We spent one night away from the camp shown on the previous page. I was able to sleep under the stars on a ledge at the foot of an overhanging 1000-foot rock wall. Here you see my sleeping bag on a blue drop-cloth. Generally, sleeping below a sheer cliff is dangerous - things can fall on you. In this case, however, I was protected by the overhang.

There are many, many alcoves up off the Canyon floor that contain ancient dwellings and storage bins. It is obvious that these sites were chosen for defensive purposes, but after sleeping on this ledge, about 50 feet above the valley floor, I can say that on a cold night the farther you are off the valley floor, the warmer it is. This may have been a consideration for the alcove dwellers. In winter the Canyon fills with cold air, and in historic times those living in the Canyon have spent winters up in the surrounding countriside. Donna told us that this is still true of some older people who live in the Canyon; but nowadays most of those who own property there live in Chinle.

Chinle is a town of about 6000 that sits at the mouth of Canyon de Chelly. Like most towns where most of the people are poor, it is not visually prepossessing.