Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park - City of Phoenix

 

Formed adobe ( not bricks) used for walls in some places.

 Pithouse replica which is only slightly dug into the ground

Stone and mud mortared walls.

Adobe home replica

Walls on top of the human constructed mound

I haven't done much hiking lately. That's why there hasn't been new posts. Reasons are several. The continuing severe drought severely dampens my desire for hiking in tinder-dry forests already burning in some places. It was sad, when I could see that one of first significant blazes, the Doagy Fire in the Gila, burned right through where we had camped at Corduroy Canyon back in October. My distaste for the usual dry late spring, early summer conditions have been well documented in this blog.  Without any reasonable expectation of finding water or even green grass almost anywhere this year ( except in  and along the largest of streams), outings to the Gila, Cibola or the Lincoln National Forest have seemed like dismal prospects the last three months. My deep sadness over the sudden passing of my friend,  and  frequent outdoor companion, David Soules,  back in March has not helped my attitude as well. When the 100 degree days began, and more fires ignited, it begins to feel like all hope is lost.

 The desert is a little different story. It's looks dry and dead much of the year anyway, so it's a little easier to take.  In May and early June,  I got out a few of times with friends to places I've already written about. It was fun and the heat had yet to get extreme.

Speaking of extreme, I accompanied my wife on her business trip to Tempe, Arizona last week. I was pretty put out  when I saw the temperatures were going to be in the 115 -117 range. I had thought about driving to either Tonto or Montezuma Castle National Monuments, or even finding one of the ruins or petroglyph sites I've  read about in Dave Wilson's "Ruins Seldom Seen." Well, Tonto would be closed because of heat, but Montezuma or really anyplace south of Flagstaff, where it was going to be in the mid-nineties, was out of the question. I've lived in Las Cruces, NM for 23 years and I can hike with temps in the nineties. I can even do a short one  when it's 100, but when it gets above 110 and on into the teens, that's a whole other world of hot.

 I had to do something though. I started doing some research and came up with Pueblo Grande, mainly because it was close enough that I could get out do the walk in the morning, before the truly hellish heat set it. I got there a few minutes after 9. I would've liked to have gotten there earlier but they don't open until 9. I'm always baffled by outdoor places near Phoenix and Tucson that don't adjust their hours in the summer, to say, like, 7 so folks can avoid the worst of heat. Oh well.  I knew the museum would be closed because of the pandemic, which was disappointing. I did the little walk through the replicas and the actual ruins, reading all the signs. A very pale family from some other part of the USA was just ahead of me. They seemed to holding up well given the conditions: 100 degrees of blazing sunshine, that was not being moderated much by the haze from the fires to the east.

Back at the rental. I began delving more into research about archaeological sites in and near Phoenix and realized they are everywhere. Deer Vally Petroglyphs, Mesa Grande Museum, South Mountain Petroglyphs are all within the metro area. Unfortunately, I would not be visiting any of them on this trip. I don't think I can visit Phoenix or Tucson in the summer anymore. It just seem crazy to go to place that is  worse that the one you are coming from in terms of heat. I'm pumped for visiting at more pleasant times of the year though.