My new friend Laura and I wanted to go for a hike, so we asked Jason for a recommendation. "Devil's Chasm" was his immediate response, so we headed out the the beautiful Sierra Anchas (which are also home to Parker, The Jug, and Waterslides).
It's only 2 miles to the Indian ruins, but it felt like one of the longest hikes of my life. The trail follows a creek up the canyon, and by up I mean almost 2,000 feet in less than 2 miles. I was struggling and cursing Jason all the way up. Finally, we reached the turn off for the ruins. At this point, the trail leaves the canyon floor and heads almost straight up a cliff. The crazy thing is that, at this point, you still can't see the ruins.
Laura and I chose different approaches to this nearly vertical, loose dirt trail. She got angry and just started running up it, which resulted in a one-step-forward, two-steps-back type of progress. I would take a step, then pause and plan the placement of my next step, carefully studying the ground for anything that might give me traction and roots and/or branches I could grab on to. It was slow going for both of us. (More so for me.)
But then the ruins came into view, and the whole ordeal was worth it. "Jason Marshall, for the win!" I grinned as I stepped across the threshold into the first room.
The ruins consist of 4 rooms in a row that were multistory at one point. They are in great condition since they are so difficult to get to. The wooden beams of the ceiling are still intact, and you can even see small handprints in the clay where the walls were patted into place.
It felt sacred.
It also felt sad. What kind of conditions lead to people building in such an inaccessible place? 900 years later, no one is sure of the answer.
Jason had been "in the neighborhood" in The Jug all day, so we met him at Four Peaks that night to swap stories of our days over a beer. Both hikes involved rain and thunder, which was unexpected and awesome. Laura and I laughed about looking like we'd "given up," showing up at a bar in a college town completely filthy. (The trails were so steep I slid down them on my butt on the way back.) I was surprised to learn that Jason had never actually been there, just heard about it and wanted to go. Laura and I both endorsed the hike, although I don't know if I'd go back anytime soon. I don't know how those Native Americans climbed those cliffs on a daily basis!
It's only 2 miles to the Indian ruins, but it felt like one of the longest hikes of my life. The trail follows a creek up the canyon, and by up I mean almost 2,000 feet in less than 2 miles. I was struggling and cursing Jason all the way up. Finally, we reached the turn off for the ruins. At this point, the trail leaves the canyon floor and heads almost straight up a cliff. The crazy thing is that, at this point, you still can't see the ruins.
Laura and I chose different approaches to this nearly vertical, loose dirt trail. She got angry and just started running up it, which resulted in a one-step-forward, two-steps-back type of progress. I would take a step, then pause and plan the placement of my next step, carefully studying the ground for anything that might give me traction and roots and/or branches I could grab on to. It was slow going for both of us. (More so for me.)
But then the ruins came into view, and the whole ordeal was worth it. "Jason Marshall, for the win!" I grinned as I stepped across the threshold into the first room.
The ruins consist of 4 rooms in a row that were multistory at one point. They are in great condition since they are so difficult to get to. The wooden beams of the ceiling are still intact, and you can even see small handprints in the clay where the walls were patted into place.
It felt sacred.
It also felt sad. What kind of conditions lead to people building in such an inaccessible place? 900 years later, no one is sure of the answer.
Jason had been "in the neighborhood" in The Jug all day, so we met him at Four Peaks that night to swap stories of our days over a beer. Both hikes involved rain and thunder, which was unexpected and awesome. Laura and I laughed about looking like we'd "given up," showing up at a bar in a college town completely filthy. (The trails were so steep I slid down them on my butt on the way back.) I was surprised to learn that Jason had never actually been there, just heard about it and wanted to go. Laura and I both endorsed the hike, although I don't know if I'd go back anytime soon. I don't know how those Native Americans climbed those cliffs on a daily basis!
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