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The Citadel Anasazi Ruins Hike / Road Canyon Llama Pack

May 23-28, 2003

Leader:  Dave Scudder (with Bill Priedhorsky as primary trip planner)

Trip Participants:  Los Alamos Mountaineers

Author:  Jan Studebaker

Photo Gallerys:  Jan Studebaker, Click HERE to view our Citadel Ruins Gallery.  Click HERE  to view our Road Canyon Gallery.

We accessed the Citadel, an almost perfect Anasazi ruin, by establishing a camp in Road Canyon near Bluff, Utah.  Dave Scudder was our able leader and route finder for this great adventure.  Llamas were used as pack animals, and I was the head Llama tender.  From the camp we day hiked to several nearby areas including "The Citadel".  See our "Road Canyon Gallery" above for other photos from the trip.

IMG_0707

Stubborn but much appreciated!

Our "bridge" to Cedar Mesa from the Citadel.

The Citadel is at the top of what appears to be a tower from the bottom of Road Canyon.  It is actually connected to the nearby mesa top via a "bridge" of rock.  The Anasazi residents used the bridge for defense from enemies who tried to access their food stores and other valuables.  Access from the bottom is all but impossible; however, we did eventually find a convoluted 4th class route to the ruins.

We were careful not to touch or disturb the potsherds and chipped rock that we found lying about.  This is a place the Rangers will not tell you about, and it is not in any book that I know about.  Most visitors access the ruins from Cedar Mesa via dirt road and a 1.5 mile cross country hike.
 


Send your trip reports, comments, updates, and suggestions about this site to
Jan Studebaker

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