Part 6, November 2008 Land Cruise News

 

 

 

Part 5 left us at Canyonlands National Park at the north entrance.  Just outside the boundary of Canyonlands is Dead Horse Point State Park.  We drove there and spent the night at the campgrounds.

 

 

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Scientists believe that a meteor struck this place several million years ago.  The impact devastated everything for miles and made a huge crater.  The light colored area is the center of the crater which "rebounded" after the impact.  This pit is called Upheaval Dome.

 

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The view of the Colorado River from Dead Horse Point.   Dead Horse Point is a butte of unknown acreage, connected to the rest of the area by a very narrow natural ridge.  Cowboys used the point each year rounding up wild horses.  They would drive the horses onto Dead Horse Point and close off the ridge.  Then they could pick out the best horses from the culls.  Then they would release the culls, known as broomtails, back into the wild.  It is said that one year, a cowboy forgot to open up the ridge, (he must have been older) and the horses, trapped on the point in view of the mighty Colorada River, all died of thirst. 

 

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Chuck took a hike up to Aztec Butte to see a Puebloan granary.

 

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He had quite a hike up Big Butte but it was worth it.

 

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Possibly a small living quarter and a small granary for food storage.

 

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The Little Butte granary was much more intact and an easier climb.

 

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The sunset that night in the Dead Horse State Park was fabulous.

 

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The view from our camper window.

 

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The night ended with a full moon rising.

 *******End Part 6 *******