Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks Nat'l Monument

In 2001 Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks was designated a national monument. Bob and I visited it on Wednesday.

This is a hauntingly beautiful place. "Kasha-Katuwe" means "white cliffs" in the Keresan language of the Pueblo Indians. Cone-shaped tent rock formations were produced 6-7 million years ago during volcanic eruptions that left pumice, ash and tuff deposits over 1000 feet thick. The "tents" are boulder caps on top of tapering hoodoos (pillars of rock) that protect the softer pumice and tuff below. Some tents no longer have their caprocks and are slowly disintegrating. 

We started hiking along the Slot Canyon Trail and were entranced by the rock formations. 

The trail became narrower and narrower until we decided to turn back to the Cave Loop Trail, which offered beautiful vistas and towering cliffs above us. 

You can see why these are called "tent rocks." They really look like tents from this perspective.

We arrived at the cave carved out of the soft rock which was inhabited during the 14th and 15th centuries. The Pueblo de Cochiti  people still inhabit the surrounding area.

After our lovely hike we returned to the motorhome and I spent a couple hours knitting. To reward myself, I then played with my Gilmore Inkle Lap Loom and finished the band I had started.

This was a really fun project. I had done a little of this type of pickup years ago but it didn't "take." Now I feel very comfortable with it. I think I will do letters on my next band.

Bob and I went out to dinner to Harry's Roadhouse in Santa Fe and had some great ribs. We don't eat out that often, preferring to cook in, so this was a real treat.

Around 9:00 in the evening I got the urge to warp up my Saori Piccolo loom and get it ready for the grandchildren to weave on in July. It took me less than a half hour to thread heddles and reed using the pre-wound warp from Saori Santa Cruz (thank you, Jill!)

So easy-peasy to do this.