Natural Bridges - Sipapu Overlook

Sipapu Bridge from the overlook

We left Blanding in the morning, and headed west toward Natural Bridges National Monument.  After a brief stop at the Mule Canyon Ruin, we continued on to the monument.  Natural Bridges National Monument was designated by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, and became Utah's first area in the national park system.  The three bridges people come to visit first named President, Senator, and Congressman, and then later Augusta, Caroline, and Edwin.  Their current names are taken from the Hopi language and are Sipapu, Kachina, and Owachomo.  These names have been in place since 1909.

Sign welcoming you to the monument.

We began at the visitor's center.  There is a video presentation available here, but I did not stop to watch it.  It was COLD the morning we visited the park, with stiff winds driving the temperature downward. Since it was sunny, one of our group had managed to leave both a hat and sweatshirt in our motel, so my stop at the visitor's center involved some important shopping for necessary clothing items for the day.

After leaving the visitor's center, we took the 9 mile loop road to see the bridges.  The distinction between bridges and arches is the forces that form them.  Bridges are eroded by moving water, whereas arches are formed mainly by frost and seeping water.  Once bridges form, frost and seepage continue to erode and enlarge them. The stream still runs through the bottom of the canyon at Natural Bridges, and we could see it winding under two of the bridges.

View of the canyon as we started hiking.

It was so cold in the wind as we started our hike that we almost turned back.  However, we were going down into the canyon, and hoped that the steep walls would provide some shelter from the wind.  Hanging on to our hats and bundled in sweatshirts, we started down the Sipapu trail.  Sipapu is a Hopi word meaning "place of emergence."  It is the portal through which the Hopi believe their ancestors entered the world.  Carvings representing the sipapu are common in rock art, and many kivas have an off-center hole representing the sipapu as well.

Looking back at the trail.

The Sipapu view trail begins on slickrock. Cairns mark the way, and steps have been carved from the rock to make the trail easier to navigate.

Metal stairs descend into the canyon.

We descended down into the canyon via a set of metal stairs.  The walls did provide some shelter from the wind, and we started to thaw out a little bit.  Although April through October is the best season for visiting the monument, be prepared for varying weather conditions.

I negotiate the wooden ladder.

After the stairs, we climbed down a wooden ladder.  Getting settled on the first rungs is the toughest part.  If you are in a large group, the ladder is where people bottleneck on the trail.  The trail curved around, hugging the steep canyon wall.  It was beautiful.

Desert varnish on the canyon walls.

We continued on the trail which levels off significantly at this point.  The canyon dropped off steeply on our right.  We passed the junction where you can hike down into the canyon,  descending  to the bottom for an  intimate view of  Sipapu Bridge.  Our schedule and fitness level made us stick to the overlook trail.

Trail sign indicating your hiking options.

The trail emerged from the soft dirt of the canyon onto slickrock again, and we proceeded to the view point.  This is not a terribly long hike.  Including time spent taking pictures and enjoying the view, we spent about 40 minutes hiking this trail.

Tiny erosions pocked the canyon wall.

Despite its massive size, Sipapu Bridge is a bit hard to see at the overlook, depending on the lighting and time of day.  However, you can see the bridge from the viewpoint, and the view from this vantage point does give you a sense of its size.  According to the park information, Sipapu is 220 feet high with a span of 268 feet.  Some day I would like to hike to the bottom of the canyon and see it from there.

At the overlook...the bridge is on the right.

The overlook is not fenced, so use caution around the steep drop-offs.  After getting our fill of Sipapu Bridge, we retraced our steps to the parking lot, and continued on the scenic loop.  Natural Bridges can easily be viewed in a couple hours, or if you have time, you can do some extensive hiking here.  The monument also has camping sites.

Sipapu Bridge from the overlook - Natural Bridges National Monument

We hoped the wind would die down as we climbed back out of the canyon.  Sipapu was imposing and beautiful, and I was glad we took the time for our short hike!

Coming soon:

Natural Bridges - Kachina Bridge

Natural Bridges - Owachomo Bridge

Natural Bridges National Monument link

Utah Renaissance Festival - Part 2, Knights of Mayhem

Sir Jason warms up Thor

My favorite part of the Utah Renaissance Festival (which continues this weekend) was watching the Knights of Mayhem joust.  We caught the 4pm joust on Friday, which was the last one of the day.  Thor, a paint horse, came to the Knights of Mayhem from the vaulting world, and has only been involved in jousting for about a year.  He is a big animal, and was beautiful to watch.

Sir Edward on Lady Chaos

Thor's opponent that afternoon was a Shire mare named Lady Chaos.  She was patient, steady, and you would never know that she is blind in one eye.  The Knights of Mayhem treat jousting as an athletic competition.  They have regulations for the gauge and construction of their armor, and score points for hits.  They do not carry a shield, but rather bolt a shield plate to their armor.  Points are scored for hitting the red area of the shield.

A squire assists Sir Edward.  You can see the red "target" plate on the armor.

Prior to beginning the competitive portion of the joust, the knights warmed up with skill games.  They aimed a spear into a log, and then sliced cabbage from the helmeted head of an audience member.

Sir Edward takes aim at a cabbage on a spectator's head.

Because this is touted as an athletic event, it may lack the pageantry and trappings of a show such as Medieval Times, but there is a formality to the event, and the jousts feel very traditional. Prior to beginning, each knight chose a lady to present with a flower.  Sir Jason jousted for Ireland, and Sir Edward for England.

A young maiden accepts a flower from Sir Jason.

The knights receive their lances, are declared ready, and then turn their horses around a pole at opposite ends of the lyst.  The joust is on, and they charge toward each other, aiming their lances.  I must confess I watched most of the joust through a camera lens, and probably missed the full effect of the competition, but it was still satisfying through a zoom lens.  On the first pass, Sir Edward completely unseated Sir Jason, as Thor balked.  Jason hit the ground with a resounding thud and lay still.  After being assured he was okay, three people hefted the armor-clad knight back to his feet.  He walked off the fall, remounted, and continued for four more lances.

Knights of Mayhem in action.

Sir Edward makes contact on Sir Jason.

Sometimes they miss!

During breaks in the action, the announcer kept us entertained with humorous banter and also with historical facts about jousting.  For example, did you know that a number of knights would joust against each other at the beginning of a battle, and after the lances were all used, they dismounted and engaged in sword fights, called a melee?  Also, carousels are based on knights and jousting.  Grabbing the golden ring for a free ride is a nod to a knight's skills with a horse and lance.  (These are things we learned while they waited to see if Sir Jason could continue jousting after his fall.)

Our Knights of Mayhem announcer shows some of the armor.

This was a great experience, and worth the price of admission to the Renaissance Festival.  I would happily watch the Knights of Mayhem again!

Thor was defeated.

Sir Edward scored enough points off that first hit that he was able to win the day on Lady Chaos.  Although Sir Jason came back to score some hits, he was unable to overtake Lady Chaos and Sir Edward.  She definitely was the better horse that afternoon, and the victory was well-deserved.

The Knights of Mayhem  perform and compete around the country, have their own website, and are also featured in a National Geographic TV series.

Lady Chaos ruled the day.

This is a wonderful spring event and a great way to enjoy a May weekend. Read more about my visit to the festival here.  I hope you get a chance to go!

The festival website: Utah Renaissance Festival

Utah Renaissance Festival - Part 1

Sir Edward on Lady Chaos

Food, performers and jousts, oh my!  On Friday afternoon we ventured back in time to the Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire.  This event takes place on a farm in Marriott-Slaterville, Utah, the first three weekends in May.  It was my first time attending, and I am now a fan.

Vendor booths along the dirt road at the Festival.

What is a Renaissance Festival, you ask?  This particular version includes vendor booths for your shopping pleasure.  Here you will find jewelry, clothing, decorative items, costumes, swords, and more.  You can try your hand at shooting a toy crossbow or try on pieces of armor.  As you can see, you will be walking on dirt roads and pathways.  Plan on shoes getting very dusty!

Chain mail and an axe, what more could a kid want?

We drove from Salt Lake City to the Renaissance Festival in about an hour (we experienced some minor traffic delays).  We planned to be there in time to see the last joust of the day, and made it in plenty of time. The festival is open basically during daylight hours, closing at 8pm in the evening. Since this is on someone's farm property, don't expect a lot of amenities.  Hand sanitizing stations are set up in a few areas of the fair, and there are portable toilets stationed along the way as well.  Logs and a few benches provide seating at the performance areas.

Statue tucked along the path.

I loved this statue along the way, with a sign encouraging children with wandering parents to wait by the angel until their parents were located.  It was not crowded on Friday afternoon, and we browsed through the booths at our leisure.  It was great to see some of the costumes people had.  Many were quite elaborate.

Wooden wares at a vendor stall.

One thing I enjoy at festival events is talking with some of the vendors.  We met some very nice people and saw some beautiful creations.  If you wish to create your own Renaissance or pirate costume, many quality pieces were available here.  

Leather hat suitable for any high class pirate.

Captain Jack wanders the festival, in a very convincing costume and sounding surprisingly like Johnny Depp.  When my husband spotted him drinking bottled water, he teased Jack about the rum being gone (surely you have seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and get the reference, right?)  We also found a pirate ship you can rent.

Pirate ship in a field.

After wandering in the hot sun for awhile, we were working up an appetite.  Food available at the festival includes hot dogs and burgers, and also crepes (at The Holy Crepe stand), turkey legs, and deep fried items (at Deep Fryer Tuck's). The hand-cut fries at the turkey leg stand were tasty.

I sample a turkey drumstick.

I have heard about deep fried Twinkies before, so I couldn't resist trying one.  Pretty tasty!  The creme filling gets all melty during the deep frying, and although it is probably a heart attack-in-waiting, it was fun to try.

Deep-fried Twinkie.

My daughter opted for deep fried cookie dough.

There are scheduled performances throughout the day.  The acts vary from musicians and dancers, to comedy acts and jousting.  I enjoyed the music from a cellist and harpist that accompanied our dinner.

The musicians were great.

The jousting Knights of Mayhem were by far my favorite performance of the festival.  We also saw a firedancer and the acting group "The Outlaws."

A "firedancer" performs.

It was nice to rest in the shade and watch this firedancer.  She "swallowed" fire early on, and then each set of fiery objects she danced with had progressively larger flames.  It was a nice little break.  This act was followed by "The Outlaws."  Although the lead actor was quite charismatic, the group needs better material. An early site gag was quite clever, but the act quickly deteriorated, and we slipped away early.

The Outlaws performing act.

Some of the booths we did not enter offered things like face painting or fortune telling.  In an early version of a Las Vegas wedding chapel, there was a small church building where couples could have a hand fast ceremony for fun.  We also passed an area with carnival type tossing games for children.

Advertising games for kids.

Various tossing games in the "Storm the Castle" area.

We saw cannons being fired and marveled at a large trebuchet.  I think my hearing may still be a bit off from those cannon shots...they were loud!

Every festival should have a trebuchet!

All in all, we had a great time at the Utah Renaissance Festival.  Once you purchase your ticket, it is valid all day, and you can come and go from the festival as you please.  Getting there is relatively simple.  Exit I-15 at exit 346, and head west.  Although the website promises once you leave I-15 road is well marked with festival signs, be warned that the signs are small.  Watch carefully for yellow signs hanging on posts on the left (south) side of the road as you travel west from the I-15 exit.  We had to really pay attention to spot them.  

This larger banner is hanging where you turn off Pioneer Road onto a dirt road.  Follow this road as it curves around, and someone will direct you to a parking space in a field.  Voila!  You have arrived!

Parking at the festival.

The festival costs $12 for adults, with a $2 discount if you come in costume.  It is a small festival, and I would actually love to see it grow into a larger event.  We had a very nice afternoon here, and would recommend it as a nice little escape.  Read about the jousting in part 2 of my visit to the Utah Renaissance Festival!

Getting Out - Utah Renaissance Festival Preview

Jousting in Utah

With spring in the air, it is time to head outdoors and catch some of the events happening in Utah this month.  The Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire spans three weekends in May this year (May 4th-6th, 11th - 13th, and 17th -20th).  I have not ever been to this event, and am excited to go!  On the schedule are the Knights of Mayhem.  This group of athletes are NOT re-enactors, and their jousts are not staged or choreographed.  In fact, they will be in a National Geographic tv series.  What an opportunity to see them in person!

Sights from the Utah Renaissance Festival

I have always associated jousting with the Middle Ages, and that is the era during which the sport was most popular.  However, jousting continued into the Renaissance, and only began losing prominence after the invention of the musket around 1520.  The Utah Renaissance Festival is held in Marriott-Slaterville, Utah, north of Ogden.  Admission for adults is $12 ($10 if you come in costume).  The festival boasts performing groups, food, and booths.  Can't wait for this weekend!

Knight at the Utah Renaissance Festival

For more information:

Utah Renaissance Festival and Fantasy Faire 2012

Read about my visit to the Renaissance Festival in Part 1, and about the Knights of Mayhem jousting at the festival in Part 2.

Visiting Mule Canyon Ruin

Pueblo ruin at the Mule Canyon site

The Mule Canyon Ruin was our first stop on the second day of our spring break road trip.  These Pueblo ruins were first occupied about 750 AD, but were most highly used between the Pueblo II and Pueblo III periods, about 1000 to 1150.  My photo shows part of the above-ground block of twelve rooms that are visible at the site.  These rooms adjoin in an L-shape.

Diagram of the Mule Canyon ruin site.

Not far from the rooms are the kiva and tower that have been excavated and stabilized.  The kiva is sheltered by a pavilion.  The kiva was at one time connected to the block of rooms and to the tower by tunnels.  Researchers have also located a pit house, trash areas, and a dirt kiva at this site.

View of the kiva looking toward the twelve rooms.

View of the kiva with the tower on the upper left side.

Kivas were common at Anasazi sites.  Although there was not a visible kiva at the 16 Room Ruin we visited near Bluff, Utah, we read there was some evidence of a room there being used like a kiva.

The tower at Mule Canyon Ruin.

This tower structure would have been much higher.  Interestingly, this tower lines up with another tower ruin (Cave Tower ruin) directly to the south.  The exact purpose of the towers is unknown, although they may have served defensive or astronomical purposes.  

Interpretive sign with building elevations shows what the ruins may have looked like.

Unlike larger sites, this site probably housed only a few families.  Evidence shows that the Anasazi had virtually abandoned southeastern Utah by 1250 AD.  This site may have fallen out of use several years earlier.

Early morning at the Mule Canyon Ruin site.

It was very beautiful the morning we visited Mule Canyon Ruin.  We were the only people there.  This is an easy stop along Hwy. 95, about 20 miles west of Blanding, Utah.  If you are traveling to Natural Bridges National Monument from Blanding, take a few minutes to stop here.  It is well worth it.  The site is managed by the BLM.  The sidewalk to the ruin makes this place very accessible to everyone. Signs on the north side of Hwy. 95 clearly mark the turn-off to the parking lot.  Vault toilets are also available in the parking area.