I had the occasion to hear two Navajo women talking at the local gift shop. I wanted to listen to them all day; their language is so beautiful.
Tse′ Bii’ Ndzisgaii is the name of this area in the native tongue of the native people. The highway that runs through Monument Valley is called Navajo Code Talker Highway. They take pride in this unique contribution to the country that tried to break their spirit through cultural assimilation. A ‘fuck you,’ but in a dignified way. I like it.
The leading group of monuments sits in the Navajo Tribal Park, but they are everywhere in the broad plain across southeastern Utah. The elevation here is one mile. There are three formations: the Mesa, which looks like a tabletop; the Butte, which is smaller and more eroded; and the Spire which is the last stage as the rock becomes narrow and freestanding. They range in height from 500 to 1,500 feet.
When you get near their base, you can find boulders as big as a bus, rocks seemingly placed by some massive being in random places. Spires that look like they could topple over in a bad windstorm. Can you imagine seeing one fall?
You can stay in lodging on the park run by the Navajo or in a lodge in an area famous for its role in the Westerns of the 1940s through 1960s. John Ford and John Wayne are big names here. The memorabilia is fascinating and runs through relatively modern times.
The RV Park was just on the northern outskirts of the tribal park. The views were fantastic.
The camp host was a native. Although she could not speak Navajo, she knew the tribal names of her people. She is petitioning the tribal government for her own chunk of land, which is her right. She told me they had to stick a large pipe in the Mexican Hat Rock to keep it from falling off!
On this first day, we got up early and watched the sunrise on the monuments. Breathtaking!
We then toured Tribal Park. Eight bucks get you in with your car.
The Starship Excellent Adventure navigated the relatively smooth dirt, rock, and gravel rock. They must keep the road up because I saw a fleet of about 25 converted pickup trucks that will take those without the right car or guts to drive it themselves.
All the formations have names. Like cats, though, they have the name someone gives them and their real names.
I like to think only they and a few select groups of dedicated Navajo know them. Families lived here; I saw several homesteads and roads leading off with signs to keep out. No hiking allowed!
I marveled at some of these sheer faces. I imagined seeing pictures in them. What did the native peoples see in them? Images of nature, I would think. Or spirits.
There were several places you could ride horses. I saw a Navajo man riding at a good clip, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It could have been out of a movie.
Like nearly all places on the excellent adventure: Greenness. Viriditas. Life from water. Green, red, blue, and every other color on display. Reds that are so bright it doesn’t seem real. Stunning 🤩
That afternoon, I let Jake rest at the trailer and checked out Goulding’s Lodge in town. It was built in the late 1920s and became famous when Hollywood director John Ford began filming there.
These images from movies by John Wayne, Henry Fonda, and so many others were a big part of my early, impressionable childhood. I wanted to become a cowboy before I wanted to become anything else at an early age.
The following day we watched the sunrise from the other direction. There were some clouds which made for some sunrise color.
Valley of the Gods
We then packed up again and headed north, the way we came in until we reached the Valley of the Gods entrance. On the trip down the harrowing Moki Dugwash, we came through one side of this valley.
This road was a bit rougher and steeper than the one on the tribal land. However, I did see motor graders parked strategically at both ends to help keep it clear.
The trip through the valley was incredible. Again, the Starship Excellent Adventure did great – 10% grade in some spots.
At one point, we passed right by the foot of a butte. Giant boulders scattered at the base. I could imagine them careening down the side of a butte – what a sight that must be!
We eventually reach the massive plateau to the north. Ancient giants around me tell me their secrets if I am patient enough to listen. Looking at the strata – I can see an age when this land was covered with water.
Hardened over millennia. Worn away again and thrust upwards by the hot, unrelenting pressure of the fluid earth.
Like all our senses, nowhere near sensitive enough to the ever-so-small changes constantly occurring.
We got a good look at the Moki Dugway on the way out. We headed back to camp and relaxed for the rest of the hot day!
We woke on the 4th of July to find a beautiful moonset. The air was so clear you could see some detail on the moon’s surface with a zoom lens.
A fitting end to our stay here. Earth and Sky, Sun and Moon. We left this magical place – tall, silent giants watching over the millennia. Waiting to see what happens next!
Next stop in New Mexico for about two weeks before heading back south. The Excellent Adventure continues!
