Northern AZ roadtrip part 1: The Navajo Bridge, and a condor nest

Condors!!

My husband Eric & I were on walkabout yesterday, wandering around the northern part of Arizona. We started in Flagstaff and headed north, first driving through the Navajo reservation.

We turned, and then headed to the Navajo Bridge across the Colorado River.

It gives an incredible bird's eye view of the river below!

There is both a foot bridge, and a larger bridge for motor vehicles. We walked across, and perused the visitor station. Of course I had to look at the Navajo rug loom on display, with an eye toward figuring out how to set up the warp.

And I also had a look at the plaques that were around telling the history of the ferry that was in place before the bridge was built.

I particularly appreciated seeing both of the wives, Permelia and Samantha, recognized by name, and their multiple marriage matter of factly recognized instead of glossed over. No invisible women here.

On our way back across the bridge to the car, I thought I saw someone sitting on the structure underneath the car bridge. On closer look though, it was a huge, huge bird! Yes, I had spotted a California Condor!!

Back in 1987, there were only 27 of these birds left in the world. They were removed from the wild, and a captive breeding program was started. In the late 90's, the results began to be released back into the wild. As of last year, the population had rebounded to 446: 276 in the wild, and 170 in captivity. 83 of those are in the Arizona/Utah area.

There was another couple also watching Mr. 54 here, who let me know that he and his mate evidently had a nest on the cliffs upstream, visible from the bridge. So I began to scan the cliffs...

Ah ha! The droppings gave it away.

Condors lay their single egg in cavities, right on the floor or in a loose pile of debris. I tried blowing up the picture and lightening the shadows, to see if I had caught the egg in the picture...

I don't see it, but I think that black blob back in the cave is probably the mother condor at work. Wow. Just wow. I'm crossing my fingers that this nest produces a live chick!

I'll write another entry about the rest of our day's travels tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Flagstaff Fiber Festival, and escaping the heat

I had a great time this afternoon, wandering around the Flagstaff, AZ Fiber Festival with my sweetie. We went a couple of years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the event had about doubled in size from then. There were all sorts of vendors, selling everything from roving to handspun yarn to finished objects of art.

I enjoyed seeing some of the native arts from the area represented as well.

Fiber artist Jeanne M. Salt.

And then there were the critters. Most of them were sporting their lovely coats, showing what our fiber looked like on the hoof.

A few of them got to get their coats sheared off though. They looked much happier once they were cooler! And they were surprisingly calm during the procedure. The shearer was quite skilled and quick.

When we were done at the festival, my sweetie and I drove further up the mountain to the Snowbowl ski resort. It is pretty lovely in the summer time. And much cooler! Phoenix was about 115F today. Flagstaff was in the 90's. And up here in the pines and aspens, it was down in the low 80's. I'll take it.

All in all, quite a lovely way to celebrate our 27th wedding anniversary.

Turn of the Century Navajo Weaving

I'm still out on the road. This time, I'm writing from a hotel room in Gallup, NM. This morning though, we were in Durango, CO, looking at Fort Lewis college for my daughter. Durango is nestled in the Rocky Mountains, in a beautiful territory full of mountain peaks, pine trees, wild flowers, and tumbling streams. The college itself is on a hill above town, giving the students an incredible view. My daughter has pretty much decided that she can get comparable programs closer to home, so she probably won't be applying to the college. But the territory is stunning. We may come back some time for a vacation. I could see spending a week tucked back in the woods, happily treadling my spinning wheel to the music of bird calls and burbling water.

The college does have a Center for SouthWest Studies though, and we got to peek inside one of their display rooms while we were on school tour. After seeing the rug weaver yesterday, it was fascinating to see a handful of weavings from around 100 years ago. Some of the pieces on display were the rugs that I am used to seeing. Some represented other weaving techniques. That plain looking brick red panel in the back is actually intricately patterned with twill weaves, in blocks.

What fascinated me as a weaver though, was that fuzzy orange mat in the front of the display. I had never thought of the Navajo weaving shag rugs!

In the moments I had, I took a closer look at that one, and an even more spectacular example that was hung on the wall nearby. They were made around 1890. The warp is cotton. The weft is native wool and Angora goat fleece. The fleece is pulled through the weave so it only sticks out on one side. The pattern was striking, and it looked really plush and comfortable.

So, what did the Navajo use shag rugs for? These were weaver's mats! If you've seen older depictions of native weavers at their rug looms, they are usually shown sitting on the ground to weave. Now I know what they were actually sitting on. That looks a heck of a lot more comfortable than bare dirt, especially for extended weaving sessions!

Hmmmm. Maybe I need to weave some shag, to pad the weaving bench for my floor loom. I've got some mohair tucked away...

Road trip through the Navajo nation

I'm out and about right now, on the road touring colleges. My daughter is going to be a senior in high school this year, so now is the time for information gathering. We looked at Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, AZ this morning. Right now, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Durango, CO, so we can look at Fort Lewis college tomorrow morning.

It was a fascinating trip from Flagstaff to Durango today. Most of the day, we were driving through Navajo territory. Man, is that some desolate but incredibly beautiful landscape! If you like geology, this is your place--because there isn't much in the way of greenery to get in the way of the spectacular rock formations. Just the occasional manufactured home, with a couple of pick up trucks in front and a hogan out back. And, now and again a handful of cattle or a herd of sheep.

The sheep, of course, are what interested me. I saw at least 3 or 4 different breeds along the roadside. Sometimes literally along the roadside! I think those were going to have to be rounded back up. But sheep leads to wool, which leads to yarn, which leads to the absolutely spectacular rugs that the Navajos weave.

An hour north of Flagstaff is the little town of Cameron. We stop there just about any time we're headed north, because there is a trading post there that is great fun. (Well, that and the fact that there is a bathroom. Priorities!) In 1911, a suspension bridge was built there over the Little Colorado River. Soon after, the Richardson brothers started a trading post, where the local Navajo and Hopis could barter their wares for goods from afar. The trading post has been in operation since. In fact, the president of the post these days is a direct descendant of the original founders. And, oh my! The artwork that is available is very very tempting.

I usually admire the pottery on the way in, ooh and ahh over the baskets, then go take care of business. Then a stop by the book area. And then, I head back to the rug area. They often have a loom set up, and I love to look at it. The more I learn about weaving, the more I can understand what I am seeing.

Today though. Today was a wonderful stroke of luck. The artist was at her loom, actively weaving at her current rug. She graciously allowed me to take her picture, but was focused on her work. She warmed up a bit when I told her I admired the skill of her hands, and how very straight her selvages (edges of the weaving) were. We chatted for a bit, before I had to move on. She's been weaving for over 40 years now. She said it took her about a decade to really perfect the edges of her rugs. (I don't feel so bad now about my attempts at tapestry!) Most all of her work these days are commission pieces, usually to repeat customers. I was amazed watching her work. She made it look so easy...but I know it is most definitely not! Her movements were sure and precise, her rows even, and she worked the design without a pattern to refer to. Now, there is an incredible artist.




Wow. Just...wow.