From Durango, we were heading west to our next month-long stay in Kanab, Utah. Why Kanab? I’ll get to that in a future post. On the way, the plan was to make several stops to see Mesa Verde, the 4 Corners Monument, and Monument Valley. Mesa Verde is a short distance from Durango and an easy day trip. That had been our plan in the middle of our pet sit but it didn’t work out (sick pup). It is also important to again point out that Southwest Colorado had been getting a lot of rain and that was forecast to continue off and on. We had a great half day in Mesa Verde and a fortunately smooth though periodically rainy drive.
You will notice in the gallery some pics indicate the ominous horizons we did have to drive through while others are sunny and bright. It was one of those days with waves of rain (and lightning). On the bright side, the interplay of light and shadow, bright sunny blues to ominous stormy blue greys made the scenery that much more dramatic. We also didn’t realize how lucky we were to have left when we did. We crossed the San Juan River in Arizona and saw it in what apparently was early flood stage. The next day that bridge was closed due to more severe flooding and large debris (shipping containers) hitting it.
Due to the San Juan flooding, 4 Corners was closed so I just snapped the sign. We ventured on to Monument Valley which is a park operated and on Navajo Nation land. There is a drive in the valley, a dirt road, that was closed due to washouts and deep mud. We were able to get to the visitor’s center and view the monuments from above, albeit briefly. The skies opened up.
I feel compelled to add here that the Navajo Nation has been hit hard. If you have the means to help, seek out ways to donate for the hundreds of families hit hard.
As we got closer to crossing from Arizona into Utah the weather began to clear up. Having heard about Glen Canyon Dam before, which forms Lake Powell, it was something to actually cross it. A clear reminder of its power generating role sits clearly in view. The San Juan River is a major tributary that flows into the lake. Yep, the river flooding the Navajo Nation. A quick bit of research uncovered that the lake hit an historic low in mid-September. All the area rain has, as of my writing, reportedly raised the lake level more than 12 feet. Talk about feast or famine.
