Page 229 - WDT INTERACTIVE

ing’s tale was the most colorful, that has won cold. Or maybe that was me.
credence. “This is a good spot,” Tully announced. “The sun
What is true is that Monument Valley has be- will come up over there, behind Totem Pole and
come the leading icon for the American West as Yei Bi Chei,” he said, naming two revered column
a direct result of Ford’s films. Since Ford popular- formations. Carrying my camera gear and tripod,
ized them the buttes have appeared in more than we trudged behind Tully, careful to place our feet
100 movies, TV shows and commercials. One of where he had placed his, as we had no idea what
its most memorable appearances was in “Forrest lay beneath the crusty snow. I had the uncanny
Gump” as the spot where Tom Hanks’ character feeling that as we were watching the sun rise, we
finally gives up his cross-country run. were being watched. And indeed later, after the
There is even a spot in the park named for sun came up, coyote prints were apparent in the
John Ford. This rock shelf juts over a dry wash snow.
and provides a perfect vantage of the park’s Tully was correct about the spot he chose. The
most prominent features – West Mitten, Merrick sun’s glow crept over the horizon, silhouetting
Butte, and East Mitten, with mesas filling in the Totem Pole, Yei Bi Chei and the juniper. The only
background. drawback was the biting cold and my freezing
Just inside the mile-high park a 17-mile loop feet. Finally Tully packed us into the warm Tahoe
road offers excellent views of its prominent and drove us to a new location, North Window.
features from several different angles. Much of Again he led us along a snow-covered trail that
the park is accessible by car, but be prepared for hugged Spearhead Mesa until we reached a flat
a bumpy ride, as the road is rocky and sandy. And shelf that afforded a perfect view of the valley
if it’s winter be prepared for a lot of slipping and floor. The sun was rising behind us now, gradually
sliding, even if you have all- or four-wheel drive, lighting up the distant buttes and spires. Then
because it may be muddy and slick. the amazing happened. A layer of fog crept into
However, much of Monument Valley and the valley, gradually surrounding the bottoms of
adjacent Mystery Valley are accessible only by the buttes, making them appear as if they were
permission, and the way to access these areas floating on a cloud. It was a slow-motion drama
is through a concessionaire. To get off the main of rock, fog, snow and sunlight, playing out on the
road we signed onto a sunrise tour with Phillips valley floor, and we were the audience.
Photography Tours, one of several reliable tour All told we spent about four hours on the tour,
companies, and we were so taken with the stopping several times. One favorite place was
success of that excursion that we signed up for John Ford Point, which indeed provides some of
a sunset tour of adjacent Mystery Valley later the the most dramatic views. We then took a lunch-
same day. Originally we had doubts about waking time break and returned at 2 p.m. for our tour of
up at 5 a.m. to make a 6 a.m. start for the sunrise Mystery Valley.
tour, and those doubts didn’t get any less when If Monument Valley is where geological history
we stepped out of our hotel room to a 17-degree, comes alive, Mystery Valley is where human his-
still-dark morning. The doubts began to evaporate tory comes alive. Tully drove us south out of the
only after we met our Navajo guide, Tully Begay. park and we were soon traversing a broad valley
Tully is well-acquainted with every rock and gully shielded by Mitchell Mesa. Here and there we saw
in Monument Valley, and he soon was navigating a house, sometimes with a hogan, a traditional
his Chevy Tahoe past one of the “No Entry Without Navajo dwelling. And every now and then we saw
Permission” signs and down a snow-covered track livestock. Many Navajos follow traditional ways
between two mesas. Finally we came to a stop. and measure wealth not by their stock portfolio,
There was still no hint of sunlight in any direction. but by their livestock portfolio. Trading sheep,
The snow-covered ground shimmered blue in the cattle and horses is still a vibrant way of life in this
starlight and a lone juniper seemed to shiver in the part of the country.

WINEDINEANDTRAVEL.COM 229