From: galway@chtm.eece.unm.edu (Denis McKeon)
Subject: Re: Chaco Canyon next week?
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 92 07:33:52 GMT
Organization: Connemara - Computing for People
X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.0.1 12/13/89)
Bcc: jahn@guinness.idbsu.edu, jimy@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com
Status: OR

In article <3070035@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com> jimy@hpnmdla.sr.hp.com (Jimmie Yarnell) writes:
>In rec.backcountry, jahn@guinness.Idbsu.EDU (Greg Jahn) writes:
>
>    Briefly, has anyone out there been to Chaco Canyon, New Mexico
>    in winter?  Is it reasonable to go there as a day trip from
>    Albequerque?  How are the roads?
>
>A friend of mine visited Chaco Canyon a few winters ago, he said that
>it wasn't too bad with the few inches of snow on the road, I might add
>he was driving a Jeep 4 wheel drive Cherakee, as best as I could understand 
>it the road is dirt so maybe there is traction that wouldn't be on asphalt.
>
>  As for the time to round trip it , it didn't sound like it was much
>more than a long day from Santa Fe, I plan on making the trip to Chaco
>next week so I hope the snow doesn't become an issue.

I went to Chaco one day last summer from ABQ - in over the south road,
out by the north. The roads are not paved, but are pretty well graded
and cambered.  There were a few deep but dry holes just before and after
cattleguards, and a few wide flat clayey spots with rainwater puddled
in them that everyone just drives around the side of, but the worst
thing about the roads is that there is enough traffic over them when
they are dry to produce almost continous washboard.  Clench your teeth.

I haven't travelled them in winter, but to judge from other well
travelled dirt roads in NW NM I would expect them to be very travelable -
except perhaps during the spring rainy season.  Traction shouldn't be
much of a problem during the rest of the year, but reasonable ground
clearance and a bit of suspension are recommended.

(We did see people towing a power boat, and having quite a bit of trouble
getting the trailer hitch to clear the cattleguard humps - I can only surmise
that they were in transit cross-country on I-40 and decided to visit Chaco
as a detour on the way through Santa Fe.  I hope they learned something.)

If you visit Chaco as a day trip, do try to start quite early and to
plan to return late - the canyon is a wonderful place, with various
well-separated Anasazi ruins, and while I could have spent 2 or 3 days
camping, looking, learning, and hiking, my scheduling and yen for
exploring "short cuts" left us only a few hours to whip through the
visitor center and take one guided tour of one ruin.  

Do not make the mistake of trying to short-cut between San Ysidro and
Torreon, the long way is faster, take my word for it. :-)  For the
record, I did not, upon arrival at Chaco, ask Abbey's 3 worst tourist - 
uh, make that *visitor* - questions: "Where are the restrooms?  Where's
the Coke machine?  How long does it take to see this place?"

However, we did race walk through the visitor center and hustle out for
the tour.  All-in-all, if you're going to drive that far on those roads,
you will want to spend enough time to make the trip worthwhile.

Other FYI - Gas is fairly reasonably priced in Grants and Cuba, but
higher in the back country (no surprise, eh?).  The Cuban Cafe, on the
south edge of town, east side of Route 44, has pretty good chicken-fried
steak.  Nageezi, the town near the turn-off for the road to the northern
entrance of Chaco, is pronounced as if the "g" were a "y".  (Like: 
"It's Nageezi to Fall in Love".)  Thoreau, NM, on I-40 is pronounced
like "threw", which is quite likely the way Henry David pronounced it.

If the weather is bad on the day you are planning to go (bad like 6
inches of snow or more) you should telephone the Park before leaving to
see if the roads and/or center are open or passable.  505-988-6727, 6716  

The brochure sez: "No lodging, gasoline, repair services, or food are
available at the park.  The nearest town is 60 miles away. ... The NPS
operates a campground a mile from the visitor center.  ... No firewood
is available in the park."  Bottom line:  If you need it, bring it.
(And don't tell the Disney/concession people about Chaco!)  Enjoy.

--
Denis McKeon
galway@chtm.eece.unm.edu

QED: Quit and Eat Dinner