Hiking to ancient ruins in Bears Ears National Monument

Tens of thousands of sites of ruins of original Americans in Bears Ears National Monument are under threat from our own government.  This is wrong.

We have been told by people who are knowledgeable about such matters that there may be tens of thousands of ruins of original Americans in Bears Ears National Monument. 

 We saw some of them on a hike we took in the area two years ago. 

However, we haven’t seen any in the past 2 ½ weeks we have been camping in the area.  We knew they were around, and suspected we knew that some were close, but weren’t sure. 

Today is our last day camping along this road.  We aren’t sure where we are going next, but decided to give it one last try to find some.

We wanted to get into a wash that we had viewed from the rim.  To do that we had to walk a couple of miles to an area where getting into the wash didn’t entail falling off a cliff into it.  It was a beautiful hike down to the wash and along it.

We walked up the wash about one mile and found ruins. 

There was what was probably a kiva and  also petroglyphs.  Wow.

It was very moving.  Imagine 600-700 years ago a few families came to this spot and built homes.  They could not have imagined that this many years later their homes were still standing and that an entirely different group of people would be looking at them in awe. 

After hanging around for awhile we tried to get out of the wash without retracing our steps.  We went up a steep wash, and probably could  have made it, but it wasn’t within our comfort zone.  We both called “Safety Rule” at the same time, and went back down to explore another way out.  

 

We found a “trail” that was marked with cairns.  It was steep, but safe, and we made it up out of the canyon. 

Many people in this area (e.g., Blanding, Utah) are opposed to the idea of having this area be a National Monument.  I overheard one person explaining that people in this area have been running cattle here for several generations and know how to “take care of the land.” Of course, there are no plans to not allow cattle in the area--that is a fear that is being self-generated.  There might be some changes in how permits are given, but that's all that is planned. 

Basically, the problem is change.  The resistance in the area really is kind of a mark of saying that they and their families can’t adapt to change.  Like, whose profession hasn’t changed drastically in the past 25 years?  I don’t believe it---they can adapt.

All one has to do is go to Moab, 60 miles or so up the road, to see a city that has adapted.  That town practically has money flowing out of the water spigots.  It is a hub for tourism.  Same with St. George, where we explored two years ago.  Blanding, in contrast, is quiet.  Frankly, it has a feeling of being almost comatose.  Nice people, for sure.  But no energy.  No new buildings.  You can’t even purchase alcohol within the city limits.  That’s their right, but then don't blame other people who want to use their public lands for forcing the issue on you.  I doubt many young people would want to stay there. 

Adapt, change, grow, be creative and develop, people of Blanding.  Bears Ears is a gold mine of opportunities for people who are forward thinkers and who can adapt.

We have seen how Native American artifacts have been destroyed in Joshua Tree National Park and in the Comanche National Grasslands.  Petroglyphs and drawings painted over in those areas.  This happened because the areas lacked protection. 

It is land that belongs to all Americans—to people in Hoboken, New Jersey, Carbondale, Illinois, Whidbey Island, Washington, as well as to people in Blanding, Utah. And for decades the land has been managed by tax money provided by all Americans, not just by the people in Utah.  It doesn't belong to them any more than it does to people in Florida, or Oregon, or Hawaii.

 It has a history that is especially important to original Americans.  And to all of us.  And our children.  And our grand-children, and on and on. 

It is an area that needs the added protection that a National Monument status provides it.  And this designation provides almost limitless opportunities for people in Utah, if they will use their creativity and hard work to take advantage of them.