House on Fire Ruins
We returned to the House on Fire Ruins today. The weather was cool, the skies were clear, and it was only a mile each way up a canyon of cottonwoods, pinyon pines, and junipers. There were still remnant pools from the heavy rains that flooded the canyon earlier in the month, but we had no problem hiking up the canyon floor. It was a great day for a hike.
House on Fire Ruins gets its name from the late-morning light that reflects off the canyon walls and into the alcove that holds the ruins. The light reflects off the uneven surface of the cracking roof, and it looks like the roof is on fire. The floor of the alcove is a dark reddish color, and the reflected light paints the ruins and alcove roof a warm gold. Outside the window when the light reflects perfectly from the canyon walls, the ruins are a drab gray.
When we reached the ruins and scrambled up the ridge, we met a couple from Austria. They said they have been visiting the Southwestern U. S. for 22 years. I think they have been to every "secret" location that we have--and then some. They have even been to Alien City at Ah-shi-sle-pah! We enjoyed comparing notes with them +on the places we've been.
We photographed House on Fire for about two hours as the light continued to improve. The middle picture below was taken shortly after we reached the ruins. Notice how the color of the ruins differs from the other images that were taken later in the morning.
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After lunch, we hiked back to the Explorer and returned to camp about 1:30. We decided it was too late to go to Hovenweep National Monument or Canyonlands, and our other destinations required morning light. We relaxed in camp, took showers, and downloaded our images. We had plenty of time for a good dinner and movie night.
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