No Chaco elites on Cedar Mesa
enough of giving corn to shamans for rain
southwest weather never worked that way
After fleeing Chaco followed by Mesa Verde
pilgrims arrived on Comb Ridge
seeking a simple life
Like my brothers and sisters a thousand years ago
escape was under the same circumstances as
life became untenable
Choosing to pay tribute to the Anasazi hillbillies in southeast Utah with
no Chaco social stratification and
no need to live a life of hauling logs
from the forest thirty miles distant to give Pueblo Bonita a fresh look
Instead enjoying ample opportunities to escape
on another adventure complete with
kiva time featuring a morning pot of espresso with Jenny and Mabel
stretching their legs and performing a morning security check
making certain that all night creatures have departed
Deer must be scattered for hundreds of yards
varmints tucked away underground
Miles from the nearest town or park ranger
the girls certify camp is safe
continuing a time honored tradition from Duke and Berk
After a good bike ride or hike nothing is better
than afternoon kiva time
with a cold beer in the shade
A few seasons ago something led me to several winters of ski resort labor
possibly driven by a changing mental climate but
like the Mesa Verde Anasazi
the cold took its toll each year before spring arrived
My current profile resembles the early pueblo inhabitants
with a hunter-gather element of
high desert to high alpine but this time
with a slick travel trailer replacing a pit house and wickiup
Eighteen years ago John headed west, settling in Heber, Utah. Focusing on the environment and giving back to community soon became as natural as his beautiful surroundings. Departing the corporate world in 2006 John immersed himself in a year of graduate studies at the Teton Science School, Jackson, Wyoming. Place-based education opened new perspectives on nature and spirituality. After graduation several seasons were spent as a wilderness therapy guide and conservation corps crew leader. Mentoring to these “kids” remains one of his proudest achievements.
