Ruins at Monarch Cave
U.S.A., Utah 2013
We were rewarded with the sight of these beautiful ruins after a short hike on Cedar Mesa. Below the ruins is a circular pool filled with dark green colored water. I’d read somewhere about a tribe that sacrificed to their gods by throwing people into a pool just like the one I stared down at. Spooky.
Vaughn Hadenfeldt, our archeologist guide, told me that the pool served as a water source for the Indians who had hidden them selves so skillfully under the overhanging cliff. Vaughn noticed a tiny bit of cord, woven from hair and I photographed it. See it here: http://www.rosemarysheel.com/archives/monument-valley-panorama
What I didn’t tell you in that post is that the women of the tribe cut their hair to use to weave cords and maybe blankets…I don’t know. My mind got fixated when Vaughn told me that the women had to cut their hair but the men grew theirs as long as they wanted.
How does that work? How do we always fall for it? The women worked as hard as the men, most likely they worked harder. The trick must have been that because the men hunted…no one could see them work and so they could convince the women that they worked hardest. I can just hear one of them, “OK, if you don’t want to eat any more deer cordon bleu, then I won’t go hunting again. We’ll just eat leaves and berries. Makes no difference to me.” I know I left out the part where he says he’ll work alongside her picking berries, but somehow him saying that didn’t ring true even in my mind.
I’d love to return to Cedar Mesa and have Vaughn take me on another hike, but I think he has run out of places that I can hike to in one day. But if you are healthy and hearty and love the outdoors, contact Vaughn at : http://faroutexpeditions.net/