4/14/18 Travel day from Natural Bridges to Monument Valley UT - The day started off clear but continued to be very windy. Janet took a picture of the camper coming across the desert in a dust storm. Note the camper has a bit of a lean.

                                            Note the Tumble Weed blowing across the road

 We didn't get very far before we stopped along the way at Ft. Bluff, UT. The area was settled by 250 Mormon's in the 1880's to establish a relationship with the Navajo Tribe. The area had not been settled or explored prior. The journey only thought to take 6 weeks took 6 months. Many difficulties were experienced in the uncharted territory, snow, mountain ranges, bluffs and finding a way down and across the Colorado River. Finally, a route across the Colorado River was found through a very steep & narrow ravine named "Hole in the Rock ". The 2000 ft decent took 6 weeks of blasting, hand picks and building a crude roadbed down. To traverse the grade required the settlers to team each wagon with 14 horses. Finally, a large raft was constructed to get the wagons across the fast moving and deep river. The pictures below are from the Fort that was established at Bluff, named by the Native Americans. As you may recall from a prior Blog entry this town was established 650 AD.

                                                                Original settlers!

Inside of a Hogan hut constructed of cedar wood, bark and mud. Actually these structures are more roomy then the look from the outside.

                                         Views of Monument Valley coming in on Rt 163 south

                      View of our campsite in the Monument Valley Canyon on the Navajo Reservation

                               Our campsite is right up against a bluff with a a trail to an arch.

View of the valley from the Navajo Lodge