The long dirt road to Chaco Canyon passes through open range ranch territory in the Navajo Nation. Where there is wide open ranges, there is water and feed. Wild horses know this well, so the open range ranch territory is always a good place to spot a few while passing through. In the desert, what it takes to survive is always in limited supply, so one will not see huge herds of wild horses in this region. Instead, the wild horses usually congregate in small packs that are led by one or two alpha males or granny mares when foals are in tow. During the foaling seasons in late spring and early summer, the alpha male horses usually go off to do their own thing, while the mares tend to the young ponies that still depend on milk.
The Peñasco Blanco Trail goes a little more than seven miles to an ancient pueblo that goes by the same name. The out and back trek to Peñasco Blanco will be a total of over 14 miles, so this hike will not appeal to everybody, especially during the hot summer months. On the plus side, this long trail goes over level ground on the valley floor, so other than the mileage, this hike is relatively easy to accomplish. However, doing the complete 14 mile round trip alone is not recommended because this is rattlesnake country and if an emergency arises, any rescue attempt might as well be a million miles away. Packing plenty of water and snacks is the key for a pleasant experience, so a sturdy day pack along with comfortable hiking shoes will be needed for completing the entire Peñasco Blanco Trail.
The majority of people that hike the Peñasco Blanco Trail only go to a few points of interest located within a comfortable range before turning back. The options for a half day hiking excursion along this trail include Kin Kletso, Casa Chiquita and a long petroglyph wall. Both the world famous Super Nova Pictograph and the Peñasco Blanco Pueblo are located near the end point, so these Peñasco Blanco Trail destinations will require a full day to experience. The Kin Kletso Great House Pueblo is the most popular destination on the Peñasco Blanco Trail, because this the where the foot trail to the mesa top Pueblo Alto and Pueblo Bonito Overlook begins. Kin Kletso is located less than a mile from the starting point and only a healthy little walk on a level dirt road is required to get there, so practically anybody can tour this ancient sacred place.
Kin Kletso is also called Yellow House, which reflects upon the deep golden yellow color of the stone building blocks. This pueblo complex has a rectangular floor plan shape with over 65 rooms and five kivas. The remaining center walls suggest this structure was well over two stories tall and the walls were extra thick, so the settling into the soft valley floor soil may have been a problem. There is no large courtyard or any other large satellite structures at Kin Kletso, which sets this great house pueblo apart from the rest in this end of Chaco Canyon. By following the Pueblo Alto Trail up the side of the bluff, a clear overview of the Kin Kletso floor plan design can be experienced, so be sure to have a look.
After rounding the bend around the side canyon ravine along the Peñasco Blanco Trail, Casa Chiquita will start to come into view in the distance. This is yet another structure that made use of the local yellow sandstone for building blocks and the glowing golden color of this pueblo certainly is an impressive sight to see. Casa Chiquita is relatively small when compared to the other great house pueblos in Chaco Canyon, yet it truly is a unique ancient sacred place marvel over. According to the park information pamphlet, this structure once had 35 ground floor rooms and rose a few stories tall. Casa Chiquita has the look of a square annex structure, yet because of the proximity to the vast agricultural fields to the west this pueblo may have served a farm worker utilitarian purpose. Nobody knows for sure, because so much of the Chaco Culture remains hidden by the hands of time.
Both Kin Kletso and Casa Chiquita are well worth experiencing, while something just as interesting awaits a little further down the Peñasco Blanco Trail. A very long ancient petroglyph wall can be viewed about a mile past Casa Chiquita, which boasts rock art from a very long timeline. For those who relish the though of reading some ancient newspaper rock, it will be best to continue onward from Casa Chiquita. The Peñasco Blanco Trail sure does have a way of coaxing hikers to rack up a few extra miles, so be sure to pack plenty of water even if a short stroll is all that is planned!
00:00 Title
00:15 Chaco Wild Horses
01:00 Peñasco Blanco Trail To Kin Kletso
07:10 Peñasco Blanco Trail To Casa Chiquita
14:15 Fin
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