Painted Desert

Acoma Sky City, incorporated 1150 AD, give or take a few weeks. One of the few reservations keeping it real, or at least appearing to do so to this casual bystander. Fred told stories of his ancestors to a gaggle of white-haired Winnebago Warriors, like the one about the fellows who carried the vigas from Mt Taylor across 40 miles of unforgiving desert to the roof of the mission without ever allowing them to touch the earth and be defiled. Hardcore. As hardcore as the Native in the Bob Marley shirt hawking pottery outside his cut stone house.

Wandering through barren, scorched earth. Heavy load, as always (ultralight is a myth, albeit a good one). Innumerable mounds of red & white dirt, like a thousand pulverized middle schools and a few fire departments. Too bad our antiquated educational system was left firmly intact. Rivers of sand...a few wildflowers (probably named and boxed up, like the rest of us) popping through the desolation. Ranger was actually named Fozzy, "yes, with a 'y'" as he explained on the phone.

Rendezvous, Flagstaff, AZ. Good place for good caffeine and music. Broken Social Scene, Tortoise, Thievery Corporation, and other such snobby stuff.

Needles, CA is like Hell, but smells better.