Hey all, If you'd like to check out my new Patreon page here's the link. Lots of great perks over there. Thank you as always! patreon.com/DesertDrifter?Link
Perhaps such sites are waaaay older than presumed. Now imagine these cliffs bordering a vast water body. Btw, the horse actually originated in North America eons ago. They migrated to other parts of the world before going extinct locally. Then the Spanish re-introduced them in the 16th century. What is to say these ruins are not millions of years old?
That is neat n it's a trip how it was built I believe the aliens showed the early civilizations how to build or maybe it was through visions while off mescaline n peyote
I am part Cherokee, my Grandfather taught food storage caves were always burned (large or small fires, some with some without smoke) before every harvest season, before anything was stored. Why? Doing so rid storage area of bugs, larvae, moths and vermin. They did not cook in the caves, doing so would draw bugs and animals to the food.
That is smart, don't cook in the cave because of bugs. Like in forests don't store your food near where you sleep because of bears. Very cool things we might not think about today.
This is excellent knowledge & makes sense right down to how fire would destroy organisms right down to the mold- spore level & non- beneficial bacteria level.
so what stopped the bugs, vermin etc. from returning a few days after the grain was stored? Do you think disinfecting an area is a permanent solution? Once the grain was stored you can't light fires every few weeks to keep the bugs out. Now they have a nice repository of food to eat at their pleasure. The territories of the US and Canada were "centuries backwards" compared to the fete of human engineering found in other parts of the world: ancient North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, South America and Mexico. When the Europeans arrived in North America, the indigenous people were operating as cave people. No permanent abode, little farming, cooked over open fires, no spices... lifestyle was on par with African countries south of Ethiopia, indigenous tribes in Australia and the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
I am at least 40 years your elder and have been to some of the the places that you have shown in your videos. In the 1970's I did a lot of hiking and exploring in that region. It is nice to see that the ancient ruins have held up so well. You are one hell of a hiker!!! Good luck on all of your new adventures... 🤠🌵🌵🌵
Worked in the Navajo Nation for two years at an IHS site. Endurance athlete/climber, so I’d get out in the canyons often, covering as much areas as I can observing the history/ruins. Some of the best times of my life. Seeing these videos takes me back!
@@joedale4344 No. I have more respect and decency than that. No offense intended if you are native, or Navajo, but the Navajos did a better job of trashing many parts of the reservations than any relic hunters ever could. I observe, admire and wonder about their way of life, not digging around ruins and bodies seeking treasures or trinkets.
@@Patrick-wc7njWOW 😳 the woke mind virus won't let you be. They just ALWAYS feel it's their duty to say the dumbest things. Never crossed my mind that you were out there destroying things. But leave it to a woke mind and there you go. Truly pathetic. My guess is that person never even hikes.
I am a professional archaeologist working in the American SW since 1991. Linguists estimate that Athabascan groups entered the SW around 1200 AD. These groups had a subsistence strategy based on raiding, robbing, etc. This is also when the Ansestral Pueblo began building defensive-oriented homes, granaries, etc. Same thing happened further south with the Hohokam (now called " Huhugem"), who went from open pithouse villages to walled villages. It mut of been horrible to live among these raiding groups, as many first-hand accounts describe written by early settlers and explorers beginning around 1535 AD.
@@rd.gerdesyeah I would like to know same thing. However, there are writings from Spaniards who were stranded in Ireland after Protestant wind shipwrecked them in Ireland. So maybe Spanish conquistadors wrote about it. Maybe buried in the Vatican archive.
Thank you for NOT disclosing locations and preserving these sights for future generations. I appreciate how you share with respect and honor the ancient ancestors.
What crass individuals made the comments below, to your appreciative statement. Just shows why Andrew doesn't reveal their whereabouts. Alas, the World is full of such.
Maddie I am 68 years old and today is the first day I have ever watched any of your videos and I just want you to know and I thank you are a wonderful guy especially for doing the things that you do. But you have one of the best shows I've ever watched keep up the good work and I'll keep up watching them thank you very much
I am a descendant of Geronimo. My grandmother has been featured in several articles. You have more respect for ancient history in your pinky finger than I have in my entire body. You are also braver than I would hope to ever be. I am and have been protected by my ancestors. I will think of you when I pray for protection. You have earned it!
Your's is one of the most interesting comments I have ever run across. I was planning to post a comment about the geologic story hidden in the cliff - I see four lines where perhaps there was some serious volcanic infusion changing the character of the rock. Everyone can spot the heavy one, then there is a lesser, and a couple weak lines. Are they millions of years apart? You are talking a mystery about yourself, like the rock. We struggle to unravel some of the mystery. I think you should tell us more.
im surprised to find this comment 4 hours old (which makes sense its 7 hours old but im very high), i lack your ancestral connection yet know the bond myself. at risk of being the druggy in modern society, psilocybin has showed me incredibly well and i can feel a similar presence despite my lack of ancestral precedence. i hope to find more native friends like i did when i ventured out to kayenta for a few weeks in 2017. they felt more home than home did and i didnt even take psychedelics yet
It bothers me quit a bit as well. It’s quit clear that some of these things we are seeing were recognized by ancient people as even more ancient. Something preserved so long only to be lost now 😕.
Most of these places are query’s anyway. This is all petrified wood from biblical trees, giant trees. Stumps and limbs, I’ve seen some over a mile in diameter. They were silica and not carbon.
I watch your RUclips channel all the time and I just wanted to say thank you for taking me places and showing me things I would never be able to see for myself
I found a place while hiking 40years ago here in Australia. Walked around a rock outcrop and immediately it was as though a large group of ancient people were living there, children playing freely with elders and parents watching with open light hearts. That was before tourism and government intervention or interference. When I walked around the outcrop of rocks it was just like I was living thousands of years ago , I was welcomed then I was returned to present day. The land is timeless , we are a blink of an eye..this is why I enjoy your videos so much it takes me back to my experience some 40 years ago. Wonderful to see your slowing yourself down to be mindful of your surroundings and aware of what's before you ...thankyou
There have been other reports of similar experiences by others. I have no idea how or why it happens, but it seems to be happening. What an incredible experience!
That happened to me here in the USA, I was traveling and all of a sudden it was as if I was back in time and the people hadn't changed in centuries. This place was called Arkansas.🤣
I lived and worked in Norther AZ from 1994 - 2007 and that attitude is still prevalent there when 'off the beaten path'. The default mode, particularly among Hopi, was of acceptance and 'friendly neighbor', but I was not a tourist with camera barging in to their private business. I found myself an invited guest. Watch out for Mudheads!
30 years ago, I lived and worked with the USFS in the Escalante, UT area. I really wish I had done more exploring in the public lands around there, but, at the time, I was there to make a living and I spent more time working than playing. I remember one year when I heard about a local man who was caught looting an ancient site. It was surprising because the man was respected by a lot of locals in the area. It is important to keep reminding folks that these ancient places can be discovered and documented, but always with tender, loving care.
I lived at Bullfrog and we had a guy living there that also got busted for "collecting" pottery. He'd go out at night with ladders/ropes apparently. Likeable maintenance guy. BLM installed sensors sometime in the 80's to hopefully cut down on the thievery.
This part of history is very underrated. I lived in New Mexico and grew up traveling to all of these different sites. One of the biggest mysteries in history is finding out why did all different tribes of natives at this time of era abandoned their homes to move their families 200ft even 300ft in some places. Possibilities are endless but none make sense defensive wise yes but to that extent makes you wonder what were they scared of.
I used to work for BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and I cannot possibly tell you how many pieces of pottery, arrowheads, beads and drawings and carvings on walls and things that I ran across. It was all fascinating. I think it’s so sad that there are some who do not appreciate our history (and they are included in that history!!) and they disrespect it. It’s just so sad. Even if you don’t find it interesting, leave it for the next person who may. Enjoyed the video! ❤️💜💚
I love seeing these ruins.and imagining the history with your talks. The mountains and desert in W. Texas are my places even though I don't get to.go there much. Through your videos and educated info I get to enjoy this...and I do! Very much. Thanks.Andrew
People, don't forget, back in the 1890s many of these sites were dug up and those specimens are now in museums, which was accepted with enthusiasm. Stay safe out there.Thank you for NOT disclosing locations and preserving these sights for future generations
Thank goodness. Those shards of pottery he worries about will be nothing but dust very soon. Corn cobs? Would be interesting to find some dried kernals. I'd rather that any relics were safe and appreciated in someones home or in a museum . Nothing captivates a childs' imagination more than a tangible piece of the past to treasure and hold.
Do you hike alone when you do these videos? What would happen if you fell & got hurt? Some of the video doesn't appear as if uou can be alone. Stay safe. I enjoy your videos and learn the history as you tell jt. Thank you.
You're absolutely right, there's a site on family land that was done that way by a local now defunct college. I have no idea what happened to the stuff they carried off but they a mess like this.
How about taking a child into the outdoors to experience a piece of history in its original context? That’ll captivate a child’s imagination far more than pulling it out of some drawer with zero context to it
I've never questioned why you don't say your exact locations. This video made my stomach drop when you showed the willful damage to these amazing treasures. Thank you for taking us with you to see these places.
I am a 69-year-old woman, and I absolutely love your adventures. Takes me back to when I was 8 years old and on up into my twenties. Before I became a wife and mother Etc. Back then my dad used to take us out into the woods looking for old buildings, old houses abandoned Etc. Where you lived in the upper part of Michigan, not Upper Michigan peninsula. We one time I found This Old House abandoned it was certainly of a nature that probably poor people lived in. We had a metal detector and it was a lot of interesting things that we would find. But at this time it was especially interesting to us kids. We found around one tree a whole bunch of shell cartridges. Nothing current because they were under quite a bit of soil. Then over in the house you saw bullet holes and then you saw cartridges down on the outside under the soil also. Then over by another tree there were a few cartridges not as many as by the house or the first tree . My imagination of course took off and maybe it was right on but it sure looked like there had been a shoot out there. I don't remember other things that we had found oh yeah my dad found her ring one time since it wasn't really that important to me as a kid I don't know what kind it was or anything like that. After I got married and had a child later in life. My husband and I would take her out in the woods doing a treasure find. We had made a map that looked old and crumpled and found up in the rafters of an old garage from house we were renting. We let her find it and then we took her out with her older brother and he went ahead of us when we got out in the wooded area and he buried a burlap sack of "gold" coins from an arcade that had closed. Then daddy, mom, brother and her, followed the map. When brother marked the spot he "thought" It was, she dig up the treasure! She's never forgotten and we still, 17yrs later, have all the items of the treasure hunt. 🤣😂
You are probably wrong about them being your ancestors. Your ancestors, more likely, came along after these people had long ago abandoned these dwellings. Marauders from the south or north are probably your ancestors in reality.❤
I feel like they are my ancestors also. We don't know if they were American Indian, Spaniards, Russians, Mexicans or European. Or even Aliens. Maybe it was a renegade army wanting to stash their treasure. Be it food or gold, they wanted it safe. We'll never know the truth. Our delightful government wouldn't allow the truth out. But I got much respect for anyone that could live in those conditions. Much Respect.
Thank you Andrew for another amazing video! My wife was talking to you as if you were in the same room telling you to “be careful, you’re standing too close to the edge.” I really love modern technology when it comes to drones and extended camera sticks to find ruins way up on the mountains and the camera stick to put it inside structures without causing any damage. Keep up the great work and be safe! (The “be safe” was from my wife!).
Every single video of yours, I find myself thinking how to catch a frame shot and get it frame for my wall... On many occasions, thinking how certain shots in your videos would be a beautiful mural on a wall. Just today, I thought that would make a difficult puzzle to do! Everything is so beautiful. Thank you for the great video, great information, and exceptional care you take in getting the Desert Drifter to all of us!
Whenever I see these videos I think of the people living there, giving birth, raising children. What a difficult life they had. Thank you for showing me something I would have never seen without your videos.
I keep wondering how they kept the toddlers from rolling over the edge. Makes me wonder if they generally lived down below and only on the cliffs when in danger?
The bottom scoot was too much for me . . . too afraid for your life!! It is with sadness to see the looted sites but YOU are carving a monument for the ancients that NO ONE can violate or take away. Thank you so much for that and God Bless you.
Your integrity and respect for the sites you explore is inspiring and I am so grateful for your channel and the stories you attempt to tell! Thank you!!
I was just in Moab this week, and on the side of a road, unmarked, was a site with a few pictographs and petroglyphs. Someone at some time had defaced a portion of them. I feel your deep sadness when I see the lack of respect for these precious historical sites. Keep on teaching respect and the importance of preserving our past. 👍
Stonehenge used to be an open monument, then it was vandalised. Now fenced in, with an admission fee, parking for coaches and cars, a museum. It still gets defaced, why? Joni Mitchell song? "Don't it always seem to go? That you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot! They took all the trees, put 'em in a tree museum." "Perfume of the Timeless" ruclips.net/video/oHCaZmIzr0o/видео.html
The large crack going up the side could have been used to create an awesome ladder, by driving wooden staves back into it, one above the other. Very simple.
I don't comment on many videos , but just wanted to say I'm really enjoying your videos. Living half way around the world and being able to see this stuff is amazing . Another location added to my bucket list . Thank you sir .
@@GavTatu I lived and worked in Northern AZ for over a decade. The vastness is good for personal perspective. I gave tours at Meteor Crater. The road from HWY 40 was six miles and 40 was easily visible from the crater rim as were distances beyond. The crater itself is (approx.) 4100 feet across and 560 feet deep.
Unless they are on reservation lands, most are either protected by national parks or in national monuments on established trailheads, or BLM protected. Just wandering in a place like Bears Ears you can see like 400 of them.
I’m originally from northern Ontario Canada but now I live in southern Baja California Mexico . When I first saw that country , it was a little depressing. No big trees like I was used to but many cactus and what I would call scrub brush . The area has since taken a whole different view in my mind. Its absolutely beautiful. When you see your first sunset over the sea of Cortez , your hooked. I felt the same when I first started watching your videos, I certainly wasn’t overly impressed with the landscape and the canyons. Everything looked the same .Now, I find them absolutely gorgeous and mind blowing . I have certainly come to appreciate the difficulty of the lifestyle of the original dwellers in that area. Thank you for taking the time to video your experience. I only wish you would use two hands when climbing. 😂😂
I love it My soul gets healing from these views & vistas, colors and privilege to bear witness to the footprints of those who came before Much respect to you, your honor is great, and the elders just might be warmed inside, to know that the memory & footprints of the people live on and teach
I’m one of the people who has asked where you were in your videos, but after thinking about it realized that it’s good that you don’t give that information out. When you see what modern day knuckleheads do to deface precious antiquities it makes you realize that not everyone thinks before acting. It was so sad to see the plundering of these sites you showed us today. Our family went to some caves in Texas where we live and they had turned it into a tourist trap with cement floors and handrails. They charged admission to see a natural formation. It was depressing. My husband and I really enjoy watching your videos. We look forward to seeing them on the weekends you post. Keep them coming!
Joni Mitchell song? "Don't it always seem to go? That you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot! They took all the trees, put 'em in a tree museum."
I can’t help wondering if your connection to these places, isn’t from some past life? Perhaps you lived in a place like this many years ago, in another life. Many of us have had them. A fascinating idea.
I think a lot of you do not understand what these places are. Most of you call these "granaries" and that is because you find corn cobs in them. But they weren't for storing grain for later use. We did, and do, put corn, among other things in them, but the main purpose is to make a safe place for our dead. The corn was put there to sustain them on their way to the spirit world. There were usually other things in there too, which is why you sometimes find pottery in them. You don't very often find human skeletal remains because the animals consume the bodies, including the bones, which is fine by us. We would much rather that our bodies nourish the plants and animals of this world, as the plants and animals nourished us during our lifetime. A lot of us still prefer this sort of burial to the traditional western burial, which is usually required by state governments in order to make funeral "homes" wealthy. If you were to dig up a cemetary on our reservation you would find more than half of the coffins are empty. That's because to keep up appearances and keep the state off our ass, we bury an empty box, then quietly spirit the bodies away to a remote place and into one of these "granaries'" where we put them with offerings of corn, blue or red mush, berries, meat, and any of their favourite foods. These are quickly consumed by animals, though they are consumed spiritually by the person. I request that when you enter these structures that you recognize that you are entering the final homes of our dead ancestors, and sometimes of people who died not that long ago; some within living memory. They are difficult to get to for a reason. We don't want our dead and their possessions disturbed anymore than you want yours disturbed. We don't go digging up you cemeteries and take the grave goods, or disturb your dead. We would appreciate it if you granted us the same courtesy. If you come across one which has been recently re-used, we know you will call the police, and there will be a big to do about it. Appreciate these from the outside, and leave our people alone, just as we leave your people alone. We ask for only that little bit of respect. As for the rock art, it is was very likely my tribe, my ancestors who made that horse. Our people were the first to ride when Escalante brought horses into this area in the 1500's. It is very likely that it was made by a Ute. I don't know which band, but possibly the Wemanuche or Uncompagre, because they were in that area back then. I am a member of the Wemanuche and have heard the stories. I heard them from my grandmother, who was alive in the late 1800's, and heard them from her grandmother. These stories are passed down unchanged, generation to generation. Story telling is an important part of our culture, and is also our way of keeping our history. We know that we got horses from a Spanish man named Escalante, and that he did not give horses to the Dine or the Pueblo cultures. We traded horses to the Dine for silver and turquoise, which they had in abundance. That was the time of the yellow air.
"You don't very often find human skeletal remains because the animals consume the bodies, including the bones, which is fine by us. We would much rather that our bodies nourish the plants and animals of this world, as the plants and animals nourished us during our lifetime." So why not just put bodies where they can be consumed easily by the animals - in shallow graves or just laying out there on the ground? Wouldn't it be kinder to the animals who nourished you during your life? And why give precious food stores to dead people when you know animals will eat them? It sounds like you've already outgrown your ancestral beliefs and you're just on traditional-way-autopilot; all the while realizing it's pointless. Your mind can't live a stone age life while it's connected to the internet. And you can't put the horse back in the barn after you've eaten them all - which is what your ancestors did to the original horses that once abundantly roamed the Americas. Added note: Escalante brought horses to the area in the late 1700's not the 1500's.
I learned a wonderful knowledge that I never would have if I hadn’t been watching this and then came across your comment. I wonder if the “Desert Drifter” will read your comment and now incorporate it into what he shows us. Thank you very much!!
People, don't forget, back in the 1890s many of these sites were dug up and those specimens are now in museums, which was accepted with enthusiasm. Later in the 1950s, many sites, if not all that were left, were hunted down and dug up by universities. Those collections are now deep in their archives and likely never to be seen. Just saying, not every site that shows signs of digging was done by modern day marauders...
A lot of these sites were destroyed by the Calvary from 1863 on. There was a $5 bounty for a Native scalp. The "Relocation Act" should have been called the "Extermination Act". $5 was a month's wage or more. The Indigenous went through so much. Natural disasters, being hunted, man damming up the waterways, it was one thing or another.
you are correct my Dad was one of them back in the 1950's he worked for the government its been going on for a long long time . Dad had a gieger counter with him on these excursions Sooo Looking for something
Believe it or not there was a mummy craze in the 1890s to 1930s and they paid high prices for mummies. They sold these southwest desert mummies for mummy parties as Egyptian mummies. They thought also they were medicinal and ingested them. They sold for much more than what gold was worth at the time. You can look it up about the mummy unwrapping parties and stuff. These cliff areas are not homes for the living but for the dead ones. The mummies are all gone as are their valuables for the afterlife.
I was in a place several times where U could just walk & climb up or down to the location without any thing like boards being in it. But that's a really practical idea & I'm sure it was & still is used. It was a great shortcut once I figured it out 😂
What I was thinking, too. And I'm sure there were wood and rope bridges between some of the outcroppings. Of course, wood and rope are quickly consumed by time and the elements.
If you look closely at the last site... You can see one round hole and one hole with the brick wall in front... There is a faint color difference and it goes all the way down... Could this be from rope rubbing against the wall?
Ive been following you for a little over a year now. I live in Northern Arizona, which puts me "nearby" the areas you are discovering. I just want to say how much I appreciate that you keep these areas to yourself. I just dont want to see these areas meddled with. Humans are naturally very curious creatures, but unfortunately, being respectful and leaving well enough alone, doesnt seem to fit our species. You are an exception, and thats why I continue to follow your adventures. Please keep up your excellent discovery work. Stay being curious. Stay safe- because you certainly push the boundaries sometimes! Just keep being the Desert Drifter that I have come to know. And thank you for the amazing knowledge and perspective that you bring to us with this wonderful channel.
Oh my gosh those rocks are so beautiful! I would like nothing better than to lean against the warm surface and just be at peace. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures.
@@Desert.Drifter looking at that last structure shown in this video, the one built under those 200 ft cliff bands, it might be worth taking your drone over the top of that cliff and seeing if that is the rear end of a slot canyon. Looks to me like that is a canyon crack, for sure, and I would bet the builders used that structure as more of a window, looking out, not a door. Also, I highly doubt anybody made it up that cliff on a regular basis without some sort of a rope or a ladder, and if they did I bet they came from the top and climbed down, not coming up from the bottom, so definitely look for evidence of old rock cut ladders or handholds. I've seen these hidden on the inside walls of vertical crevices
I think the platform theory makes the most sense. Look at ancient Roman coliseums, notice none of them still have roofs? Umsupported, suspended stone steuctures tend to collapse over time.
Another wonderful but nerve-wracking video from Andrew! Have you ever asked to speak with Elders in the Ute and/or Navajo nations? It would be interesting to hear them talk about the dwellings. Love your videos and the respect and deference you express for the ancient ones.
@@Desert.Drifter Really, that is interesting...I feel like I should know that. Are there any American Indian nations who identify themselves as descendents of the ancient Puebloans?
It's not their culture, they are as much tourists as we are. The Hopi or Zuni are probably descendents of the puebleoan/chacoan civilization, the Navajo and Apache migrated into these areas much later.
It is hard to explain that very special feeling of being in an ancient place. I have the same feeling here in the UK when I go to places like Avebury and also the White Horse near Faringdon near the Ridgeway - the Ridgeway is 5000 years old and the oldest walking route in the whole of Europe including UK. It makes you feel so in touch with the past particularly when no one is around you. Thank you for so much for this wonderful video. Many of those places have not been recorded and will be lost just to erosion in due course so it is helpful to have a record.
At the end, that mud wall is MASSIVE, those holes look like they could go all the way through to the other side of the mountain! Maybe entry from the other side of the mountain is the way in !?
I think people nowadays underestimate how hard it must have been to live like this. But they have survived for thousands of years. We are just babies compared to this way of living. If you get my drift. But those views down that canyon….magical
What I loved about your commentaries, is the deep respect you have for these original inhabitants. That's the way you speak about them. Awesome, that's why I subscribed and clicked like. You are doing an honour to your people and I very much appreciate that. Keep up the good work. Norman (up in Canada).
I'm addicted to your channel for many reasons, but by far the greatest is vicariously experiencing those views when you're up by the ruins. How epic it all is!
My thinking also. The original structures and entrances are now the rock boulders on the ground below. Water ingress plus freezing temperatures could split it all away.
Some buildings still has wooden structures. If there was wooden ladders, there would be signs of it (at leas some of them). I think it is difficult to build ladders over 10 mereters (30feets) high... Even half of that is difficult.
My parents were old enough to remember the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, but they didn't want to talk about it much and I don't blame them for that. I know there was suffering and great lack, but nothing more. I can't go back to the house in Kansas City my father lived in as a child. I feel fortunate to have a few photos of it, but it's gone. Torn down to make room for an office building. The house my mother was born in (in the Kansas county that was the very center of the great drought and locust swarms of 1936) was destroyed by a tornado. No photos of it at all, sadly. I've traced the family name back 11 generations before my parents, but the trail grows fainter and fainter. I hope the descendants of those who once lived on those cliffs have been told of them and like you, keep their location a secret. I hope they can visit that place, walk the land there and tell their children. I hope they can tell the whole story and say, 'Here. Here is where your ancestors were born and lived. This is what they did there. This is why they had to leave.' Ruin that it is, at least some of it is still standing.
5 месяцев назад
I've only been watching your videos for about 2 months but they are fascinating. You have the soul of an explorer.
DD hi from Alberta, Canada. I was fortunate to be introduced to the US desert SW young on vacation. I remember others asking me why go get all dirty, dusty and hot we're going to the indoor pool then mall. My response I can do that back home. The desert/rock lands are special and alive have history, adventure and peace. I appreciate many things about your channel no location ident, look and put back for others to enjoy and choosing to not desecrate places of the ancient ones. Taking pictures and experiencing is more than enough I respect all of that about Desert Drifter. Thanks .
These ruins were so amazing to see. I think the most intact structures tend to be the hardest ones to find and reach. It’s sad how people have treated our historical artifacts with such disregard. Thank you for highlighting this important issue, and for being as respectful as you are on your travels, and thanks for taking me along on another cool adventure!
An absolute favorite channel! I love your respect for the places, the times they were created, and the people who faced the challenges of life with creativity. Your pauses for reflection give me pause as well. Thank you for so realistically bringing me into your world, even the practicalities and necessities you consider when hiking in a harsh land.
I just want to say your videos have become my favorites. The subject matter is fascinating, the photography is beautiful, and your demeanor is very serene. You have hit on a winning combination and I hope you desert drift for a long time.
I grew up in the western deserts - and it's been years since I've walked out in that environment. It always feels like home when I watch your videos... even if it seems barren and difficult... it has an appeal to it that makes me feel that magic again. Thanks for bringing us along on this channel.
Your videos never disappoint. They keep me spellbound all the way through. Yes, I’m with you on respecting the land and properties therein. They are not ours and should be left as they are. Sad that some others don’t see it that way. Take care, keep safe. ❤ Dorset, UK
Going Ham on something is a term I’ve never heard but completely understand. The real issue is something called Intrinsic Value. There’s no treasure here, no gold, no silver, just valueless artifacts. But because of the value as an historic site everything is priceless. Therefore there is nothing that needs taking from these quite beautiful structures. Nothing. And shame on anyone who sells or buys this stuff from wherever it’s being proffered. Respect to the First People who lived in these primitive homes.
@@lmm.5619 Sandra has an edit button. When she corrects her spelling, I'll remove my correction and this comment. Just trying to educate todays youth, since the schools don't seem to be doing a very good job. Have a nice day!
I love your respect for the sights you explore and the people that once lived there, Andrew. It's contagious and has touched all of us dearly. May we all slow down enough to bask in the beauty of ancient past events/people/sacrifices made, as well as current day living.
Me too...many violent storms, and strong winds, have probably came and went over the many, many years since these were constructed....mild earth quakes are a real possibility as well, that could have caused large portions of the cliffs to break away, which is really quite apparent by the large bolders strewn about. Also getting the wood beams and packing the water to plaster the walls would have been nearly impossible for anyone to do in there present condition. Ladders and ropes would have also been necessary to transport things . It's really mind boggling when you think about it. Keep doing this Desert Drifter!
@@Colorado68 you are not seeing what you think you are seeing. Those "water levels" are millions of years ago old. Those water levels you are seeing are ancient sea floors from the time of the dinosaurs. This area has been dry since before mankind came to inhabit it. Each layer represents eons of incomprehensible time
Shane is right about the "water level marks" .....I used to in my younger days, do a lot climbing around in the Catalina mountains north of Tucson, and you could readily fine small sea shells in layers between rocks, and I'm talking about at least 5000 to 6000 foot levels......at some time in the far distant past these rock layers were probably at the bottom of a large amount of water....our planet is constantly changing.
@@Colorado68 the only way for this area to be flooded again would be if there was a gigantic dam higher than the top of the Grand Canyon. Trust me. I know if what I speak. The entire south west is a huge drainage that empties into the Colorado River. This canyon is situated well above the rim of the Grand Canyon
Andrew, your videos have always inspired great awe for me - this one is more than intriguing, it is downright scary. You are so respectful and amazing, the ancients definitely protect you!
Your videos are our families favorite to watch together! Our 4yr old daughter frequently says "can we watch Andrew?" My husband and I love exploring the PNW (we are from OR) and haven't been back to Utah in a while, so your adventures keep our itch scratched! Keep the videos coming!!
I watch most of the videos about the South West on You Tube. There is a special quality and beauty about your videos. Your videos are by far the best. You deserve to be compensated. I bet you would have great success if you started a Patreon account.
Obviously, the landscape has changed a ton over the centuries, but I wonder how much of that canyon floor was under water, making these open to boat access only possibly? You can tell there was water at some point by the layers on the rocks. So cool to see though, it's amazing how long stuff like this can stick around to be discovered. Be safe!
Watching these videos is like finding a movie series. You binge watch till your all caught up and waiting for the next episode but can't get enough. I live in florida and will never see a desert like this but I am amazed with the way the native people lived in the desert.
Been watching your adventures with joy and admiration. Having the technology and skill to access these places, and the reverence to honor the Ancestors, is breathtaking. Bring a geologist along with you on your next trek into this canyon. I think where you are was beachfront property. Read the rocks.
I’ve noticed in your videos your postulated about the purpose of rooms. The larger rooms with soot on the ceilings are most likely from drying/smoking meats, the smaller that are nestled up against walls for firing ceramics. Having fires in dwelling spaces is rare. Often hot rocks were used for safety and oxygen and hygiene. Also as for access to many areas ladders and ropes were quite common. Those items you can imagine were hard to come by, and in the final days as each site was looted for resources those rope and ladders were likely taken as they were valuable and useful to accrete sites and are time consuming and use rare resources. Rope was very likely used for access and securing your hold on some rock faces. Also, because it has been seen in other site and the defensive nature of many of there sites, ladders were likely used as security, were as a person could retreat into a secured dwelling or positing and remove the ladder bridges to make it impossible for an enemy to follow. When these sites are viewed within the context of the tool on hand at the time these sites make a little more sense. Still impressive.
Actually having fires in dwelling spaces is extremely common throughout history - you have to remember that fire was the only source of heating at night and the temperature can drop below freezing in the winter in the desert. The cliff builders absolutely understood the need for ventilation and those buildings of theirs that have been found intact all feature ventilation shafts above hearths.
Thank you for this channel. My age and physical condition does not allow me to roam as you can. My mother was an amateur archeologist who carefully logged her findings. This adventure with you is priceless to me.
Hey all, If you'd like to check out my new Patreon page here's the link. Lots of great perks over there. Thank you as always! patreon.com/DesertDrifter?Link
Perhaps such sites are waaaay older than presumed. Now imagine these cliffs bordering a vast water body.
Btw, the horse actually originated in North America eons ago. They migrated to other parts of the world before going extinct locally. Then the Spanish re-introduced them in the 16th century.
What is to say these ruins are not millions of years old?
That is neat n it's a trip how it was built I believe the aliens showed the early civilizations how to build or maybe it was through visions while off mescaline n peyote
What state is that bud ?
Your nuts to be climbing tough terrain alone
Your one brave dude
I am part Cherokee, my Grandfather taught food storage caves were always burned (large or small fires, some with some without smoke) before every harvest season, before anything was stored. Why? Doing so rid storage area of bugs, larvae, moths and vermin. They did not cook in the caves, doing so would draw bugs and animals to the food.
That is smart, don't cook in the cave because of bugs. Like in forests don't store your food near where you sleep because of bears. Very cool things we might not think about today.
Melted building bro. #meltology pocket of survival we call it
What an elegant sustainable solution.
This is excellent knowledge & makes sense right down to how fire would destroy organisms right down to the mold- spore level & non- beneficial bacteria level.
so what stopped the bugs, vermin etc. from returning a few days after the grain was stored? Do you think disinfecting an area is a permanent solution? Once the grain was stored you can't light fires every few weeks to keep the bugs out. Now they have a nice repository of food to eat at their pleasure. The territories of the US and Canada were "centuries backwards" compared to the fete of human engineering found in other parts of the world: ancient North Africa, the Middle East, Asia, South America and Mexico. When the Europeans arrived in North America, the indigenous people were operating as cave people. No permanent abode, little farming, cooked over open fires, no spices... lifestyle was on par with African countries south of Ethiopia, indigenous tribes in Australia and the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.
I am at least 40 years your elder and have been to some of the the places that you have shown in your videos. In the 1970's I did a lot of hiking and exploring in that region. It is nice to see that the ancient ruins have held up so well. You are one hell of a hiker!!! Good luck on all of your new adventures... 🤠🌵🌵🌵
Well, they’ve held up for hundreds if not thousands of years what’s another 50 more ?
@@aunch3the only thing that’s capable of it, us….
@@robertgarcia8440exactly
I get Americans think 800yrs ago = ancient, but it’s not. The US has far older human history than that; 10k+ yrs old. It’s worth investigating.
❤
Worked in the Navajo Nation for two years at an IHS site. Endurance athlete/climber, so I’d get out in the canyons often, covering as much areas as I can observing the history/ruins. Some of the best times of my life. Seeing these videos takes me back!
Are you a grave digger …
@@joedale4344
No. I have more respect and decency than that. No offense intended if you are native, or Navajo, but the Navajos did a better job of trashing many parts of the reservations than any relic hunters ever could. I observe, admire and wonder about their way of life, not digging around ruins and bodies seeking treasures or trinkets.
@@Patrick-wc7njWOW 😳 the woke mind virus won't let you be. They just ALWAYS feel it's their duty to say the dumbest things. Never crossed my mind that you were out there destroying things. But leave it to a woke mind and there you go. Truly pathetic. My guess is that person never even hikes.
I am a professional archaeologist working in the American SW since 1991. Linguists estimate that Athabascan groups entered the SW around 1200 AD. These groups had a subsistence strategy based on raiding, robbing, etc. This is also when the Ansestral Pueblo began building defensive-oriented homes, granaries, etc. Same thing happened further south with the Hohokam (now called " Huhugem"), who went from open pithouse villages to walled villages. It mut of been horrible to live among these raiding groups, as many first-hand accounts describe written by early settlers and explorers beginning around 1535 AD.
Thanks. The history makes this much more interesting.
There are writings from the 1500's?
I never heard of any of these people who you are talking about doing the raiding
@@rd.gerdesyeah I would like to know same thing. However, there are writings from Spaniards who were stranded in Ireland after Protestant wind shipwrecked them in Ireland. So maybe Spanish conquistadors wrote about it. Maybe buried in the Vatican archive.
Thanks for commenting. I always have so many questions about these videos and I’ve done some research but I enjoy your remarks thanks
Thank you for NOT disclosing locations and preserving these sights for future generations. I appreciate how you share with respect and honor the ancient ancestors.
Really? It's no secret were he is.
What crass individuals made the comments below, to your appreciative statement.
Just shows why Andrew doesn't reveal their whereabouts. Alas, the World is full of such.
@@DeanReys Happens on the daily.
@@robertcornelius3514really? So where is he? Give me a Lat/Long for the closest drainage outlet you would hike up to get to this location.
@@wanttogo1958 but Robert is right. I have been in this canyon many times, there is even (a lot) more than he has found yet.
Maddie I am 68 years old and today is the first day I have ever watched any of your videos and I just want you to know and I thank you are a wonderful guy especially for doing the things that you do. But you have one of the best shows I've ever watched keep up the good work and I'll keep up watching them thank you very much
I am a descendant of Geronimo. My grandmother has been featured in several articles. You have more respect for ancient history in your pinky finger than I have in my entire body. You are also braver than I would hope to ever be. I am and have been protected by my ancestors. I will think of you when I pray for protection. You have earned it!
The Apache came from central Texas until the Comanche drove them west. True survivors.
That's so lovely ❤ kath the wife 🏴🇬🇧
Your's is one of the most interesting comments I have ever run across. I was planning to post a comment about the geologic story hidden in the cliff - I see four lines where perhaps there was some serious volcanic infusion changing the character of the rock. Everyone can spot the heavy one, then there is a lesser, and a couple weak lines. Are they millions of years apart? You are talking a mystery about yourself, like the rock. We struggle to unravel some of the mystery. I think you should tell us more.
I, as Geronimo himself, ask you to believe this man
im surprised to find this comment 4 hours old (which makes sense its 7 hours old but im very high), i lack your ancestral connection yet know the bond myself. at risk of being the druggy in modern society, psilocybin has showed me incredibly well and i can feel a similar presence despite my lack of ancestral precedence. i hope to find more native friends like i did when i ventured out to kayenta for a few weeks in 2017. they felt more home than home did and i didnt even take psychedelics yet
As a Native American I appreciate your respect for the sacred places. It makes me sad seeing the destruction done by others. Stay safe out there.
It bothers me quit a bit as well. It’s quit clear that some of these things we are seeing were recognized by ancient people as even more ancient. Something preserved so long only to be lost now 😕.
All that rock below is the collapse of the route. Kids did the rock paintings when their parents said go find something to do.
What do you mean when you say 'sacred'? Genuine enquiry.
Most of these places are query’s anyway. This is all petrified wood from biblical trees, giant trees. Stumps and limbs, I’ve seen some over a mile in diameter. They were silica and not carbon.
@@Mar--Marsights like this we consider them sacred because they are the lands of ancestors.
Makes my toes tingle with apprehension as he gets up on that little tiny edge without roping up!
Your toes? I think you mean B-hole.
Mine, too!
🫣
I watch your RUclips channel all the time and I just wanted to say thank you for taking me places and showing me things I would never be able to see for myself
What people had to go through and do to survive. Amazing. Thanks for posting.
I agree. His videos are fascinating.
me too
I agree 💯 these videos are always a fascinating view.🙂
Thank you I would have loved to hike with too old now so I watch and dream .
I found a place while hiking 40years ago here in Australia. Walked around a rock outcrop and immediately it was as though a large group of ancient people were living there, children playing freely with elders and parents watching with open light hearts. That was before tourism and government intervention or interference. When I walked around the outcrop of rocks it was just like I was living thousands of years ago , I was welcomed then I was returned to present day. The land is timeless , we are a blink of an eye..this is why I enjoy your videos so much it takes me back to my experience some 40 years ago. Wonderful to see your slowing yourself down to be mindful of your surroundings and aware of what's before you ...thankyou
There have been other reports of similar experiences by others. I have no idea how or why it happens, but it seems to be happening. What an incredible experience!
In the grand scheme of things even the life/death of Adolf Hitler is as insignificant as a gnats fart in a tornado ✌️
That happened to me here in the USA, I was traveling and all of a sudden it was as if I was back in time and the people hadn't changed in centuries. This place was called Arkansas.🤣
I lived and worked in Norther AZ from 1994 - 2007 and that attitude is still prevalent there when 'off the beaten path'.
The default mode, particularly among Hopi, was of acceptance and 'friendly neighbor', but I was not a tourist with camera barging in to their private business. I found myself an invited guest.
Watch out for Mudheads!
@@scottanderson3751 Uh huh, but in the grand scheme of things it's wonderful that some of the beauty of human life stands out, even if not forever.
Don't disclose where you go. Good job keeping it secret and thanks for the vids.
30 years ago, I lived and worked with the USFS in the Escalante, UT area. I really wish I had done more exploring in the public lands around there, but, at the time, I was there to make a living and I spent more time working than playing. I remember one year when I heard about a local man who was caught looting an ancient site. It was surprising because the man was respected by a lot of locals in the area. It is important to keep reminding folks that these ancient places can be discovered and documented, but always with tender, loving care.
I lived at Bullfrog and we had a guy living there that also got busted for "collecting" pottery. He'd go out at night with ladders/ropes apparently. Likeable maintenance guy. BLM installed sensors sometime in the 80's to hopefully cut down on the thievery.
Thanks!
Wow, thank you Jamie, that is incredibly generous
This part of history is very underrated. I lived in New Mexico and grew up traveling to all of these different sites. One of the biggest mysteries in history is finding out why did all different tribes of natives at this time of era abandoned their homes to move their families 200ft even 300ft in some places. Possibilities are endless but none make sense defensive wise yes but to that extent makes you wonder what were they scared of.
Man you deserve a " Like " just for that climb !!
I used to work for BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and I cannot possibly tell you how many pieces of pottery, arrowheads, beads and drawings and carvings on walls and things that I ran across. It was all fascinating. I think it’s so sad that there are some who do not appreciate our history (and they are included in that history!!)
and they disrespect it. It’s just so sad. Even if you don’t find it interesting, leave it for the next person who may. Enjoyed the video!
❤️💜💚
Some people are just total assh0les.
Very good video . Thank you . 👍🙏🏜️.
I love seeing these ruins.and imagining the history with your talks. The mountains and desert in W. Texas are my places even though I don't get to.go there much.
Through your videos and educated info I get to enjoy this...and I do! Very much. Thanks.Andrew
People, don't forget, back in the 1890s many of these sites were dug up and those specimens are now in museums, which was accepted with enthusiasm. Stay safe out there.Thank you for NOT disclosing locations and preserving these sights for future generations
Thank goodness. Those shards of pottery he worries about will be nothing but dust very soon. Corn cobs? Would be interesting to find some dried kernals. I'd rather that any relics were safe and appreciated in someones home or in a museum . Nothing captivates a childs' imagination more than a tangible piece of the past to treasure and hold.
Do you hike alone when you do these videos? What would happen if you fell & got hurt? Some of the video doesn't appear as if uou can be alone. Stay safe. I enjoy your videos and learn the history as you tell jt. Thank you.
You're absolutely right, there's a site on family land that was done that way by a local now defunct college. I have no idea what happened to the stuff they carried off but they a mess like this.
The “shards of pottery” I regularly find have lasted there for over 800 years. Can you tell me how soon they will become “dust”?
How about taking a child into the outdoors to experience a piece of history in its original context? That’ll captivate a child’s imagination far more than pulling it out of some drawer with zero context to it
I've never questioned why you don't say your exact locations. This video made my stomach drop when you showed the willful damage to these amazing treasures. Thank you for taking us with you to see these places.
I am a 69-year-old woman, and I absolutely love your adventures. Takes me back to when I was 8 years old and on up into my twenties. Before I became a wife and mother Etc. Back then my dad used to take us out into the woods looking for old buildings, old houses abandoned Etc. Where you lived in the upper part of Michigan, not Upper Michigan peninsula. We one time I found This Old House abandoned it was certainly of a nature that probably poor people lived in. We had a metal detector and it was a lot of interesting things that we would find. But at this time it was especially interesting to us kids. We found around one tree a whole bunch of shell cartridges. Nothing current because they were under quite a bit of soil. Then over in the house you saw bullet holes and then you saw cartridges down on the outside under the soil also. Then over by another tree there were a few cartridges not as many as by the house or the first tree . My imagination of course took off and maybe it was right on but it sure looked like there had been a shoot out there. I don't remember other things that we had found oh yeah my dad found her ring one time since it wasn't really that important to me as a kid I don't know what kind it was or anything like that.
After I got married and had a child later in life. My husband and I would take her out in the woods doing a treasure find. We had made a map that looked old and crumpled and found up in the rafters of an old garage from house we were renting. We let her find it and then we took her out with her older brother and he went ahead of us when we got out in the wooded area and he buried a burlap sack of "gold" coins from an arcade that had closed.
Then daddy, mom, brother and her, followed the map. When brother marked the spot he "thought" It was, she dig up the treasure!
She's never forgotten and we still, 17yrs later, have all the items of the treasure hunt. 🤣😂
Thank you for not disturbing, disclosing, and having much respect. They are my ancestors.
You are probably wrong about them being your ancestors. Your ancestors, more likely, came along after these people had long ago abandoned these dwellings. Marauders from the south or north are probably your ancestors in reality.❤
@@centralhighlander8511 I'm TAOS Pueblo....THE ONLY MARAUDERS ARE YOU AND YOUR ASSUMPTIONS.
@@Pychonuant594 Just ignore people like that. Either autistic or an a-hole.
@centralhighlander8511 Belittling native people is the most offensive thing! Keep your crap knowledge in your crap brain.
I feel like they are my ancestors also. We don't know if they were American Indian, Spaniards, Russians, Mexicans or European. Or even Aliens. Maybe it was a renegade army wanting to stash their treasure. Be it food or gold, they wanted it safe. We'll never know the truth. Our delightful government wouldn't allow the truth out. But I got much respect for anyone that could live in those conditions. Much Respect.
Thank you Andrew for another amazing video! My wife was talking to you as if you were in the same room telling you to “be careful, you’re standing too close to the edge.” I really love modern technology when it comes to drones and extended camera sticks to find ruins way up on the mountains and the camera stick to put it inside structures without causing any damage. Keep up the great work and be safe! (The “be safe” was from my wife!).
Haha 😂
Every single video of yours, I find myself thinking how to catch a frame shot and get it frame for my wall... On many occasions, thinking how certain shots in your videos would be a beautiful mural on a wall. Just today, I thought that would make a difficult puzzle to do! Everything is so beautiful. Thank you for the great video, great information, and exceptional care you take in getting the Desert Drifter to all of us!
That balanced rock, wow!
Yes! Leaves me speechless!
I believe the balanced rock was once an arch. You can see the other side of it.
Think I saw a bird in the crack
Yes it was amazing. It could fall tomorrow or stand for another two hundreds year.
I bet the old inhabitants had some colourful names for it, I wonder what some of them where/are?.
Whenever I see these videos I think of the people living there, giving birth, raising children. What a difficult life they had. Thank you for showing me something I would have never seen without your videos.
It is hard to describe the experience, how wonderful that even getting to watch these videos is deeply spiritual, a newfound blessed connectedness.
Imagine climbing down with a squirming toddler strapped to your back 😮
😅
I'm of Zuni pueblo and,These were worriors out posts,or religious areas for men, women and young children would have been in the villages .
I keep wondering how they kept the toddlers from rolling over the edge. Makes me wonder if they generally lived down below and only on the cliffs when in danger?
Thanks for allowing me to tag along!!! Beautiful and fascinating!
The bottom scoot was too much for me . . . too afraid for your life!! It is with sadness to see the looted sites but YOU are carving a monument for the ancients that NO ONE can violate or take away. Thank you so much for that and God Bless you.
I agree about that bottom scoot. My stomach flipped!
Ugh, my palms were sweating just watching that
Mine too! I hate heights!
I get weak kneed just watching you access these ruins, but I keep coming back every week to journey along with you, amazing.
Don't be scared. He's a professional.
@@seeharvesteryou’re just full of it aren’t you.
@@wanttogo1958
OK, so maybe he's not a professional.
Maybe he's just "experienced".
Still, no reason to be scared.
Another amazing climb to our past. Thanks for sharing and being so respectful. ❤😊
Your integrity and respect for the sites you explore is inspiring and I am so grateful for your channel and the stories you attempt to tell! Thank you!!
I was just in Moab this week, and on the side of a road, unmarked, was a site with a few pictographs and petroglyphs. Someone at some time had defaced a portion of them. I feel your deep sadness when I see the lack of respect for these precious historical sites. Keep on teaching respect and the importance of preserving our past. 👍
Stonehenge used to be an open monument, then it was vandalised.
Now fenced in, with an admission fee, parking for coaches and cars, a museum.
It still gets defaced, why?
Joni Mitchell song? "Don't it always seem to go?
That you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.
They paved paradise,
and put up a parking lot!
They took all the trees,
put 'em in a tree museum."
"Perfume of the Timeless"
ruclips.net/video/oHCaZmIzr0o/видео.html
These sites are stunning and quality of the images is excellent. Thankyou for sharing these magnificent places.
Dude,
These climbs scare the shit out of me.. and im watching on my phone.
Same
Me too 😅😂
A lot of times it’s easier or feels safer going up and more treacherous or dangerous having to go back down.
Not afraid of heights but holy crap, count me out. I break a sweat just watching.
Don't drop yer fone!😊
One of my favorite channels brother.
Thanks again
The large crack going up the side could have been used to create an awesome ladder, by driving wooden staves back into it, one above the other. Very simple.
I don't comment on many videos , but just wanted to say I'm really enjoying your videos. Living half way around the world and being able to see this stuff is amazing . Another location added to my bucket list . Thank you sir .
Do it.
Northern AZ is amazing.
i'm from jersey, 5 miles by nine... the scale of these places blows my tiny island mind !
@@GavTatu I lived and worked in Northern AZ for over a decade. The vastness is good for personal perspective.
I gave tours at Meteor Crater. The road from HWY 40 was six miles and 40 was easily visible from the crater rim as were distances beyond.
The crater itself is (approx.) 4100 feet across and 560 feet deep.
I don't blame you for not disclosing your adventures. They need to be protected😊😊😊😊
It’s no secret anymore.
Unless they are on reservation lands, most are either protected by national parks or in national monuments on established trailheads, or BLM protected. Just wandering in a place like Bears Ears you can see like 400 of them.
Thanks!
The beauty of these places is breathtaking, but I cannot imagine the fear that drove people to live in such inaccessible places.
I’m originally from northern Ontario Canada but now I live in southern Baja California Mexico . When I first saw that country , it was a little depressing. No big trees like I was used to but many cactus and what I would call scrub brush . The area has since taken a whole different view in my mind. Its absolutely beautiful. When you see your first sunset over the sea of Cortez , your hooked. I felt the same when I first started watching your videos, I certainly wasn’t overly impressed with the landscape and the canyons. Everything looked the same .Now, I find them absolutely gorgeous and mind blowing . I have certainly come to appreciate the difficulty of the lifestyle of the original dwellers in that area. Thank you for taking the time to video your experience. I only wish you would use two hands when climbing. 😂😂
You've convinced me. I've had Baja on my list for a while. What are the must see places there?
you're
I love it
My soul gets healing from these views & vistas, colors and privilege to bear witness to the footprints of those who came before
Much respect to you, your honor is great, and the elders just might be warmed inside, to know that the memory & footprints of the people live on and teach
One thing about ancient people.. They sure loved a property with amazing views ❤
Those sites were defendable.
@@monicacollins8289 and @moegamtabrahams6773 both statements can be true.
I’m one of the people who has asked where you were in your videos, but after thinking about it realized that it’s good that you don’t give that information out. When you see what modern day knuckleheads do to deface precious antiquities it makes you realize that not everyone thinks before acting. It was so sad to see the plundering of these sites you showed us today. Our family went to some caves in Texas where we live and they had turned it into a tourist trap with cement floors and handrails. They charged admission to see a natural formation. It was depressing. My husband and I really enjoy watching your videos. We look forward to seeing them on the weekends you post. Keep them coming!
Joni Mitchell song? "Don't it always seem to go?
That you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone.
They paved paradise,
and put up a parking lot!
They took all the trees,
put 'em in a tree museum."
@@stpfs9281 a Joni fan! Me too. She tried to warn us.
I can’t help wondering if your connection to these places, isn’t from some past life? Perhaps you lived in a place like this many years ago, in another life. Many of us have had them. A fascinating idea.
I think a lot of you do not understand what these places are. Most of you call these "granaries" and that is because you find corn cobs in them. But they weren't for storing grain for later use. We did, and do, put corn, among other things in them, but the main purpose is to make a safe place for our dead. The corn was put there to sustain them on their way to the spirit world. There were usually other things in there too, which is why you sometimes find pottery in them. You don't very often find human skeletal remains because the animals consume the bodies, including the bones, which is fine by us. We would much rather that our bodies nourish the plants and animals of this world, as the plants and animals nourished us during our lifetime. A lot of us still prefer this sort of burial to the traditional western burial, which is usually required by state governments in order to make funeral "homes" wealthy. If you were to dig up a cemetary on our reservation you would find more than half of the coffins are empty. That's because to keep up appearances and keep the state off our ass, we bury an empty box, then quietly spirit the bodies away to a remote place and into one of these "granaries'" where we put them with offerings of corn, blue or red mush, berries, meat, and any of their favourite foods. These are quickly consumed by animals, though they are consumed spiritually by the person.
I request that when you enter these structures that you recognize that you are entering the final homes of our dead ancestors, and sometimes of people who died not that long ago; some within living memory. They are difficult to get to for a reason. We don't want our dead and their possessions disturbed anymore than you want yours disturbed. We don't go digging up you cemeteries and take the grave goods, or disturb your dead. We would appreciate it if you granted us the same courtesy. If you come across one which has been recently re-used, we know you will call the police, and there will be a big to do about it. Appreciate these from the outside, and leave our people alone, just as we leave your people alone. We ask for only that little bit of respect.
As for the rock art, it is was very likely my tribe, my ancestors who made that horse. Our people were the first to ride when Escalante brought horses into this area in the 1500's. It is very likely that it was made by a Ute. I don't know which band, but possibly the Wemanuche or Uncompagre, because they were in that area back then. I am a member of the Wemanuche and have heard the stories. I heard them from my grandmother, who was alive in the late 1800's, and heard them from her grandmother. These stories are passed down unchanged, generation to generation. Story telling is an important part of our culture, and is also our way of keeping our history. We know that we got horses from a Spanish man named Escalante, and that he did not give horses to the Dine or the Pueblo cultures. We traded horses to the Dine for silver and turquoise, which they had in abundance. That was the time of the yellow air.
And that’s how it should be done! The circle of life. The way nature intended.
Wow! Thank you so much for your explanation.
"You don't very often find human skeletal remains because the animals consume the bodies, including the bones, which is fine by us. We would much rather that our bodies nourish the plants and animals of this world, as the plants and animals nourished us during our lifetime."
So why not just put bodies where they can be consumed easily by the animals - in shallow graves or just laying out there on the ground? Wouldn't it be kinder to the animals who nourished you during your life? And why give precious food stores to dead people when you know animals will eat them? It sounds like you've already outgrown your ancestral beliefs and you're just on traditional-way-autopilot; all the while realizing it's pointless. Your mind can't live a stone age life while it's connected to the internet. And you can't put the horse back in the barn after you've eaten them all - which is what your ancestors did to the original horses that once abundantly roamed the Americas. Added note: Escalante brought horses to the area in the late 1700's not the 1500's.
I learned a wonderful knowledge that I never would have if I hadn’t been watching this and then came across your comment. I wonder if the “Desert Drifter” will read your comment and now incorporate it into what he shows us. Thank you very much!!
Thank you for your explanation of why "granaries" are in such hard-to-get-to places. Your explanation makes a whole lot more sense to me.
People, don't forget, back in the 1890s many of these sites were dug up and those specimens are now in museums, which was accepted with enthusiasm. Later in the 1950s, many sites, if not all that were left, were hunted down and dug up by universities. Those collections are now deep in their archives and likely never to be seen. Just saying, not every site that shows signs of digging was done by modern day marauders...
Marauders, looters First Responders.
A lot of these sites were destroyed by the Calvary from 1863 on. There was a $5 bounty for a Native scalp. The "Relocation Act" should have been called the "Extermination Act". $5 was a month's wage or more. The Indigenous went through so much. Natural disasters, being hunted, man damming up the waterways, it was one thing or another.
you are correct my Dad was one of them back in the 1950's he worked for the government its been going on for a long long time . Dad had a gieger counter with him on these excursions Sooo Looking for something
Believe it or not there was a mummy craze in the 1890s to 1930s and they paid high prices for mummies. They sold these southwest desert mummies for mummy parties as Egyptian mummies. They thought also they were medicinal and ingested them. They sold for much more than what gold was worth at the time. You can look it up about the mummy unwrapping parties and stuff. These cliff areas are not homes for the living but for the dead ones. The mummies are all gone as are their valuables for the afterlife.
@@ram1brn they even used helicopters to fly up and down the canyons looking for ruins to dig. Not many stones left unturned.
Theory: wood posts were jammed into the large vertical cracks in front of the sites, allowing ladderlike ascent with reduced risk.
I was in a place several times where U could just walk & climb up or down to the location without any thing like boards being in it. But that's a really practical idea & I'm sure it was & still is used. It was a great shortcut once I figured it out 😂
What I was thinking, too. And I'm sure there were wood and rope bridges between some of the outcroppings. Of course, wood and rope are quickly consumed by time and the elements.
my theory too.
If you look closely at the last site... You can see one round hole and one hole with the brick wall in front... There is a faint color difference and it goes all the way down... Could this be from rope rubbing against the wall?
Your videos are the best!
Ive been following you for a little over a year now. I live in Northern Arizona, which puts me "nearby" the areas you are discovering. I just want to say how much I appreciate that you keep these areas to yourself. I just dont want to see these areas meddled with. Humans are naturally very curious creatures, but unfortunately, being respectful and leaving well enough alone, doesnt seem to fit our species. You are an exception, and thats why I continue to follow your adventures. Please keep up your excellent discovery work. Stay being curious. Stay safe- because you certainly push the boundaries sometimes! Just keep being the Desert Drifter that I have come to know. And thank you for the amazing knowledge and perspective that you bring to us with this wonderful channel.
Oh my gosh those rocks are so beautiful! I would like nothing better than to lean against the warm surface and just be at peace. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures.
Thank you Andrew.
Thank you again bigkings. I appreciate your continued support 🙏🏼
@@Desert.Drifter looking at that last structure shown in this video, the one built under those 200 ft cliff bands, it might be worth taking your drone over the top of that cliff and seeing if that is the rear end of a slot canyon. Looks to me like that is a canyon crack, for sure, and I would bet the builders used that structure as more of a window, looking out, not a door. Also, I highly doubt anybody made it up that cliff on a regular basis without some sort of a rope or a ladder, and if they did I bet they came from the top and climbed down, not coming up from the bottom, so definitely look for evidence of old rock cut ladders or handholds. I've seen these hidden on the inside walls of vertical crevices
I think the platform theory makes the most sense. Look at ancient Roman coliseums, notice none of them still have roofs? Umsupported, suspended stone steuctures tend to collapse over time.
Another wonderful but nerve-wracking video from Andrew! Have you ever asked to speak with Elders in the Ute and/or Navajo nations? It would be interesting to hear them talk about the dwellings. Love your videos and the respect and deference you express for the ancient ones.
The Ute and Navajo are believed by most professionals not to descendants of, or related to, the people who built these sites
@@Desert.Drifter Really, that is interesting...I feel like I should know that. Are there any American Indian nations who identify themselves as descendents of the ancient Puebloans?
It's not their culture, they are as much tourists as we are. The Hopi or Zuni are probably descendents of the puebleoan/chacoan civilization, the Navajo and Apache migrated into these areas much later.
It is hard to explain that very special feeling of being in an ancient place. I have the same feeling here in the UK when I go to places like Avebury and also the White Horse near Faringdon near the Ridgeway - the Ridgeway is 5000 years old and the oldest walking route in the whole of Europe including UK. It makes you feel so in touch with the past particularly when no one is around you. Thank you for so much for this wonderful video. Many of those places have not been recorded and will be lost just to erosion in due course so it is helpful to have a record.
Me too
At the end, that mud wall is MASSIVE, those holes look like they could go all the way through to the other side of the mountain! Maybe entry from the other side of the mountain is the way in !?
I've really started to enjoy these over the past few months. Thank you.
Now we know which one's Pink. 😊
I think people nowadays underestimate how hard it must have been to live like this. But they have survived for thousands of years. We are just babies compared to this way of living. If you get my drift. But those views down that canyon….magical
What I loved about your commentaries, is the deep respect you have for these original inhabitants. That's the way you speak about them. Awesome, that's why I subscribed and clicked like. You are doing an honour to your people and I very much appreciate that. Keep up the good work. Norman (up in Canada).
I'm addicted to your channel for many reasons, but by far the greatest is vicariously experiencing those views when you're up by the ruins. How epic it all is!
Yes, love the views out here!
You know they made ladders back then, and there may have once been a relatively safe route that collapsed.
This is a key observation... organic matter disappears and was certainly a primary part of access to these sites.
My thinking also. The original structures and entrances are now the rock boulders on the ground below. Water ingress plus freezing temperatures could split it all away.
@@kevinparker9407 You can tell if a ledge has collapsed in the past because it leaves all the rubble on the ground right under it.
Some buildings still has wooden structures. If there was wooden ladders, there would be signs of it (at leas some of them). I think it is difficult to build ladders over 10 mereters (30feets) high... Even half of that is difficult.
@1joku2 Rope ladders were common in many sw cultures... no magic happening.
I can see you are ULTRA carefull but my heart is in my mouth😱
That rock is literally outstanding!
My parents were old enough to remember the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, but they didn't want to talk about it much and I don't blame them for that. I know there was suffering and great lack, but nothing more. I can't go back to the house in Kansas City my father lived in as a child. I feel fortunate to have a few photos of it, but it's gone. Torn down to make room for an office building. The house my mother was born in (in the Kansas county that was the very center of the great drought and locust swarms of 1936) was destroyed by a tornado. No photos of it at all, sadly. I've traced the family name back 11 generations before my parents, but the trail grows fainter and fainter.
I hope the descendants of those who once lived on those cliffs have been told of them and like you, keep their location a secret. I hope they can visit that place, walk the land there and tell their children. I hope they can tell the whole story and say, 'Here. Here is where your ancestors were born and lived. This is what they did there. This is why they had to leave.' Ruin that it is, at least some of it is still standing.
I've only been watching your videos for about 2 months but they are fascinating. You have the soul of an explorer.
DD hi from Alberta, Canada. I was fortunate to be introduced to the US desert SW young on vacation. I remember others asking me why go get all dirty, dusty and hot we're going to the indoor pool then mall. My response I can do that back home.
The desert/rock lands are special and alive have history, adventure and peace. I appreciate many things about your channel no location ident, look and put back for others to enjoy and choosing to not desecrate places of the ancient ones. Taking pictures and experiencing is more than enough I respect all of that about Desert Drifter. Thanks .
Desert Drifter, awesome video keep up the amazing work
Your camerawork, narration, knowledge, climbing prowess makes these vids. absolutely spellbinding
You are doing a real service by bringing us viewers on your trips to these ancient sites. Thank you. Please keep the good work.
These ruins were so amazing to see. I think the most intact structures tend to be the hardest ones to find and reach. It’s sad how people have treated our historical artifacts with such disregard. Thank you for highlighting this important issue, and for being as respectful as you are on your travels, and thanks for taking me along on another cool adventure!
What State are you in?
An absolute favorite channel! I love your respect for the places, the times they were created, and the people who faced the challenges of life with creativity. Your pauses for reflection give me pause as well. Thank you for so realistically bringing me into your world, even the practicalities and necessities you consider when hiking in a harsh land.
Your videos bring me great peace. The cadence of your narrative and your reverence for the land is unmatched in this time. Thank you. 😌
This really makes me think of how we take our security and resources so much for granted. We really do live a blessed life.
I just want to say your videos have become my favorites. The subject matter is fascinating, the photography is beautiful, and your demeanor is very serene. You have hit on a winning combination and I hope you desert drift for a long time.
Dude this is my new favorite channel! keep it up!
Your reverence and respect for our ancestors and thoughtfulness ... I liked it very much.
I grew up in the western deserts - and it's been years since I've walked out in that environment. It always feels like home when I watch your videos... even if it seems barren and difficult... it has an appeal to it that makes me feel that magic again. Thanks for bringing us along on this channel.
Your videos never disappoint. They keep me spellbound all the way through. Yes, I’m with you on respecting the land and properties therein. They are not ours and should be left as they are. Sad that some others don’t see it that way. Take care, keep safe. ❤ Dorset, UK
Greetings from Alaska
The square cropped image was definitely my fav. Nice vid.😉
Going Ham on something is a term I’ve never heard but completely understand. The real issue is something called Intrinsic Value. There’s no treasure here, no gold, no silver, just valueless artifacts. But because of the value as an historic site everything is priceless. Therefore there is nothing that needs taking from these quite beautiful structures. Nothing. And shame on anyone who sells or buys this stuff from wherever it’s being proffered. Respect to the First People who lived in these primitive homes.
Do you ever come across any burial sights? I absolutely love what you do, but you do scare the s**t out of me sometimes ;) please take care..
sites
@@seeharvester don't be a troll
@@lmm.5619
Sandra has an edit button.
When she corrects her spelling, I'll remove my correction and this comment.
Just trying to educate todays youth, since the schools don't seem to be doing a very good job.
Have a nice day!
@@seeharvesterat least you are consistently full of it.
@@wanttogo1958
I'll take that as a vote for ignorance.
Have you ever found an undisturbed site with articles of life? I'd love to see a photo or video of what life actually looked like.
I love your respect for the sights you explore and the people that once lived there, Andrew. It's contagious and has touched all of us dearly. May we all slow down enough to bask in the beauty of ancient past events/people/sacrifices made, as well as current day living.
I wonder if some of those sites have had significant erosion and rock slides that make current access more difficult?
I was thinking the same thing! There are large structures at Hovenweep NM perched on rocks leaning out over the canyon. Time takes a toll.
Me too...many violent storms, and strong winds, have probably came and went over the many, many years since these were constructed....mild earth quakes are a real possibility as well, that could have caused large portions of the cliffs to break away, which is really quite apparent by the large bolders strewn about. Also getting the wood beams and packing the water to plaster the walls would have been nearly impossible for anyone to do in there present condition. Ladders and ropes would have also been necessary to transport things . It's really mind boggling when you think about it. Keep doing this Desert Drifter!
@@Colorado68 you are not seeing what you think you are seeing. Those "water levels" are millions of years ago old. Those water levels you are seeing are ancient sea floors from the time of the dinosaurs. This area has been dry since before mankind came to inhabit it. Each layer represents eons of incomprehensible time
Shane is right about the "water level marks" .....I used to in my younger days, do a lot climbing around in the Catalina mountains north of Tucson, and you could readily fine small sea shells in layers between rocks, and I'm talking about at least 5000 to 6000 foot levels......at some time in the far distant past these rock layers were probably at the bottom of a large amount of water....our planet is constantly changing.
@@Colorado68 the only way for this area to be flooded again would be if there was a gigantic dam higher than the top of the Grand Canyon.
Trust me. I know if what I speak. The entire south west is a huge drainage that empties into the Colorado River. This canyon is situated well above the rim of the Grand Canyon
❤love your respect for the natives and their land your very intelligent a good man. Best wishes from Australia.
Andrew, your videos have always inspired great awe for me - this one is more than intriguing, it is downright scary. You are so respectful and amazing, the ancients definitely protect you!
Your videos are our families favorite to watch together! Our 4yr old daughter frequently says "can we watch Andrew?" My husband and I love exploring the PNW (we are from OR) and haven't been back to Utah in a while, so your adventures keep our itch scratched! Keep the videos coming!!
These videos are so cool. I can't walk, let alone hike any more. I will just ride along with you!!! Thanks!!!!
Me too!
I watch most of the videos about the South West on You Tube. There is a special quality and beauty about your videos. Your videos are by far the best. You deserve to be compensated. I bet you would have great success if you started a Patreon account.
Obviously, the landscape has changed a ton over the centuries, but I wonder how much of that canyon floor was under water, making these open to boat access only possibly? You can tell there was water at some point by the layers on the rocks. So cool to see though, it's amazing how long stuff like this can stick around to be discovered. Be safe!
His micro brain cannot think at your level.😊
This intersection of asmr, wilderness, paleontology and charming presentation is the future of content.
Dude......be careful.....I love ur videos ....I'd like to continue watching them!!.....Cuidate mucho chaval!!
Watching these videos is like finding a movie series. You binge watch till your all caught up and waiting for the next episode but can't get enough. I live in florida and will never see a desert like this but I am amazed with the way the native people lived in the desert.
I just want to sit out there with this guy and talk about anything and everything.
Too bed there couldn't be an interactive livestream with him in those mountains.
Been watching your adventures with joy and admiration. Having the technology and skill to access these places, and the reverence to honor the Ancestors, is breathtaking. Bring a geologist along with you on your next trek into this canyon. I think where you are was beachfront property. Read the rocks.
Your camera work is awesome. I appreciate all that you do with such respect and reverence. Keep up the great work and teaching.
It's fantastic to see these ruins! Thank you Andrew, for making that possible for those of us who are half planet away!
I’ve noticed in your videos your postulated about the purpose of rooms. The larger rooms with soot on the ceilings are most likely from drying/smoking meats, the smaller that are nestled up against walls for firing ceramics. Having fires in dwelling spaces is rare. Often hot rocks were used for safety and oxygen and hygiene.
Also as for access to many areas ladders and ropes were quite common. Those items you can imagine were hard to come by, and in the final days as each site was looted for resources those rope and ladders were likely taken as they were valuable and useful to accrete sites and are time consuming and use rare resources.
Rope was very likely used for access and securing your hold on some rock faces.
Also, because it has been seen in other site and the defensive nature of many of there sites, ladders were likely used as security, were as a person could retreat into a secured dwelling or positing and remove the ladder bridges to make it impossible for an enemy to follow.
When these sites are viewed within the context of the tool on hand at the time these sites make a little more sense. Still impressive.
Actually having fires in dwelling spaces is extremely common throughout history - you have to remember that fire was the only source of heating at night and the temperature can drop below freezing in the winter in the desert. The cliff builders absolutely understood the need for ventilation and those buildings of theirs that have been found intact all feature ventilation shafts above hearths.
Thank you for this channel. My age and physical condition does not allow me to roam as you can. My mother was an amateur archeologist who carefully logged her findings. This adventure with you is priceless to me.
The hills truly did “have eyes!” So absolutely incredible it really is!:)