Picture of the week

Defensive position

One of several Anasazi ruins that are part of the Lewis Lodge complex.   Not as well known, and with an extremely rough road to reach the general area; This particular ruin was even more difficult to get to on foot, due to being perched on a ledge of a sheer cliff with a 700 foot drop below, while sitting underneath a 70 foot overhang above. It is one of the most impressive set of ruins I have visited, and perhaps a bit more preserved due to its isolation on the cliff edge.  Some Anasazi ruins such as this one show clear signs of contruction designed in a defensive configuration to prevent others from reaching their precious granaries. The Citadel ruin is one other that reminds me of one with such protection. There were about 3 different defensive layers in the form of walls that extended out to the cliff edge to help thwart such attacks with the Lewis Lodge. I also noticed a few different water sources in the form of small springs via cracks in the canyon wall, plus a larger pool fed from a small pour over from above. This should have allowed the inhabitants to better subsist during a state of siege.  It would be quite interesting to learn how long the people that lived here were able to hold out, and what finally did them in?

I visited the Lewis Lodge last week while on another photography and canyoneering trip through southern Utah. The trip was quite fruitful in terms of exploring some new locations such as this one, while also scouting for future photography endeavors under better light. 

All content and images are property of Stephen Fischer Photography, copyright 2014.  Last updated: 5/12/2014   ()