Snake House Ruins - Bluff, Utah
What great fortune in meeting new friends. Canadian brothers Terry and Don down from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, pulled up beside our spot in their Class A motor home towing a new tricked up Rubicon Jeep. It wasn't long before they had invited us to go off road with them and the first trip was to the Snake House Ruins, AKA River House Ruins. What a blast we had with those two gents.
First stop San Juan Hill. This was the last major obstacle for the Mormon settlers trying to find their way to what would become Bluff, UT. They harnessed horses and oxen seven span to pull both beast and wagons over the steep incline.
Don and Terry at San Juan Hill. The hill the settlers went over is directly behind the sign and is solid rock. It is told that the incline was so steep for the horses and oxen that the path over the top was marked with blood and matted hair where the teams struggled on their knees to find a foothold. Some of the animals even died right there as they struggled against the hill.
Next stop William Hyde's Trading Post which operated in the 1880's... not much is left. Beyond the structure you can see the mighty San Juan River.
A look down on the river bank. There is a very strong current in that water!
On the way back to the Jeep from the river bank we stopped to investigate the remains of the water well. Don noticed some caves just past the well remains...
I went over to see and immediately after the picture I was surprised by a huge beast... you can see it in the picture, which I didn't see at the time. Can you see it?
We came over the small cliff and saw this mighty stallion! He came closer, but we didn't trust him and jumped in the Jeep.
Off we went to the main attraction, the River House Ruins AKA the Snake House Ruins. Below as seen from the Jeep.
We started the climb up the stone steps to the ruins.
Looking back down the stone steps and across the San Juan River. Across the river you can see places where natural arches are forming. We have observed many, many of these formations in this area.
At the top of the first set of stone steps, we see a second set of steps leading up into the kivas.
Looking to the south and east you can see the San Juan River below.
We think this is a key shaped window.
We see some pictographs and petroglyphs high on the walls and ceiling. There is the name sake snake of the ruin right in the middle.
A little closer in we can see the spirals on the ceiling, goats under the large snake and a man with antennae!
Fascinating!
Steve stands next to a very small door constructed with a wooden header, and has his hand in a ceiling beam hole. Wooden poles were placed through these holes and a from that a second floor was constructed.
Smaller structures were constructed near the end of the cave ledge. We can see more petroglyphs below.
Closer in we can see several figures, on of our favorites is when we see hand pictographs. Can you see the hands below?
A unique perspective from inside of a kiva.
We discover a very small ruin at the opening of a crevice.
Small Barrel Cactus blooming up high.
Looking back at the Snake House Ruin as we depart for the last stop.
Don leads the way to the Butler Wash Petroglyph Panel. When we see the blackened rock, or desert varnish, we know that petroglyphs are probably nearby.
Look at all that desert varnish! It's huge!
Although hard to see, there are literally hundreds of individual drawings here.
A little closer look helps...
This fella is a giant!
A window to another time...
A small deer chiseled into the rock. Steve's hand provides size perspective. We don't touch the rock because the oils in our hands can cause the ancient drawings to erode more quickly.
Is this man hunting the deer?
A great outing today, time to head back to the RVs.
Cottonwood trees along the San Juan River.
Steve standing beneath one of the old Cottonwood trees.
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