Day Off #2
Starting in the 1930s, the Kanab area was the setting for many Western movies and TV shows; one of the most popular was the "Gunsmoke" series. A set, in deteriorating condition, sits on private land in Johnson Canyon, east of town. The southern portion of the road is paved for about 20 miles then turning to dirt or gravel where it bears northeast toward Cannonville and becomes Skutumpah Road.
Remnants of the 'Gunsmoke' set
We took our bikes to the small parking lot for viewing the Gunsmoke set and rode north for 7.5 miles. The road is flat, lightly traveled and surrounded by magnificent scenery: gentle hills clothed in juniper and sagebrush, stark chalky-white cliffs, striking coral pink sand that glows neon in sunlight and, looming above all, Navajo sandstone heights. Traveling the canyon floor, we biked past homes, irrigated fields, grazing cattle and numerous side canyons.
Although we enjoyed the ride and the scenery, we had several errands to complete and needed to turn around. A headwind made getting back to the car a bit less fun.
First on our to-do list was returning to the Red Pueblo Museum in Fredonia in hopes the curator could give us some information about the pottery shards we'd found. Mr. Dickson told us they were made by the Anasazi between 700 and 1250 AD. The smooth pieces are probably older than the corrugated ones but the coarse non-corrugated shards are most likely Paiute, and therefore more recent. Since there is an abundance of shards, it is likely there are arrowheads and perhaps beads present as well. He was raised in the area and knows where to find secret and wonderful things-- dinosaur tracks, petroglyphs, pueblos, even an underground lake! He'll be a valuable source of information and hiking destinations.
Various styles of corrugated pottery
Corrugated pots
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