Our adventure began in earnest yesterday, as Marion, one of our guides and the leader of Adventures In Good Company, arrived to pick us up at our hotel.  Megan and Meredith headed out early with Marion to pick up a second four wheel drive to transport the group, then back to the hotel to start loading the main group. 

We got to meet Beth for the first time that morning as she’d flown in late, and then we drove across town to pick up Cheryl and Maria who’d ended up at a different hotel.  Already it seemed like the group were great friends, even though they’d just met, and all of us piled into one van, while Megan volunteered to drive the second full of luggage by herself.

Then it was off on our road trip!  Our first stop out of town was Petroglyph National Monument – a park reserve that preserved ancient rock carvings left by the Anasazi or Pueblo people.  Pictographs are ancient rock paintings, which don’t always survive the elements well.  Petroglyphs are actual rock carvings, and in this area the ancient people had carved symbols from their life and culture into dark volcanic rock, where they can still be seen today.

This was our first test of hiking!  The path up past the carvings was steep and rocky, and as Albuquerque is already 4,500 feet above sea level, we were at high altitude.  The group made it up the path like mountain goats, stopping to look at carvings of birds, hands, feet, stars and other symbols.  High on the hill there was a group of carvings including Kokopeli, the trickster spirit so well known to native peoples and drawn in much of their artwork.

Back down the hill again, and then another short walk across to a carving of a Macaw, which showed the length of ancient trading links in those days all the way to South America.  Then it was two hours driving to our lunch stop at Gallup, with non-stop talking and sharing of our own stories along the way.

We had a quick lunch at Subway at a gas station, and then spent some time looking through a local Navajo handicrafts store next door.  The group spent some time talking to one of the local Navajo weavers who told us of the time and care that went into making each rug – one took 10 years and sold eventually for $68,000!  Sadly the art is dying as few from the younger generation are prepared to take up the craft.

Then it was back on the road.  Our van had a handy exterior temperature gauge, and as we drove west from New Mexico towards our goal in Arizona, the blue skies faded to grey and the temperature hovered around 58 degrees F (14.5 degrees celcius).  As we drove a light rain started to fall…..which then started to float – it was snowing!!  The temperature hit 38 F (3 degrees celcius)!  Cheryl was really excited as she’d never seen snow fall again – all of the aussies are from the tropical north.  As exciting as the snow was we all started to wonder how cold it would be in the canyon!

The scenery as we drove was beautiful – wide plains, with red cliffs and mesas all around, the colours changing with the light as we passed.  Finally we arrived in Chinle to our hotel for the night, and we settled in before a group dinner.

After dinner, Winnie, our local Navajo guide, joined us, and we met together for an orientation and welcome to the adventure.  Each member of our group shared in turn their personal stories and hopes and expectations for the trip.  It was a moving and special time of bonding.  Winnie talked a little about her story and history, and the plans for tomorrow.

We will be camping in the canyon on Winnie’s ancestral lands, staying in tents or if the weather is too cold, in her Hogan with a  fire to keep us warm!  Down in the canyon there will be no electricity, phones or internet so we’ll be very much in the wilderness.

Our first stop this morning will be to the local Parks office, where we will receive a permit for our visit to the Canyon, but also to meet one of Winnie’s  brothers who performs traditional dancers.

We can’t wait for our adventure to begin!