Excursion to Tsankawi Trail

Picked up Alana at her apartment complex at 8:30am to head north to Bandelier National Monument where we could hike an unexcavated trail called the Tsankawi.

The nearly 2-hour drive was beautiful

My great friend, Alana, was a trooper. She managed to get her 83-year old body all around this rocky terrain like a champ!

Here's the champ with Whisper

A well-deserved break!

There were a number of caves and evidence of the Pueblo people who occupied this land 700 years ago.

One of the many small caves along the path

Outside of one cave entrance you could see the notches used for ceiling beams along the rock face.

Inside one of the caves were even smaller nooks that could have been used to store things. (At least that's what I'd use them for! Closets.)

I was able to climb up to the very top of the mesa while Alana and Whisper waited below.

The view from on top

The drive home into the sunset

After our hiking adventure, we stopped in Taos for a late lunch and then headed back to Albuquerque. Overall it was a great day, and my last day seeing Alana until next time I return to the region.

Tomorrow another fair... Wellness and Arts. Then I leave for Sedona on Monday morning. I'm excited to see the next location!