MonikaC
Well-Known Member
I was able to persuade Alan Lichty to join me on a search for Lewis Lodge, a 44 room ruin in Utah's Cedar Mesa. Previously, I had had vague descriptions of how to get there e.g. drive down the road until it drops off the mesa & park, then follow the fence line until you can drop down. And the previous attempt in autumn about 5 years ago ended when the truck tire tracks in the snow changed to snowmobile tracks. We then tried to come up from the bottom, but turned up the wrong side canyon after lots of bushwhacking and climbing partway up the canyon wall before giving up. This time, armed with GPS waypoints and what seemed like a detailed description of the hike, we started out. I had warned Alan that the description mentioned a short (10') section where a rope could be helpful for the ascent on the way out. That didn't seem to bother him and I had rope in my pack. The road dropping down off the mesa was pretty steep and loose. I got out several times to scout & see if it was time to park & walk, only falling on my butt once. Just as I'd reached my tolerance for that kind of driving, the fence line and parking area appeared. The trail was well defined, but after a while, the description seemed to have left out a large section. Like descending a pour-off on an "Anasazi ladder"/dead tree leaning against the slab. Shortly after that was a slab that was much narrower than Alan (or his wife) liked. The cliff wall was on one side & a drop-off to the canyon floor was on the other. He persevered, not even turning blue from holding his breath (or maybe that was me?) and we continued on to the ruins. It was great to have somebody as knowledgeable as Alan along on such an exploration.
USGS surveyor Dick Lewis first reported the ruins to the University of Utah in 1956. The structures date from 13th century AD/Pueblo III period. The timbers have been dated as having been cut between 1232 and 1260. The structures were stabilized in 1987 by the Forest Service.
Alan, please feel free to add your shots & your own account to this.
The first is a passageway that ran behind the kiva roof to connect rooms.
USGS surveyor Dick Lewis first reported the ruins to the University of Utah in 1956. The structures date from 13th century AD/Pueblo III period. The timbers have been dated as having been cut between 1232 and 1260. The structures were stabilized in 1987 by the Forest Service.
Alan, please feel free to add your shots & your own account to this.
The first is a passageway that ran behind the kiva roof to connect rooms.
