There are many interesting parallels between the 1876 and 2016 presidential elections. Both had enormous impact on their times and what came after. Both had a great deal to do with race. Both where marred by chicanery and a split between the popular and electoral vote.
Tilden (D) vs Hayes (R)
Coming just a few years after the Civil War the Republican Party was in power and overseeing the rehabilitation of the Confederacy (known as “Reconstruction“). Their candidate was Rutherford B. Hayes the governor of Ohio. The Democratic Party nominated Samuel J. Tilden the governor of New York (who was seen as an anti-corruption crusader).
1876 Electoral Map (source:wikipedia)
Tilden clearly won the popular vote, but the electoral vote as contested in four states for various reasons. Ironically (from today’s perspective) the Republicans accused the Democrats of suppressing the vote of African Americans in the South.
The upshot of all this was the Compromise of 1877, an informal bit of horse-trading by Congress to give the majority of electoral votes to Hayes in return for the withdrawal of federal troops protecting the rights of former slaves in the South, thus ending Reconstruction and paving the way for the Jim Crow era to begin.
It had been ten years since I last visited Lake Powell. This year I went with my college friend Al and his partner Marian. [Full Gallery] Not having our own boat, we decided to rent a houseboat from the Bullfrog Marina. This turned out to be a great idea! With a few exceptions it was clean and well maintained (certain lights and the gas grill did not work). The main problem was how late in the day we got started (nominal “check in” time is 10am, we did not leave until after 3pm). For various reasons the day we left was very crowded (COVID19, low water facilitating small boat campers, last big week-end of the summer, etc.)
On Our Way!
In the few hours we had on the first day we headed north to Forgotten Canyon. It was packed with small boats and large groups of people camped on the beaches exposed by the low water level. We retreated and found a small anchorage on a large bend near a side canyon (which we explored by kayak first thing the next day).
Our First Kayak ExcursionAlcove with 100 Foot Dry Waterfall Above
On Day 2 we moved back up the canyon so we could be closer to activities on land. [We were treated both nights to inappropriate music, bad karaoke and loud boat engines. I put in my earbuds and listened to Earth Spirit by R. Carlos Nakai (Native American flute) while sleeping out under the stars.]
Defiance House Petroglyphs
That evening (after most of the day’s heat was gone) we made the first of two visits to the eight hundred year oldDefiance House Ruins. These are very well stabilized and open to the public. (Kudos to the Park Service!) The first thing you notice are the large petroglyphs on the canyon wall. There is no ambiguity as to their meaning… three warriors with shields and weapons.
Defiance House Main Structure
The site consists of two major rooms with doors facing in opposite directions. The largest is approximately 8-10 feet on a side. There is a patio beyond the structure with a vertical entrance to the Kiva. (Large Panorama)
Defiance House and Kiva Entrance (Click to Enlarge)Kiva Ceiling with 800 Year Old Soot from Campfires
We returned the next day (Day 3) and I took some additional 360° panoramas.
Defiance House Ruins (Click to Enlarge)
We then proceeded about two miles up the canyon. We saw many interesting things including ravens, flowers being pollenated (or eaten?) by large black hornets with orange wings, and what I think were three-toed dinosaur tracks!
The day was very hot so we took a siesta near a grove of small oak trees before we headed back to the boat. In spite of my best efforts I got dehydrated. The temp was in the low 90s with very low humidity. It just sucked the water out of me!
On Day 4 we left that area to do more exploring. We ended up in Lake Canyon (which apparently is a very hard place to find anchorage with higher water). It was less crowded and the people were more considerate, which was a plus. We again used our inflatable kayak to explore a side canyon in the late afternoon.
On Day 5 we headed up the main canyon in what turned out to be a delightful wet-boot hike. It was very pleasant to have running water available at all times!
Upper Lake Canyon
There were lots of trees and flowers in bloom. We saw several critters including a toad (red-spotted?) and a bat (dead?). We also passed a small ruins high on the canyon wall.
On Day 6 we again picked up our anchors and moved to Iceberg Canyon with its cyclopean rock walls—Truly Magnificent! Here we finally found some real solitude in our own little side canyon where we swam and relaxed.
Iceberg Canyon Campsite
We took out the kayak and explored the three arms of the upper canyon. We had to maneuver around hundreds of dead trees protruding from the low water.
The south arm has a rockfall that created a separate small lake. Compare with these photos [1][2] I took in 2010 to see how much lower the water is.
The next day we headed back to Bullfrog and civilization. Click on the video below for clips from each canyon we visited.
Leaving Iceberg Canyon
See the Full Gallery for more photos of petroglyphs, HDR photos, and panoramas–including my lightening tour of nearby parks Goblin Valley, Capital Reef, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Bryce Canyon. I concluded by crossing the Colorado River at the Glen Canyon Dam (which creates Lake Powell!).
On my trip west this year I made sure I had time to visit this unique area. The Dinosaur Tracks are located within and along side the Purgatoire River with the Comanche National Grassland. [Gallery]
source:usgs.gov (click to enlarge)
The area is located 35 miles south of La Junta, CO off the lightly maintained County Road 25 (upper left in the map above). The last few miles are on a primitive forest service road that ends at the Withers Canyon Trailhead and Campground (four sites with fire grates and a pit toilet).
Withers Canyon Trailhead
The first portion of the 5.2 mile trail goes down a steep “stairway” to the canyon floor. I had to walk my bike most of the way but it’s not far. After that it flattens out into an easy path through grassland and cottonwood trees along the Purgatoire River.
There are a few ups and downs where the river crowds the canyon side.
About half-way to the tracks I came upon the Dolores Mission from the 1870s to 1890s.
The small cemetery includes several well preserved headstones (mostly of children).
After another easy 1.5 mile cycle I was at the tracksite proper. There is a parking area for off-road vehicles and a pit toilet. There are several interpretive signs.
Someone obviously had a sense of humor…
The tracks are on both banks and in the river bed itself. The water was low so I was able to access most of the site however dirt, sand, mud, and debris covered a portion.
Three-Toed Theropod (Carnivore) Tracks Two Parallel Sauropod (Herbivore) Trackways
To give a sense of how complex the site is I’ve borrowed part of this illustration from an excellent write-up I found online. [A Dash with the Dinosaurs Field Trip Guidebook (October 2000) compiled by Matthew Morgan for the Colorado Geologcial Survey]
I was alone for the entire day but I did encounter a few critters along the way.
Collared LizardTarantula
My cycle back was idyllic! Speeding along with the warm sun at my back and a cool breeze on my face.
Did I mention the “stairway” back up to the trailhead?
I hadn’t expected there to be designated campsites at the trailhead, but I decided to stay instead of driving back to civilization in the dark. It was a nice, quiet and beautiful night!
