"PERFECT KIVA", (Grand Gulch)

pictured: "Perfect Kiva", Bullet Canyon
article here on Ezine

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"PERFECT KIVA", (Slickhorn #1)

Follow the directions for Slickhorn #6 hike, but take the first clearly defined track west (this will be about 4 mi. from the pavement) after bearing south where the Government Trail turnoff goes north. This westbound track (right) takes you to the trail head and primitive campsite at "First Fork" of Slickhorn Canyon.
This kiva is indeed perfect, although the ladder is replicated. Can't have everything. 700 years will do that sometimes.
There is no maintained trail into First Fork, which will head you in a southwesterly direction. 15 minutes brings you to a pour-off which can be detoured to the left via a shallow side canyon. A mile past this easy circumvention there is another pour-off, this one not so easily negotiated. Here, climb to a bench just below the mesa top on the south side of the canyon. Look for cairns. When you are on the bench, look across the main canyon and downstream for a large sandstone monolith. This monolith is your landmark for descending back to the main "First Fork" canyon. Look for cairns again. (If you are short of clues, perhaps Rangers have knocked cairns over. I can't blame them, sorry.) Now, 200 yards downstream from the monolith, look for the trail up to "Perfect Kiva Ruin". You will not see the site from the canyon bottom. IT'S SWEET!
We turned back here, but hiking 1 1/2 miles more down canyon brings you to "Second Fork". There are several small ruins there I heard, including a fine granary.

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"RIVER HOUSE RUINS"

Some refer to this ruin site as "Snake House Ruin". When you see the great pictograph of snake above the ruin, you may agree. This is a long, dry 10 mile round-trip hike from Utah Rt. 163, (about) 7 miles west of the town of Bluff (and just west of Comb Ridge). Between mile marker 37 and 38 on the paved highway, go left (or south) on dirt road San Juan County Rd. 237.
Oh all right lazy, you can drive all the way to the site almost. This is a hiking blog! Either way, don't miss it.
Anyway, at 1.8 miles, look for a cowboy cabin on your right. At 4 miles take the steep uphill trail left. (The straight split here goes to the San Juan River in 1/2 mile.) In a quarter mile now you will cross a cattle guard. Mile 5 reaches the ruin site.
There has been plenty of vandalism and rebuilding going on here. Please be respectful of local heritage and future visitors. Sometimes I wish people couldn't drive to fragile sites. If one has to hike 10 miles to vandalize, that's quite a commitment. I remember this as a hot and sandy walk, requiring much hydrating. We were kind of glad to get a ride part of the way back to our car, parked at the pavement.
Another option for visiting "River House" is by floating the San Juan River. Guides are available in Bluff.
The Butler Wash petroglyph panel is 1 1/2 miles upriver from River House Ruins.

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