Bears Ears National Monument

President’s Day Weekend | Saturday – Monday, February 18-20, 2017

I finally made it to the Hobbs Wash Ruins this weekend while avoiding storms in the area.

This holiday weekend was supposed to be our first camping trip of the year, but the wet weather forecast made me rethink those plans at the last minute. Throughout the prior week and up until Friday the forecast was calling for 90-100% chance of rain and snow on Cedar Mesa and the surrounding area for Saturday and Sunday. I was about to cancel the trip altogether and stay home, but I decided to check hotel rates in Blanding on Friday afternoon and found a King Suite at the Rodeway Inn for $36 a night. At that price I couldn’t pass it up and figured that even if the weather didn’t cooperate with us, at least we’d have a nice getaway for the long weekend that wouldn’t cost very much. I am glad we still went because we had an awesome time and the weather really didn’t interfere too much.

While rain and snow did impact Cedar Mesa over the weekend, we were able to tour the brand new Bears Ears National Monument by staying further south, closer to Bluff and Mexican Hat. We also spent a little time in Hovenweep National Monument since Diane had not been there before. We would encounter a few sprinkles of rain and a bit of mud, but nothing that got us soaked. We saved our trip up onto Cedar Mesa for Monday after the storms had passed through the area and things started to dry out. Enjoy some photos from the weekend!

We were lucky enough to find our second complete pot this weekend. It’s funny, because we found our first one two years ago on the same weekend. This was certainly a highlight of the weekend for us!

Hovenweep Castle Reflection

Hiking through a shallow canyon of Comb Ridge.

A cool hoodoo that we found while searching for a petroglyph-covered boulder.

A dark boulder with some very old petroglyphs.

Limestone Falls

Ancient Life Petroglyphs

Unusual petroglyphs just outside the door of this ruin.

The Obelisk

Canyon Pool

Atomic Rock Petroglyphs

Butler Wash Road

The Big Crane

Tower Point with Sleeping Ute Mountain in the distance.

Another dark boulder with old petroglyphs. We saw a bunch of these this weekend.

Driving into the fog on Cedar Mesa at sunrise.

Striped Panel

Twin Towers

The edge of Tank Mesa.

The Procession Panel

Cedar Mesa Fog

View from the top of Comb Ridge.

Duckhead Man Panel

Diane hiking ahead of me.

Trail Fork

Full potholes on Comb Ridge from the recent storms.

A small ruin in the light and shadows.

A large stick-figure petroglyph.

Hovenweep Castle on the edge of Little Ruin Canyon.

Driving through fog as we drove up onto Cedar Mesa.

Pictograph designs in an alcove above a ruin.

Procession Panel Elk

Canyon Reflection

A rain squall in the distance as we drove over Cajon Mesa to Hovenweep National Monument.

A nice little waterfall in Johns Canyon from rain up on Cedar Mesa.

Cedar Mesa Pot

Driving back home past the Cameo Cliffs and La Sal Mountains.

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