Wijiji

From Aztec, we headed to Chaco Canyon, more specifically, Chaco Culture National Historical Park. We set up our tent in the campground and then headed for the Wijiji Trailhead as dark clouds began to loom. We had to get a permit to hike the trail to the Wijiji Lasting. I have no clue what the name Wijiji actually means, but if I had to interpret it, I would say it translates to something like, "Congratulations-on-driving-thirteen-miles-of-the-worst-washboard-gravel-road-you-will-ever-encounter-in-your-lifetime!"

We had a great view of Fajada Butte from both the campground and the trail.

Here's some texture from the trail:

We hustled out there and just as we arrived, the thunder boomed and the lightning flashed. We hurried around the roped perimeter and then started hauling back to camp. Too late. We got pretty wet. The thing that sets Wijiji apart is that it was built all at once. I guess all the other lastings were built in stages.

So we got back to camp and changed into warm dry clothing--such a blessing! Then we made sloppy joes for dinner complete with chopped onion and green pepper. And then we headed over to the evening program which was Astronomy. The campground host, Dan Fisk, had his own big telescope and showed us many wonders of the night sky including M13, a stellar nursery, and Andromeda. We were really going places. That man is full of knowledge and it's just his hobby, not his life's work.

Back at camp, we got ready for bed. I'm really good at camping and am very self-sufficient. I always get out my own bedding and roll it back up in the morning. I can sleep anywhere, really. I don't cause many problems. However, the second I put my head on the pillow, my sinuses began to drain, I started to sneeze, and I almost cried. Why? Because our campground happened to be in the middle of a bunch of blooming rabbitbrush, my personal nemesis! It's a chenopod and it always gets me in the fall! The Mister knew he had to take extreme measures right away so he asked if he could help. I sniffled and whimpered. He knew it could be a long night unless he took action, so he zipped himself right out of that tent and soon returned with water, lots of tissue, and some miraculous little allergy pills. Slept like a baby in Chaco Canyon.