The 3 popular bridges can all be seen from the road, the hikes
are all very maintained, maybe too maintained, with perfectly
square stepping stones everywhere, it feels a little less natural,
but that is how most National Parks and Monuments feel. The
names of the bridges are all Native American, I think they are
Hopi Indian words. None of these bridges where called these
names by American Indians however, a white man named them all.
I really enjoyed the area, it was quick and easy, and actually
undercrowded. The Monument was well worth the stop.
What's the difference between a bridge and an arch? Bridges
have to be formed by rivers or streams, arches can be formed
by many methods.
Exerpt:
Cedar Mesa, a million acre plateau encompassing the monument and
surrounding area, is composed of nearly horizontal sedimentary
rock layers. During the Perminan Period, wind blown sands from
the north and west were deposited here as dunes. Later sediments
buried these dunes and with time, pressure and moisture, they
became "petrified" sand or sandstone. Today geologists
lable this Layer the Cedar Mesa Sandstone.
Sipapu Bridge Trailhead and information map.
Horsecollar Ruin Overlook Trail information and Map
Anasazi Cliff Ruins
Looking northwest toward the Kachina Bridge
Kachina Bridge
Owachomo Bridge Trail
Just 1/10th of a mile walk to the bridge.
Looking south over Owachomo Bridge and Cedar Mesa.
Looking south toward Owachomo Bridge
Looking nearly straight up to the Owachomo Bridge
Looking north toward Owachomo Bridge
A leaf frozen in some solid ice.
How do you think these weird patterns form under the leaf?
What causes that strange embossing effect?
My theory is... that maybe the sun heats the leaf enough to melt
a small layer above the leaf and the leaf moves up, why, I don't know.
What's your theory? Leave your idea on the message board below.
