Rattlesnake Point Ruins

 

Rattlesnake Point Ruins

At the far end of Lyman Lake State Park, lies some ancient pueblo ruins.  The name of this small village is Rattlesnake Point.  It was occupied by ancestors of modern Pueblo Indians.  This village was used by the Pueblo Indians from about AD 1325 to 1390.  It was home to about 15 families, and in total, there are between 80 and 90 ruins.  However, only 3 rooms have been excavated by archeologists at Arizona State University.  To protect them, they are under the cover of a shaded pavilion. 

This room appears to have been used as a storage room for ceremonial or religious items or as a place where preparations for ceremonies took place.  There were few artifacts found in this room.  If you look to the far (outside) wall, you can see some stones that archeologists felt could have been an altar.  A painted sandstone fragment was found that was used at Hopi pueblos.  The room was otherwise empty when found, which may indicate that the residents took everything that was in this room with them when they left.

This section of the pueblo appears to have been built around AD 1328 and is thought to have been a sort of living room used for cooking, eating, manufacture of some tools and some food storage.  Remains of woven matting also seems to indicate it was used for sleeping as well.

This third excavated room seems to have primarily been used for food storage.  In the lower left area of the building used to be a stone with a design chiseled or pecked into it.  It’s not visible any longer from any angle I could get to, but archeologists think that stone was perhaps used as somewhat of a cornerstone.

These images are of some of the pottery shards (upper left) and pieces of flint (lower right) that can be seen at the base of the area where a kiva had been discovered.  The archeologists filled in the kiva area, as it was open to the elements, and they felt it could be better preserved if it was refilled.

This lovely view, that I thought of as “just a pond” was a part of the fields in which the ancient Pueblo Indians grew grain and other crops.  It’s really quite peaceful here with the mountain reflected in the still waters.

And, finally, this view is from what I believe to be the front area of the pueblo.  I may have inadvertently been standing on part of the pueblo itself, since what they have determined is the complete outline of the pueblo has not been marked off in any way.  If I was standing on ancient ruins, I certainly apologize.

Enjoy!

Petroglyph Trail on Lyman Lake

 

Petroglyph Trail on Lyman Lake

One of the nice things about Lyman Lake is that there are several different things to do without ever leaving the park.  One trail that we walked a couple of times (in different directions) was the Petroglyph Trail.  Besides the petroglyphs, which will be covered in another blog post, there was some lovely scenery to be seen.

The trail begins at a level with the lake and early in the morning, it’s quite a lovely scene, with the lake just about mirror calm.

Walking along, and looking up toward the hills, there’s always something different to be seen.  The small tree on top of the nearby bluff, reminded me of the solitude I felt walking down below it on the trail.

Looking closer at hand, the patterns created by moss growing on the rocks was remarkable.  I always thought that moss grew in wet, moist places, but these rocks weren’t close to the lake and I don’t think that the park got all that much rain.  Still, nature will have its way!

And, finally on another morning, we walked the trail going in the opposite direction, and I saw this lovely tree, in all its fall glory.  I don’t think I would have noticed it walking in the same direction as I began the trail the previous day.  Sometimes, it’s worth pursuing something from a different perspective!

Enjoy!

Lyman Lake State Park

 

Lyman Lake State Park

Our first stop on our tour of state parks in the state of Arizona was Lyman Lake State Park.  It was dedicated on July 1, 1961, and became Arizona’s first state park!  It was formed when there was an impoundment of the Little Colorado River.  It is also fed by runoff from both Mount Baldy and Escudilla Mountain, the two tallest mountains in Arizona.  The lake itself is 1400 acres and lies entirely within the state park.  I think of it as a somewhat hidden jewel.  It’s a bit off the beaten path, not close to a major highway or major city in Arizona, and so doesn’t seem to be that well known.

Here are a few images of the Little Colorado River meandering toward Lyman Lake.  If you look closely, you’ll be able to see some cattle grazing and drinking along the river shore.

And, at this time, it’s clear autumn has arrived.  The colors are changing, even though the temperatures are trying to convince us it’s still summer!!

Another day, we decided to pack a lunch and drive down the dirt road in the park to a secluded spot along the lake to have a picnic!  What a scenic place to munch on some fried chicken we got from a local grocery store!!

And, with the lake right there, Jeff and Max couldn’t help but play a game of water fetch.  It’s nice to see Max enjoying time in a lake.  He was very hesitant around the ocean waves, and we hoped he’d take to the water.  He seems to be catching on to water play very nicely!

And, his fetching is a success!!  Here he is bringing sticks back to shore.  He has a habit of running along the shore with the stick for a bit, then dropping it, and giving himself a shake.  Usually, this is done away from us, and we like the last little touch of this new habit!

Enjoy!!