Day 13-14-15 Chaco Canyon

On Wednesday, we went to the Navajo Nation Museum to meet the team that would lead us to-- and host us at-- Chaco Culture National Historic Park.

(Photo by Cindy Killion)

We drove about three hours to Chaco, including almost 30 miles of very bad dirt road.

(Photo by Sarah Botzek)

(Photo by David Busse)

Once at Chaco, we camped in the VIP camping area for two nights. We had many interesting conversations with Taft Blackhorse, who has worked in Chaco for many years and who is an expert on the connections between the Anasazi and modern day Navajo.

(Photo by Andrew Neuman)

Taft Blackhorse and Manuelito Wheeler, director of the Navajo Nation Museum.

On Thursday morning we hiked to Pueblo Bonito, the largest "Great House" in Chaco and later hiked to the bluff above Pueblo Bonito for great photos. All told, it was more than six miles of hiking.

(Photo by Cindy Killion)

(Photo by Pete Swanson)

(Above three photos by Brandi Hagen)

Chops Hancock helped Steph Precourt get great video without falling off the bluff.

(Above two photos by Pete Swanson)

(Above two photos by Andrew Neuman)

Here, Chops Hancock explains the use of an aspherical super-wide-angle lens to Matt Wandzel who then used it to create some excellent scenery shots.

(Above four photos by Matt Wandzel)

(Above two photos by Cory Hinz)

(Photo by Sarah Botzek)

(Above two photos by David Busse)

Pete had a great idea for an image of four doors through five rooms of Pueblo Bonito with some of our group members peeking through the doors. I took the shot, but Pete gets the credit for the idea.

(Above two photos by Cindy Killion)

A visitor to our camp.

(Photo by Sarah Botzek)

At the end of a long day of hiking, while many sat around the campfire and made 'Smores, Matt Wandzel created this great sunset shot, including what he calls a "cloud shark."

Later, Pete Swanson created an interesting "Stars Over Chaco" image.

On Friday morning, after breakfast, Chops Hancock had to leave us. He drove to Albuquerque and boarded his plane for Minnesota. Chops made quite an impression on all of us. On the long drive back to Tsaile, Arizona, and our dorms at Diné College, the students commented on how much they are going to miss Chops during the last week of our project.

(Photo by Cory Hinz)