Lyman Lake, a man-made reservoir at around 7000 feet of elevation, was smack in the middle of the relatively young Springerville Volcanic Field. Several hundred individual volcanoes, along with their associated lava flows, dotted this scenic high-desert landscape.
At 7000 feet, spring had not made much of an arrival when we arrived in early April, so it wasn’t too surprising that we found the campground nearly empty.
Internet connectivity and TV reception were nonexistent; we wondered how that would work out for a week… As it turned out, our campsite was located at the base of a hill about 100 feet high. At the top of that hill,
we detected a weak Verizon signal that we finessed once a day for a quick check of email, social media, and headline news. By the end of our visit, we felt that a week “sorta off the grid” was a good thing…
Along with a friend we met, we hiked some interesting trails to petroglyph sites around the state park.
On another day, we explored 14th century pueblo ruins along the lake shore.
Interesting trivia about the Springerville/Eagar area included the facts that:
- Outlaw cowboy Ike Clanton (present at the Gunfight at the OK Corral) was shot dead in Springerville while resisting arrest in 1887.
- Eagar was the location of John Wayne’s beloved 26 Bar Ranch, which known for its prized Hereford cattle.
BACK IN TIME AT CASA MALPAIS
However, our main purpose for visiting this remote Arizona state park was for the opportunity to visit the ruins of Casa Malpais, a village that was inhabited from 1240-1350 by the Mogollón people. The ruins site was owned by the town of Springerville, and the only way to gain access was with a Springerville museum tour guide.
Casa Malpais was situated on a rugged volcanic rock terrace above the flood plain of the Little Colorado River on the outskirts of Springerville. The Mogollón people cleared the rocks from the volcanic terraces and then used these areas below their village as agricultural fields to grow corn, beans, and squash. The outline of dozens of rooms could clearly be seen from above.
Archeologic exploration of Casa Malpais has uncovered at least 70 rooms in addition to evidence of a great kiva,
rock art,
and a large room designed as a solar calendar.
Ancient puebloan villages like Casa Malpais that show clear evidence of astrological alignments of their building structures never cease to amaze me. These early inhabitants were clearly in tune with the cosmos, as their very survival depended on intimate knowledge about the cycles of nature and the mathematical regularity of observed heavenly bodies.
When questioned, our local guide denied any knowledge of burial sites at Casa Malpais; however, I later learned from a high school friend, who used to live in Eagar, that several hundred graves in burial chambers called catacombs have been known to exist at the site. Indeed, an article written by an archeologist who did extensive work onsite stated that Casa Malpais is notable for the fact that these catacombs are the first known used by any prehistoric people north of Mexico. Out of respect for the dead, perhaps the guide’s denial was a way of discouraging the public from disturbing burial sites.
TIMELESS BEAUTY AT THE GRAND CANYON
After a week at Lyman Lake State Park, we moved the big-rig to Trailer Village for a week on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
We had the luxury of time to explore the historic structures of the canyon, such as:
El Tovar Hotel, the signature lodge of the Grand Canyon.
century-old Hopi House,
Hermit’s Rest,
and Desert View Watchtower.
Hopi House, Hermit’s Rest, and Desert View Watchtower and were all masterpiece creations of famed early 20th century Grand Canyon architect Mary Colter, who was a master at blending indigenous culture with the natural environment when creating her designs. Desert View Watchtower was most impressive.
Inside the tower, Mary Colter’s concept of painting the walls with vibrant representations of Native American themes was breathtaking.
An indoor winding staircase led to an upper story with windows on all sides that overlooked 360-degree sweeping vistas.
The Grand Canyon was formed by the Colorado River as it carved deeply into the uplifted sediments of the Colorado Plateau over a period of a mere 6 million years. The river cut all the way down to the 2-billion-year-old black-colored Vishnu Basement Rock layer, a schist layer that forms the very foundation of the continent!
Over our week’s stay, we took frequent advantage of the South Rim’s free shuttle bus system. As a result, we were able to hike most of the 13-mile South Rim trail. The canyon view always seemed to change depending on the time of day and the presence or absence of cloud cover. Early morning seemed to showcase the most vibrant colors.
Rain in the distance provided a different kind of drama.
The view from the South Rim looking down on the end of Bright Angel Trail recalled a hike Al and I took together 40 years ago, shortly after we were married. The 12-mile roundtrip trail went down 3000 feet and ended at a precipice overlooking the inner canyon.
In his bachelor days, Al hiked all the way down into the Grand Canyon to river level, where he recalled simply laying a sleeping bag out on the ground to sleep at the bottom. No special permits required. For both of us, rim hikes were quite sufficient for appreciation this time…
The view from Shoshone Point necessitated a mile hike, making it one of the lesser visited viewpoints, but we felt it was one of the best!
It was hard to chose our favorite vanity shots…
Animal sightings, both in camp
and along the rim,
plus sightings of rafters about to enter treacherous whitewaters of the Colorado River,
only emphasized the fact that the Grand Canyon remains an untamed wilderness.
There is little original commentary I could add to any description of the Grand Canyon. The desert landscape certainly makes it one of those unique places on Earth where a couple of billion years of geologic time is not hidden under a cloak of vegetation. Simply put, the sweeping grandeur of nearly 2 billion years of geologic history displayed in the rock layers simply overwhelmed the senses. The view itself was all that was necessary to elevate one’s thoughts to a spiritual level.
Carol Galus
Photo-Blogger
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