so if

34:45

you are watching this video um over a

34:47

week since I posted it I'll put a link

34:49

in the description hope you guys enjoyed

34:51

it thanks for coming along

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