Hiking Team: Dave Miller, Rosie Miller
Date: May 20, 2024
We were battered by 40mph winds as we drove through the park nestled between the Painted Desert and the ponderosa highlands to the north. You could still see 12,600-foot Humphrey’s Peak (still snow covered) southwest in the distance by Flagstaff which ironically would be clouded over by a wildfire two days later when we drove back by there. The park has ruins of Pueblo communities dating back to the 1100’s with one adobe structure having 104 rooms, a ballcourt and a natural blowhole feature. We saw elk across the white prairie grass but could not hike the park trail to the ruins due to the strong winds. Tumbleweeds were blowing everywhere. A large gust almost blew Rosie over when she posed for a photo.
