Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-04-15
QUICK TRIP TO
PAJAR|T0 PARK
Made By Members
of Archaeological
Society
nnrur nlir nr nnallnrlln
Scene ONE OF GRANDEUR
Magnificent Views and Won.
derful Prehistoric
Ruins.

Rio Grande at Buckman, at the head
of White Rock Canon, has brought
the cavate, cliff and communal build
ings Of the Pajarito District several
hours nearer to Santa Fe than any
other portion Of that wonderful re.
gion. The Ramon Land and Lumber
Company built the bridge and main
tains sawmill and lumber camp
twenty-five miles west of Santa Fe on
the Ramon Vigil grant, within the
boundaries of which is the Pajarito
Canon, in some respects the most in.
teresting and the most accessible part
of the clff-dwellings section that lies
between the Rio Grande and the Jemez
mountains west Of Santa Fe
To map out the most feasible and
shortest route overland to the Pajarito
section. five members of the Archae.
illogical Society started on Saturday
evening" shortly before o'clock for
the sawmill on the Pajarito. In the
party were Postmaster Paul A. F.
Walter, DR.. C. A. Wheelon, A. H. Brod-
head. H. F. Stephens and G. A. LAUGH.
ner. The two-horse mountain wagon
was loaded down with camping equip.
age and provisions for day and a
nights outing and therefore assured
that no special speed would be made.
The journey was the greater part by
night without moonlight and therefore
necessarily slower than as if made in
daytime. Yet, the Pajarito Plateau
was reached by 10 o'clock and camp
was pitched at 1O;30 p. M. after some
time had been lost in watering the
horses in the Rio Grande and in feel.
ing the way carefully over part Of the
road unfamiliar to the travellers. In
other words, the trip can be made
comfortably in six hours and If neces'
sary in an hour less.
Most Direct and Best Road.
There are several roads to Buck
man from Santa Fe, all in fair condi'
tion for light or heavy wagons. The
road with the feWest steep grades or
least sand, however, is reached by
driving down San Francisco Street
and then turning toward the largest
trestle of the Denver & Rio Grande
Railroad, passing under it and keep
ing for ten miles on top of the mesa
from which magnificent and ever
changing views of the Sangre de
Cristo Range, the Wales Mountains and
the Sandals are obtained. The road
is in fine condition, has no steep
grades and no sand until the railroad
is again struck twelve miles from
Santa Fe. From this point to the
Canon Diablo, the road Is constantly
within sight of the railroad track. 1t
is hanked on the south by splendid
palisade of various colored cliffs and
volcanic formations that attain their
greatest scenic effect in the Canon
Diablo or Devils Canon, a short but
gloomy fissure with towering rock
sides that exclude the sun except early
or late in the day at certain seasons
of the year. From the canon to Buck
man is scarcely two miles and the
descent is rapid, but without serious
grades. The road is easy to find.
Care must be taken in going to Buck
man not to get on the two roads to
San Ildefonso which branch off about
twelve miles out aud near Buckman,
both running due north and also well
travelled In returning, equal care
must be had not to stray into the
roads to Cieneguilla and Aqua Fria,
which branch off where the highway
leaves tho railroad track to cut off a
large arc made by the railroad.
From Buckman to the Pajarito Plat
eau there is but one road and that
rival to the Scenic Highway on the
Pecos Forest Reserve. It makes a
sheer ascent Of almost 1000 feet in
four miles and the views from it rival
those from the peaks Of the highest
Sierra. 1t ascends by winding around
the north side of vast natural am
phitheater that might serve as strik-
ingly illustrated text book Of geology.
Here cliff rises above cliff, colors run
riot in the rock formations that are
on a stupendous scale, some gnarled
and twisted by volcanic forces, others
in horizontal or vertical strata of
such uniformity as to suggest an ar
chitect who used mountains as the
blocks with which to build temples OF
classic outline. The ascent Of this
road alone is worth trip from Santa
Fe. Two trails shorten the climb for
the pedestrian SO that the Pajarito
Mesa can be reached easily from
Buckman in an hour on foot. The
tourist who starts from Santa Fe on
the II q. m. Denver & Rio Grande