PETFO: Up to Shiprock.

  Sunday Morning we were up for another breakfast, this time at the Junction Restaurant.  Normally there are horses eating the lush, green Best Western grass inside the fence, and begging dogs watching patrons exiting the restaurant.  We had only one big dog begging and zero horses.  Something has gone on.  Maybe Chinle hired an animal control officer.

  After Breakfast we crammed six people into a Ford Excursion and headed to Lukachakai, then over the mountains to Shiprock.

  We hit a few overlooks along the North Rim Drive and let the new folks pick through the vendors.  Back on the road to the turnoff at Lukachakai and up the curvy road to Buffalo Pass.  (Roadside cars were strewn about as people crawled around under the Pinon Pines looking for nuts.  They are good, but expensive.)

  This road was dirt until the late 80s.  Much improved.  Used to cross a seep that was a cronic mudhole.  Now it's lock-to-lock on the steering but much better on the roadway.  I did notice that a zesty and armed citizenry had shot up the roadside signs and markers.

  From Buffalo Pass you can see pull off and see Shiprock to the East just over Little Shiprock, or Mitten Rock.  Over the Pass and down into Red Valley.

Kayanne at Buffalo Pass with Little and Big Shiprock in the distance.

Our "Happy Place" in Red Valley.  Used to be three benches but they have slowly be reduced to one.  Still.  Red Valley Trading has a store, gas, propane, part of a butcher shop, coffee, Post Office.  Community center.  Under the line of shade trees along the road there may be a taco/tamale seller.

The McKinneys hanging at the Red Valley Trading Post.

Left a business card on the bulletin board.

Things always tough on the rez.  STILL missing.

Explaining everything I know, plus a little more, at Shiprock.

Arnaud at the base of the Wing, East side.

Guided the group over BIA 13 to the South Dike and made the long drive up the track to Shiprock.  Arnaud and Emma Duval from New Orleans were there.  Nobody in our group had seen Shiprock in person before.

Arnaud and Emma.

Emma looking over the Little Necks with a gorgeous October shadow.

Shot a fresh profile photo.

South Dike seating.

Over the South Dike and West to the Three Brothers.

Arnaud at work from the West Dike.

A little roof-top work.

  Last light on Shiprock.  The waterhole at the tip of the West Dike looked a little treacherous so we backtracked and headed home to the Best Western at Chinle.