After worshipping with Sovereign Grace Bible Church in Flagstaff, we drove a few miles east to Walnut Canyon National Monument, an operation of the National Park Service to honor the people that lived in cave homes in the cliffs of the canyon several hundred years ago.
Here's Karen on the path that descends about 180 feet to the level of the cliff homes. Fortunate for us that the trail is now paved with concrete steps and handrails.
Most of the cliff homes we observed seemed to be at the same level in the canyon, possibly due to the natural caves already carved into the hillside. In this picture you can see some remaining walls in the cave in the middle of the picture. I don't think sleepwalkers lasted long in this community.
The girls demonstrate the height of one of the taller rooms in the homes we visited.
In addition to viewing the neighbors' homes across the canyon, the walking trail afforded beautiful views of the cliff faces where the layers of sandstone (lower) and limestone (upper) were obvious. I liked the look of the cliff in this shot in that you can see juxtaposed layers of sandstone indicative of turbulent water when these layers were laid down in the great flood.
This image of visitors to the site in the 1890s illustrates the popularity of exploring these abandoned homes. This photo was taken before the area was claimed by the U.S. Forest Service, so there were no paved paths or carefully maintained steps. It's images like this that make us laugh at folks that think hiking in a skirt is unthinkable. Look at the ladies in this image: they're dressed in long skirts, poofy blouses, corsets, and cute little hats, and they've just scrambled 180 feet down into the canyon for an afternoon outing. And we today think we're tough! Thanks for visiting!
Here's Karen on the path that descends about 180 feet to the level of the cliff homes. Fortunate for us that the trail is now paved with concrete steps and handrails.
Most of the cliff homes we observed seemed to be at the same level in the canyon, possibly due to the natural caves already carved into the hillside. In this picture you can see some remaining walls in the cave in the middle of the picture. I don't think sleepwalkers lasted long in this community.
The girls demonstrate the height of one of the taller rooms in the homes we visited.
In addition to viewing the neighbors' homes across the canyon, the walking trail afforded beautiful views of the cliff faces where the layers of sandstone (lower) and limestone (upper) were obvious. I liked the look of the cliff in this shot in that you can see juxtaposed layers of sandstone indicative of turbulent water when these layers were laid down in the great flood.
This image of visitors to the site in the 1890s illustrates the popularity of exploring these abandoned homes. This photo was taken before the area was claimed by the U.S. Forest Service, so there were no paved paths or carefully maintained steps. It's images like this that make us laugh at folks that think hiking in a skirt is unthinkable. Look at the ladies in this image: they're dressed in long skirts, poofy blouses, corsets, and cute little hats, and they've just scrambled 180 feet down into the canyon for an afternoon outing. And we today think we're tough! Thanks for visiting!
Dear Riggenbach Family,
ReplyDeleteWe absolutely loved this post (as we have all of your others). I am looking forward to many more pictures of modest young ladies hiking in skirts.
The Sauder Mommy
ps. We often get the question or actually the statement of...."You can't ride a bicycle in a skirt, it just can't be done." And then within moments, 5 dear Sauder ladies will come riding by in, yes you guessed it, skirts:-)
Karen... I like your blouse very much!
ReplyDeleteSauders -- believe it or not, I saw a skirt-wearing woman in Flagstaff today with a bicycle, although she was simply pushing it.
ReplyDeleteHave we ever showed you our picture sequence of Gretel demonstrating how to climb a tree in a dress?
Diane -- Karen says: "I looked at those pictures and thought, 'I really like that blouse, why don't I wear it more often?'"
I've thought the same thing about pictures I've seen of the early visitors to Yellowstone NP. Those were the days. :-)
ReplyDelete(I need to shop for a poofy blouse)
I'm enjoying all your travel pictures!
Mrs. Bringe
Mrs. Bringe -- I guess my "poofy blouse" description proves I don't always consult the ladies in the house on technical terms before posting. Given your skills, I'd be surprised if your shopping involved anything more than fabric and a pattern.
ReplyDelete