April 21, 2021
TONTO NATIONAL MONUMENT
My first cliff dwellings! Tonto National Memorial is a bite-sized park way out in the desert boonies. From Cave Creek, it was a little more than a two-hour drive, but the drive was so beautiful. Red flag warnings went up all over the state today as an immense dust storm blew into the area. Majestic mountain ranges (which I didn’t even know existed until a few days ago) turned into atmospheric ghost ranges.
The monument itself encompasses two cliff dwellings, although only one can be visited without an appointment. Reaching the main cliff dwelling requires following a path that climbs 350 feet up the side of a hill. Having recently (barely) not died climbing Black Mountain, I was particularly grateful for the excuses to pause provided every ten yards or so – signs interpreting the monument, the eco system, the cacti.
Ranger Austin, stationed up at the dwelling, was a rock-star answering all our questions. I don’t think the one other couple prowling around up there could understand what was so interesting to us. “There isn’t much here,” I heard one tell the other. Not much, other than a 700-year-old, multi-story housing complex for nearly 100 people built by people without any power tools. I’d say that’s quite a lot.
Thither & Yon 