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Talus House Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 12
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New Mexico
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Talus House Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 12
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This is Talus House, reconstructed in 1920 to show the structures that would have been found in front of many of the cavates when the Ancestral Pueblo people were still occupying the canyon. For many years park staff believed the reconstruction was inaccurate due to what appears to be doorways in the front of each room block. However, in recent years, when Talus House received some much-needed TLC to its eroding roof, we discovered that the original rebuilds did indeed include doorways in the roofs that at some point were covered over during past maintenance. Having an opening or doorway in the roof undoubtedly added to the difficulty of keeping the structure intact and reminds us of the constant maintenance that would have been done regularly when these building were inhabited. What appeared to be doorways in the front were actually included to allow visitors a view inside the structures.
Cavate Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 14
~0 min drive
Have you notice anything different about the cavates you have entered by climbing ladders? They all have concrete floors. Without the concrete to protect them from our footwear, the natural cavate floors would have been worn deeply by our entering these significant features. R…
Cave Kiva Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 15
~0 min drive
This is Cave Kiva. Unlike the other cavates you could climb into, this one is a kiva. Do you remember earlier on this walk when you saw Big Kiva? This cavate was used for the same purpose as Big Kiva. Unfortunately, this kiva cavate must be smoked and replastered regularly to…
First Cavate Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 11
~0 min drive
You have arrived at the first of three ladders you can climb into cavates (CAVE-eights), human excavated openings. Although sometimes used for housing, the main purpose of cavates was often food storage. Remember the Ancestral Pueblo people lived here for over 400 years and th…
Frey Trail Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 16
~0 min drive
The dirt trail to your right is the Frey Trail, named after an early concessionaire in the park. If you follow this trail, it will switchback its way out of the canyon, gaining approximately 500 feet in the climb. There are excellent views back into the canyon as the trail asc…
Frey Trail
~0 min drive
The Frey Trail is a historic trail that travels from the park visitor center in Frijoles Canyon up onto the mesa and Juniper Family Campground. Distance one way is 2 miles and approximately 550 feet elevation change. Lots of great vistas and closeup encounters with the Piñon-…
Exiting Tyuonyi Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 9
~0 min drive
Notice the small slope and abundant plant life as the trail exits Tyuonyi. This is what the entire village would have looked like before excavations. Looking at the cliff ahead of you, you can see at least one of three ladders you will be able to climb to see the inside of a c…
Soft Rock Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 10
~0 min drive
The cliff in front of you has numerous holes, some big and some small. These holes are created by wind and water erosion of the volcanic tuff we talked about earlier. Water freezes and thaws in the permeable rock breaking off big and small pieces (most are microscopic). Wind p…
In Tyuonyi Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 8
~0 min drive
The kiva you see in front of you served the same purpose as Big Kiva that you saw earlier on this walk. It too would have had a hard plastered roof with an entrance in and a ladder in the middle. <br /> <br /> Tyuonyi, as with many of the archeological sites along the Pueblo L…
Junction Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 17
~0 min drive
At this point, you may turn right to continue on to Long House and Alcove House or turn left to return to the Visitor Center for a shorter walk.
Entering Tyuonyi Pueblo Loop Trail Stop 7
~0 min drive
You are now standing in the central plaza of the village. Can you hear the dogs barking and the laughter of children playing or chasing the domesticated turkeys? This would have been a very active and noisy place during Ancestral Pueblo times. One theory suggests that this vil…
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