This image is slightly against the rules since this is a positive scan but I wanted to share this image.
This image is of a ruin that is very special to me. My first time visiting here was about 7 years ago, when according to the little ranger station in the area, roughly 50-75 people would visit per year. You must downclimb a canyon, up the other side, and then crawl through a small doorway in order to enter. What you see here is an exterior wall to the left that has slots in the top similar to a medieval castle that filters in the light. One of these rooms is a kiva and contains ceremonial pictures on the wall.
The sad reality is that about two years ago some people in a neighboring town were angry at the BLM and approached the Salt Lake City Tribune to run an article on this amazing site in a form of revenge for blocking ATV access. They ran a full page article. The nearby ranger station (all staffed by volunteers by the way) scrambled to get a permit system in place before the hoards arrived. Sure enough, everytime I visit I see little signs of degration, litter, artifact removal, and general clumsiness that will eventually cause any of these walls to fail. I hope that one day this place will be forever closed. Many years have past, but not long ago a Hopi elder recognized the figures and the ruin as a living member of their clan. To them, this place is still alive.
In hopes of preservation, I have sought to photograph this special place to the best of my abilities, both selfishly, and to share.
Only time will tell.....
