Our Strange Planet http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com Adventures in Paranormal Investigation with Christopher O'Brien Mon, 13 May 2013 14:04:04 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 Expedition to Sipapu — part four http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/expedition-to-sipapu-part-four/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/expedition-to-sipapu-part-four/#comments Mon, 13 May 2013 12:58:40 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=492 A whole year has passed since out ill-fated journey to the fabled Sipapu and alleged location of the underground city. The videotaping of helicopter loads into the Gorge pushed the team into high gear after returning from their four-day expedition to the rim and Gary David immediately discovered that John Kyl had resurrected the Little Colorado River Water Bill in the Senate. The original bill didn’t pass, but this new Senate bill, #2109, would strip the Navajo and Hopi of their senior water rights to the Little Colorado. But there was something else going on and the team immediately found out something beyond our wildest imaginings.

Upon returning home, I called Grand Canyon National Park and spoke with a public relations person who was completely unaware of any helicopter activity going on in the LCRG. She thanked me for letting the park know about the activity and promised to look into it. Several days later, Gary called the GCNP and was told that the helicopter flights were bringing “humpbacked chub” into the Little Colorado River. Gary dryly observed that that improbable explanation sounded “fishy,” as it doesn’t take numerous loads of heavy construction materials to salt a river with fish!

The Grand Escalade Casino Proposal

Then Gary discovered a bombshell. One month prior to our trip, the Navajo Nation had quietly signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a $200 million casino to be constructed right on the same breath-taking promontory that we had just visited at the Confluence. The casino would include a mile-and-a-half tramway that would ferry visitors down to a restaurant and “riverwalk” at the confluence on the canyon floor—This would violate the sacred status of the nearby sipapu!

Further research has exposed the principles involved in this ill-conceived project and the utter disregard being shown with respect to Hopi and Zuni involvement. Indian casinos are an important revenue source for Native American tribes, but isn’t this going too far? Or could this project be a smokescreen for something far more important? Could it be the government and power-elite are preparing this alleged underground city as an escape pod to protect themselves during “earth changes?” Is the casino on the rim hiding an underground Disneyland for the elite? Or like the Greenbriar Hotel in White Sulpher Springs AR, could it contain a hidden underground continuation-of-government facility accessible only to a select few? As we all know, often there is more going on than meets the eye.

Another Ill-Fated Grand Canyon Project

There is a precedent to the Grand Escalde project and several of the developers and political proponents of the proposed Grand Escalade project have already shown what they can accomplish with the now-troubled Grand Canyon Skywalk—located to the west of Grand Canyon National Park on the Hualapai Indian Reservation: From the Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2013:

"The Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass-bottomed walkway that juts out over the canyon’s edge for a view of the Colorado River 4,000 feet below, is built on stable ground. The finances of the Indian tribe-owned corporation that had it built in 2007, however, are a bit shakier.

"The Hualapai (pronounced wall-a-pie) Tribe put the corporation that owns the skywalk into bankruptcy protection on Monday after losing a court battle against Las Vegas developer David Jin, who was hired to build and manage the Arizona tourist attraction in 2003.

"Last month, a federal judge in Arizona confirmed a $28 million arbitration award against the tribe’s corporation. The ruling awards Jin’s company millions of dollars in ticket revenue that his attorneys argued were due under the agreement, USA Today reported last month. The tribal corporation, called Sa’ Nyu Wa Inc., is appealing the ruling, according to court papers.

"When Jin tried to seize the skywalk owner’s bank accounts, the entity filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.  That filing halts collection efforts and lobs the dispute to Judge Brenda Moody Whinery of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Yuma, Ariz.

"In a letter sent to tribe members about the bankruptcy, tribal Chairwoman Sherry Counts said that Jin doesn’t have access to the tribe’s budget. The tribe itself isn’t in bankruptcy, she emphasized.

"The tribal corporation hired Jin’s company to design and build the Skywalk and then manage it for 30 years. The deal streamed ticket revenue to Jin for constructing the roughly $30 million project.

"But last year, council members voted to condemn that management contract and take over the operations, arguing that Jin’s company didn’t build a visitors center as the contract had required.

"Bankruptcy court papers filed Monday show that the tribe had recently transferred the Skywalk’s management to another tribal entity. The company under Chapter 11 protection does “not have the ability or intention to continue its business operations,” its chief executive, Jennifer Turner, said in court papers.

"Jin’s attorney, Mark Tratos, called that transfer of the Skywalk’s operations “highly unusual and somewhat suspicious.” … “We’ll further investigate,” said Tratos.

"Most of the Hualapai tribe’s roughly 2,300 members live on the Arizona reservation, which covers one million acres of land that trace 108 miles of the Grand Canyon. The reservation’s capitol, Peach Springs, was the inspiration for the town of Radiator Springs in Pixar’s animated movie “Cars,” according to the tribe’s website.

"The reservation’s economy depends upon cattle ranching, craft-making and tourism, which grew after the tribe opened its doors to visitors in 1988. The Skywalk and surrounding region attract about 370,000 visitors each year, said tribe spokesman Dave Cieslak."  [end of article]

News of the Grand Escalade project last spring erupted into a highly-charged controversy on the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni Reservations with opponents organizing in an attempt to stop further plans to develop the confluence location. The battle lines have been drawn and enough opposition to the project has put its assessment and development phase in jeopardy. Local Navaho share their thoughts at meeting:

The Developers Speak-Out:

Here is a carefully-worded press release from grandcanyonescalade.com, the official website of the development partners working with certain moneyed Navajo principles:

"We have been researching Sacred Sites because there has been so much talk about them by the opponents of the Escalade project. Because the proposed Escalade project is NEAR the Confluence and a prayer/offering site (not on them mind you, just near them) and within a few miles by air from the Salt Trail and the Hopi Sipapu we are told that the Escalade would be a desecration of Sacred Sites.  So we decided to find out what is happening today on these same Sacred Sites.

"We already posted that the Sierra Club is guiding hikes down the Salt Trail to the Hopi Sipapu and the Confluence for only $995 a person (click here for link).  Now we find out that the National Park Service issues permits for 24,657 river runners, 16 commercial raft companies, and over 13,000 hiking permits each year.  And 2006 Park Service regulations in effect today allow for motorized rafts, generators and helicopter insertion and extraction at two locations downstream of the Confluence.  So where do 24,657 people go to party?  Why the Confluence of course!  It turns out that this is a primary stopping point, and they don’t stop nearby, they stop right on the Confluence, a Sacred Site.  And what do they do when they stop?  Why, they hike to the Sipapu and use the Salt Trail and Swim in the Little Colorado River.  We keep asking ourselves why there is no outcry by the Save the Confluencee folks.  Why isn’t it OK for the Navajo to charge $40 to ride a gondola to a secure site close to the Confluence but its ok to charge $2850 per rafter so they can tie up right on the Sacred Site and party?  I guess that’s why Grand Canyon River Guides oppose the Escalde and has joined with Save The Confluence.  Can’t have the Navajo making any money while they are raking it in." [end of article]

The project’s media propaganda in 2013 has swung into high-gear. Project spokesperson and development engineer Keith Lamparter takes exception to opponents assertion that the area is sacred and that the media covering this controversial is being fair and impartial. He mentions the “economic” considerations that the project should be judged by. He fails to mention that a vast majority of jobs created by the project would undoubtedly be part-time minimum wage jobs flipping burgers, cleaning trash and making beds.

Lamparter is also responsible for the creation and maintenance the Escalade project’s official website. He summed up the project’s latest 2013 activities, attempted to downplay the revered religious significance of the Sipapu location in the Little Colorado River Gorge and complained about the organized opposition to the project:

"The year started with a helicopter ride to the bottom of the Grand Canyon to visit first-hand the proposed location of the gondola landing and the Riverwalk.  We landed about a mile upstream of the Confluence in the Little Colorado River gorge and hiked to the Confluence with the Colorado River.  We were accompanied by a Cultural Affairs Specialist from the Navajo Nation who was there to identify Traditional Cultural Places (TCP’s, some of which are known as “Sacred Sites”) and explain to us the complexities of TCP’s, how some are sacred, some are not and some are more sacred than others.  We also learned the difference between a sacred site and a prayer offering site and more.  With instruction from our Cultural Affairs Specialist we all performed the corn pollen offering and prayer before we left the Confluence.  I also saw (although we were careful not to visit) the Hopi sipapu, where the Hopi are said to have emerged into the current Fourth World from the previous Third World.  I went on to become educated about the Navajo Nation Cultural Resources Protection Act which requires by law the protection and preservation of TCP’s (and “Sacred Sites”) and agreements between the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Nation regarding protection of the Salt Trail and Little Colorado River Gorge access to the Hopi sipapu.  We also solicited help and guidance from multiple Traditional Cultural Specialists (so called ”Medicine Men”) regarding what was right and proper in terms of the Project and the Confluence and the point above the Confluence on the Canyon rim.

"So I was more than a little dismayed when the opponents to the project seized upon “Save the Sacred Sites” as a slogan and rallying cry in their campaign against the Escalade project and alleging the project would desecrate “Sacred Sites”.  What bothered me the most was that the opponents were aware that this cannot occur by Navajo law and regulation and still made the claims and enlisted well-meaning but poorly educated believers in their cause.  I was corresponding with one of the leaders of SavetheConflunce via Facebook and I conceded that while using the Sacred Sites issue was an effective tool in their campaign, I felt strongly that it was ultimately destructive to the Navajo community and would do far more harm than good to their cause in the long-term.  I understand that a campaign is being waged by both sides in this debate, and both sides are highlighting their side of the story, but to me intentionally seizing on and misleading on religious issues is and was wrong and improper.  My understanding is that the opposition leaders are not practitioners of traditional Navajo religious beliefs.  If they were I doubt they would have used this tactic.  I do know that they did not elevate their status in the eyes of most Navajo that I have spoken with.

"Another of my tasks this past year was to analyze the feasibility and practicality of building a gondola to the bottom of the Grand Canyon.  Most people don’t realize that current Navajo and U.S.  Environmental Law require the measurement, mitigation and monitoring of any impacts from construction and operation of new facilities within any environmentally sensitive area.  In doing this analysis I looked at other major construction projects within the Grand Canyon in the past.  The most relevant project that we looked at was the highway bridge across the Colorado River at Marble Canyon that was built in 1995.  The construction of this bridge was far more impactful on the canyon and the river below than anything proposed at the Escalade project and yet has had virtually no negative impact on the canyon or the river.  Millions of people cross this bridge each year.  Yet there was no outcry from rafters, environmentalists or people opposed to the desecration of the Canyon.  It is and will continue to be far more visible than anything proposed at the Escalade project.  There are many more examples available, from ongoing construction and improvements at Lee’s Ferry, to the work at Phantom Ranch, etc.  Frankly, from a factual and non-emotional standpoint, Construction of the Escalade project will have very little impact to the canyon or the river when compared to the Marble Canyon Bridge and will have many positive benefits in terms of enhancing river and Canyon monitoring and policing.

"I also learned that much of what we think of as news is really advocacy disguised as journalism.  We were contacted by several news outlets wanting to run stories on the proposed Escalade project.  We initially cooperated only to find that these were advocacy pieces with an agenda that intentionally misrepresented or omitted facts to fit their agenda (save the earth, save the planet, save the Canyon, etc.).  I was naively shocked to see how poorly researched and written news stories were picked up and reposted on multiple websites without a fact check or an attempt at verification.  It really hit home when I received a comment on our website from a very distressed individual opposed to the project because she had heard and read on the Web and Facebook that we were going to have fast food restaurant signs hanging in the Grand Canyon and open sewage pits and bright lights illuminating the Canyon from the rim.  I responded to her comments assuring her that her fears were unfounded, explained to her that doing any of these things would make people not want to visit the project which works against our interests, and went on to have a very nice conversation about the project and our intentions.  The old adage about buyer beware really applies to information in this new age.  You have to be very careful in choosing what information to believe and pro-active in getting your own story out early and often.

"This brings me to my experience building the Escalade website and Facebook presence and receiving and responding to the comments from readers.  I personally viewed our web presence not just as an electronic file cabinet for technical details of the project, but as a way to educate people on why we were proposing the project, why the project was important and to explain our point of view.  I also felt it was important to respond to comments, to thank the many people who supported the project and to at least try and set the record straight with those who opposed it.  The comments we received educated me on how others viewed the project and why they held the views they held.  Often, the comments that we received became the inspiration for the posts that I would write at a later date.  What really opened my eyes was how within minutes of a new post on our website, or a new comment posting to Facebook, hundreds of people would be instantly alerted and begin reading and responding which set off another round of views and comments.  This really is the new world where a cellular smart-phone is essential and we can communicate with hundreds and thousands of people simultaneously and instantly.  The downside of this new world of communication is that people can toss verbal fireballs at will without any repercussions and feel no need to really engage or think.  I have come to believe that this lack of accountability and human interaction leads to the gridlock we see at so many levels these days, particularly in government.  It is so easy to just be against things and find fault with everyone and everything without offering any alternative.  In another of my Facebook conversations with one of the leaders of the SavetheConfluence opposition I wrote that their concerns about the Escalade project and some of its sponsors could be much better addressed by becoming a participant in the process.  At least that way they could help shape the outcome rather than have no outcome.  I felt then and feel now that simply stopping the project while providing no real alternative helped no-one and wasn’t a victory to be proud of.

"So after several months of writing and reading and responding about Escalade, support or opposition to the project tends to come down to haves and have-nots.  Those that generally live off the reservation and have homes, jobs, running water, electricity and access to schools, medical care and modern services oppose the project, hold the Grand Canyon as a “sacred church” as one commenter referred to it, and feel that the Navajo should abdicate their rights to determine the uses on their lands adjacent to the Grand Canyon.  Those that live on the Navajo Reservation, with limited job opportunities, limited or no modern utilities, and without ready access to basic services and conveniences support the project, view the Canyon as a natural wonder and believe the lands which lie within the borders of the Navajo Nation should be used to provide for the sustainable economic development of the Western Region in particular and the Navajo Nation in general just as Canyon DeChelly, Monument Valley and other areas have seen responsible development.  It really is as simple as that.  All the talk about sacred sites and save the confluence and this and that is nothing more than a distraction from the real bottom line.  If you are doing just fine and your world is good then there is no need to do this project because there is nothing in it for you.  I don’t mean to sound overly harsh, but that is the cold hard reality of the situation.

"This brings me to looking forward.  What will the Navajo Nation President and Council Delegates do, or will they do nothing?  The Bodaway/Gap Chapter voted to approve the project and then elected a new Chapter President that is a supporter of the project.  So the local support that President Shelly requested has been provided in clear and convincing fashion.  The fate of the project is really in the President and Councils hands now.

"In considering their options on how to deal with the Escalade project, one must look at a bigger picture.  According the Navajo tribal government, almost 48% of all Navajo are now forced to live off reservation because of a lack of jobs, housing and basic services.  They predict that by 2014 more than half of all Navajo will be living off reservation.  The amount of money leaving the reservation as a result of this exodus is staggering.  According to the Navajo Nation Economic Development Department, 71% of all money earned by Navajo’s is spent in off-reservation communities and this revenue loss will grow larger as more and more Navajo are forced to leave the reservation.  At the same time, the primary sources of jobs and income to the Navajo and the Navajo Nation are the coal burning electricity generating stations across northern Arizona and the coal mining operations that feed them.  According to the NN Economic Development Department, royalties, taxes and business payments from mining operations account for 30% of the total Navajo Nation general budget revenues and 80% of the workers in the coal operations are Navajo.  When the generating stations are forced to close or significantly cut back operations, and with recent EPA rulings against coal burning by the operators of the plants they certainly will in the foreseeable future, the current 50% unemployment rate on the Navajo Nation and corresponding poverty rate will explode at the same time that Navajo Nation revenues and ability to provide services will plummet.  What then?  What are they going to do to prepare for that inevitable day?  That is the real decision facing President Shelly and the Council Delegates.

"That is why the Escalade project is so important.  If the project is built it will replace up to 30-35% of current general budget revenues and provide stability to the entire Navajo Nation, not just the Bodaway-Gap and Cameron areas.  So while there is a widespread perception that this project is primarily about people getting rich off the Navajo Nation and the Grand Canyon, the basic premise has always been on how to remedy the widespread poverty and resulting social impacts of the Western Agency area.  Yes, theoretically some people will make money, but that should not obscure the tremendous positive benefit that the project will have for the local population and the Navajo Nation as a whole.  My response to those who say that the financial projections are overstated and a fantasy is that they are probably understated and the project will be much more successful than projected.  But assuming for the sake of argument that I concede the point and say they are overstated by 100% and will produce only half of what is projected.  This would still amount to 15-18% of the current general budget revenues to the Navajo Nation.  There is nothing that has been proposed by opponents to the project or by the Navajo Nation Economic Development Department that produces even a small fraction of the return to the Nation that Escalade will bring and at the cost of less than half of one new casino.  I personally believe that this is what is behind much of the Hopi opposition to the project.  They have recently embarked on an ambitious plan to open up parts of their reservation to tourism and new development.  I think they are terrified that the Escalade project will pre-empt their plans and siphon off the tourism business they are counting on.  They are even more dependent on coal revenues than the Navajo Nation and certainly see the same handwriting on the wall.  The Salt Trail and sipapu issues are nothing more than cover in my opinion.

"To me, the Navajo Nation President and Council have no choice but to formally move forward with serious consideration and examination of the project.  Yes, there are many issues still to resolve, yes there is much scrutiny, due diligence and underwriting to be done.  There will have to be appraisals, environmental assessments, cultural reviews, and evidence of financial capacity presented by Confluence Partners before the final green light is given.  If the project proves to be unworkable so be it.  But to do nothing?  That would be the worst of all outcomes.  But then, I come from a world of logic and reason and cause and effect, not the world of politics and emotion that this project has found itself in" [end of article].

I find it ironic that the developers fail to mention that the late-coming Navajo (who arrived less than 100 years before the Spanish) do NOT consider the Canyon as their most sacred site. The high esteem and sacredness that the Hopi and Zuni hold the sipapu/confluence location is briefly mentioned but not fully explained. This is the Pueblo Indians most sacred site, and although they have not been politically in control of the location for many decades, they still revere and hold sacred the sipipau which is under Navajo political control. Shouldn't the Hopi and Zuni have a major say in this matter? Should they have the right to determine the site's disposition? Evidently, not — according to the eager developers w/ dollar signs dazzlimg their tunnel vision!

 

A Petition to the White House Against the Project:

According to this article - http://news.yahoo.com/navajo-nation-eyes-grand-canyon-development-170019476.html

"The vast 27,000 square-mile Navajo reservation abuts Grand Canyon National Park, and tribal leaders say they're losing out on tourist dollars and jobs for their people by leaving the land undeveloped. Navajo President Ben Shelly recently signed a nonbinding agreement that lists the gondola, a restaurant, a half-mile river walk, a resort hotel and spa and RV park among the attractions of a proposed development that he says will bring up to $70 million a year in revenue to the tribe and 2,000 jobs to the impoverished reservation."

"With development of any part of this canyon, we attack the ecosystems within the canyon itself. This plan would bring pollution from tourists and the degradation of scenery in ways that cannot be undone.

"The Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular sights I've ever seen. I want this land protected from development for the benefit of future generations. We do not know what environmental impacts this development may have. We do know that it would cause an ugly display of commercialism in a pristine environment that people fought to protect.

"The Navajo Reservation borders the eastern rim of the canyon. The water from the Colorado River flows south and west through the canyon. This means that any pollutants that contaminate the waterways by the tourists at the eastern edge of the park will affect the canyon as a whole!

"Imagine seeing plastic bottles and bags and other garbage floating down the Colorado River!

"Imagine the effects of other pollutants entering the Colorado River on the canyon's scenery!

"Imagine looking to the west at fantastic scenery, then to the east at a gaudy tourist trap!

"It's up to us to keep this land protected. Fight this development. Sign the petition.

[petition to President Barack Obama]

To:

The President of the United States

The U.S. Senate

The U.S. House of Representatives

The Governor of AZ

The AZ State Senate

The AZ State House

Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly

Confluence Partners LLC

I just signed the following petition addressed to: Navajo Nation.

 

----------------

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

[Your name]

The Arizona Republic Adds a Voice:

Here is a recent article from the Arizona Republic that puts the current situation into perspective:

"When visitors see the dizzying depth of the Grand Canyon, someone inevitably quips, "Where's the elevator?" The Navajo Nation is looking to create one. An aerial tramway would carry people from the rim to river level. The ride is the centerpiece of a planned tourist complex, where the reservation borders the east end of Grand Canyon National Park. The site, at the confluence of the Little Colorado and Colorado rivers, is rugged and remote. The national park manages this stretch of the Colorado River as a potential wilderness area, where the imprint of humans is substantially invisible.

"And now the Navajo project aims to attract 3 million visitors a year. As soon as 2015. All around the Grand Canyon, enterprising businesses are cashing in. Developers are eager to help Navajos share in the profits. But at what cost to traditional ways, sacred places and the natural world of the Grand Canyon? The Navajo Nation needs jobs and economic development. But this project at this location puts too much in jeopardy. And it's likely to set off a long, expensive legal battle over whether the frontage along the Colorado River belongs to the tribe or the national park.

"In February, tribal President Ben Shelly signed a non- binding agreement with a Scottsdale development group, Confluence Partners, to get the deal rolling. Most of the project, dubbed Grand Canyon Escalade, would be on the rim, with hotels, a "signature" restaurant, an RV park and a cultural center to share the Navajos' story. The tram, with eight-person gondolas, would descend about 3,300 feet in a 1.4 mile trip. At the bottom, visitors would find a trail, restrooms, an amphitheater for educational programs and a restaurant -- although, for liability reasons, no access to actually dip a toe into the Colorado.

"The development raises troubling questions about its impact on the Grand Canyon. Water, for a start. It would be hauled in, the developers say. But would it be pumped from a spot that impacts springs in the Canyon, critical water sources for plants and animals? Lights from the development could degrade the incredible view of stars from one of the darkest places in the continental U.S.

"Not all Navajos are on board with the plan, despite the lure of jobs. The local Bodaway-Gap community formed a group, People of the Confluence, to oppose large-scale developments and commercialization at their end of the Grand Canyon. A few years ago, they rejected a proposed helipad.

"The confluence is sacred to at least three tribes, especially the Hopis, whose tribal council voted to oppose the Escalade.

"The national park restricted raft trips on the Colorado River to respect the use of sacred sites. However sensitive the developers say they'll be, a tramway and major tourist development aren't spiritual additions to the landscape.

"The Escalade proposal is so costly -- up to $1 billion at build-out -- that it would be easy to dismiss as another grand scheme to profit from the Grand Canyon. That's what a lot of people thought about a glass viewing platform at the west end of the canyon. And the Hualapais now have a stream of visitors to Skywalk, with optional helicopter trips to the river for a raft ride. That end of the canyon will never be the same. And now the east end is in play. Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/viewpoints/articles/

"This controversy surrounding the Grand Escalade Project is bound to continue. But we should ask ourselves: at what point do we allow ourselves to re-define an ancient, already-established definition of what is “sacred?”  With what measure will we allow ourselves to impinge upon this sense of “sacredness,” in an effort to create cash-flow and limited opportunities for the many and millions in profits for the few?" [end of article]

For further information about the Grande Escalade Casino Project go to: http://grandcanyonescalade.com and here is where to go to voice your : www.savetheconfluence.com…

The sipapu expedition team will keep you updated about any further developments on the casino project and also we'll keep up updated about our plans for a return expedition to re-discover the entrance to Kincaid's Cave—this time w/ a team on the river w/ rock-climbers working w/ a mapping team on the rim...

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/expedition-to-sipapu-part-four/feed/ 0 Coming this Fall: Stalking the Herd http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/coming-this-fall-stalking-the-herd/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/coming-this-fall-stalking-the-herd/#comments Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:29:37 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=437 COVER ver 2small

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/coming-this-fall-stalking-the-herd/feed/ 0 Cattle Mutilation Case from the San Luis Valley http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/cattle-mutilation-case-from-the-san-luis-valley/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/cattle-mutilation-case-from-the-san-luis-valley/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:43:18 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=412

John Harr Mutilation Case  (From The Mysterious Valley page 152-153)

Harr and his family were awakened the night of October 20, by what Harr described as a terrible noise.  It sounded like a "huge helicopter hovering right over the top of the house." Harr, also the Del Norte Postmaster, said.  "I went outside and all I could hear was the downdraft from the propeller, there were no engine-sounds.  I didn't hear anything mechanical!"

Two days later, October 22, Harr's two sons discovered two cows and two calves 1/2 mile away from the house to the east, dead for "no apparent reason." According to the rancher, the oldest cow, who "would've died soon anyway," was discovered missing the flesh off her jaw, and the tongue and rear end were "cut out."  He also noticed that, "It looked like she'd floundered around a bit before she died."

The other cow and two calves "looked like they had just died in their sleep."  These three animals displayed no incision-like marks and scavengers made short work of two of them.  The second cow was untouched, even by birds.  No additional clues appeared to be present at the site.  No tire-tracks, footprints, scavenger tracks or any blood was discovered at the scene. No vet examined these animals, and Harr never bothered to roll the "mutilated" cow over to ascertain if the downside had been butchered.

Alamosa County K-9 deputy Jim McCloskey investigated the Harr report.  For some reason, he left his animal partner in the car while at the site and no animal reactions were noted.

The Alamosa River snakes through a corner of the ranch where the animals were discovered.  This river is polluted with heavy metals 40 miles upstream in the mountains, for 17 miles, by the Summitville Mine superfund site.  It is one of the only known sources of pollution in the pristine Greater SLV.  This appears to give more ammunition for "the UAD as environmental monitoring" theorists.

Harr "stewed for a couple of days" and then started making phone-calls.  He called Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell's office about the matter and was referred to the governor's office.  The governor's office told him to talk with State's Veterinarian advocate, Dr. John Maulsby.  The vet spoke knowledgeably about the phenomenon. "He (Maulsby) told me he was going to put an article in our local paper requesting ranchers provide him with fresh samples for testing," said Harr.  "But if he ever put one in, I never saw it."

 

 

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/cattle-mutilation-case-from-the-san-luis-valley/feed/ 6 Sandy Hook Chorus to sing at Super Bowl http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/sandy-hook-chorus-to-sing-at-super-bowl/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/sandy-hook-chorus-to-sing-at-super-bowl/#comments Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:27:53 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=398

Sandy Hook Chorus to Sing at Super Bowl Here we have a classic example of a potential for "conspiracy buff" thinking. If, and I say again IF, the Sandy Hook tragedy has developed into (or was originally conceived as) a convenient vehicle for cultural manipulation re: gun-control, it doesn't matter; In case you haven't noticed, these guys really know their sh*t. Credit where credit is due. What iF: Maybe they do have some sort of super software control algorithms that alerts them it's time to maximize societal control when certain key, pre-programmed scenarios and/or events occur? Maybe not, but a couple of phone calls and string or 2 pulled and voila let the children sing. I won't dignify the unlikely possibility that the event was manipulated, fabricated and/or staged but having those kids sing'in at the Super Bowl is truly inspired. Some will wonder by whom. But, it really doesn't matter: whatever the scenario, this is classic conspiracy-theory grist! We can only hope "the motive pure and the means correct" and there is a positive motive force at work (and play). And we should trust that US troops refuse to target their own (when TSHTF) and that they have loving communities supporting their endeavors to go home to.

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/sandy-hook-chorus-to-sing-at-super-bowl/feed/ 0 Back From My Trip to the Land of the Maya http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/back-from-my-trip-to-the-land-of-the-maya/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/back-from-my-trip-to-the-land-of-the-maya/#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:47:12 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=304

Standing in the courtyard of the Palace, looking toward the Temple of Inscriptions, Palenque, Chiapas.

La Venta outdoor museum, Villahermosa, Mexico

Palenque

Bonampak

Yaxchitlan

Comacalco

Art Texture Photographs

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/back-from-my-trip-to-the-land-of-the-maya/feed/ 2 Last Chance to Visit Mayan Paradise! http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/last-chance-to-visit-mayan-paradise/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/last-chance-to-visit-mayan-paradise/#comments Sat, 20 Oct 2012 00:10:48 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=300 WEX Expedition to Palenque, Yaxchilan and Bonampak

Mayan Ruins Palenque

World Explorers Club Expedition to Palenque and Bonampak Mexico, November 13–18, 2012
with Christopher O’Brien and David Hatcher Childress*

* Due to health issues Zuni Elder Clifford Mahooty will not be making the journey.
Five-Day Trip with Deluxe Accommodations

LAST CHANCE: THIS EXPEDITION IS ALMOST SOLD OUT
Cost Per Person- Double Occupancy:$2800.00
Including Airfare from All Major Cities in the USA

Join the World Explorers Club on a 5-day expedition to the Olmec and Mayan areas of Villahermosa, La Venta, Palenque and Bonampak. This will be an exciting expedition in search of Mayan knowledge, meeting Mayan Elders, megalithic monuments and tons more!

Day 1 (Tue.):  Fly to Villahermosa, Mexico from your town.  Arrive at 8:39 pm in Villahermosa on a direct flight from Houston.  The Hilton Airport shuttle will pick participants up at the Villahermosa airport and take them to the hotel.  Overnight at Hilton Hotel Villahermosa.

Maya Calendar RuinsDay 2 (Wed.):  8 am-8:45 am:  Group breakfast “meet and greet.”  We jump on the bus at 9 am to visit the amazing La Venta Olmec Museum.  We have a lunch stop, then continue on to Palenque.  We check into our hotel, theChan Kah Ruinas Palenque and have an evening powerpoint presentation on the Maya Calendar.

Day 3 (Thu.):  Depart 8 am for visit of fabulous Palenque and Palenque museum in the lush green jungles.  Overnight Chan Kah Ruinas Palenque.

Day 4 (Fri.):  Depart 6:30 am (with a breakfast stop on the way) for Bonampak.  Afternoon boat ride to Yaxchilan ruins.  Overnight Chan Kah Ruinas Palenque.

Day 5 (Sat.):  We depart for Villahermosa and visit the Olmec/Mayan port of Comacalco on the Gulf coast. Overnight Hilton Hotel Villahermosa.

Day 6 (Sun.):  Depart for the airport at 6:45 am (after having a quick continental breakfast) or catch the Hilton Shuttlebus at anytime to the airport. Catch flight back to Houston or Mexico City and your hometown.

Maya Map OlmecTour includes:
•    5 nights hotel and taxes
(Hilton Hotel Villahermosa and Chan Kah Ruinas Resort in Palenque)
•    All ground transportation
(in fully insured private air-conditioned van with licensed chauffeur)
•    The all day services of a local professional guide on Days 2, 3 & 4
•    Private boat trip to and from Yaxchilan
•    5 breakfasts and 1 lunch per person
•    Transit bus at Bonampak
•    All other entry and guide fees for activities listed on the itinerary
•    This trip includes all airfare from major cities in the USA.
Single Supplement price is $300.

Call Adventures Unlimited or The World Explorers Club to make a fully refundable deposit of $500 for this exciting trip!
Phone Adventures Unlimited 815-253-6390.
World Explorers Club
Phone: 815-253-9000.    Fax: 815-253-6300.
PO Box 99, Kempton, ILLINOIS 60946
info@wexclub.com

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/last-chance-to-visit-mayan-paradise/feed/ 0 May 2012 Expedition to Sipapu “The Place of Emergence” part three http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/may-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence-part-three/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/may-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence-part-three/#comments Tue, 31 Jul 2012 20:13:50 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=272 Finding Sipapulima

The following morning May 17th David and Jen, JC and Audrey had to head back home which left Gary, Ron, Clifford and myself prepared to head out toward the rim area of the Little Colorado Gorge (LCRG) upstream 3.5 miles from the confluence, where the fabled Sipapulima is located on the eastern bank of Little Colorado River. Dar remained behind and began packing up our campsite.

Hopi Indians on pilgrimage on the Salt Trail in the Little Colorado River Gorge.

We headed back out to the west without a clear idea of how to drive out to the area that is located just north of Salt Trail Canyon. We initially thought that approaching from the north would be the easiest route, but we soon realized that this was not going to be the case. The maze of rough roads and jeep trails are virtually impossible to predictably navigate and our Delorme quadrant map did not seem to be very accurate. We ended up having to navigate out toward Salt Canyon by dead reckoning. We found ourselves backtracking from dead ends and, at times, driving around in circles like we were trapped inside a Hopi maze. 

 

The Salt Trail Canyon, is a deep, six-mile long intersecting canyon that enters the Little Colorado River Gorge from the east within two miles of the travertine dome thought to be the actual Sipapulima. An ancient route into the gorge, Salt Trail Canyon is steeped in Hopi traditional lore as noted in the Grand Canyon Association book, Quest for the Piller of Gold:

“According to legend, in the depths of the Little Colorado River abide the spirits of the Hopi. In the dim past, these legends tell, the spirits emerged from the Canyon, and the dead returned to reside in hadean gloom. This exit from the world beneath is known to the Hopi as the Sipapu [sipapulima]. Other legends tell of ghostly inhabitants who, arising from the abyss with glowing eyes and monstrous forms, traveled out across the Painted Desert to revisit their earthly homes on the Hopi mesas, where they now maintain a lively and beneficent interest in human affairs., the abode of the dead, should be regarded with wonder and reverence, and that it is natural, therefore, the things found in the canyons are possessed with great mystical powers.

Clan Rock from the Salt Trail

“Near the confluence of the Little Colorado River in the Tapeats Sandstone salt leaches out of the sandstone as water percolates through the coarse-grained sands and then evaporates. An ancient trail from the Hopi mesas to the salt deposits travels westward across the Painted Desert to the Little Colorado River Gorge, then plunges down to the river through what today is called Salt Trail Canyon, and proceeds downstream. The salt deposits can also be reached by following the Tanner and Beamer Trails. Since prehistoric times, people have made this precarious journey, close to the mystical underworld, returning with their heavy burdens. A man who returned with the salt was considered very brave (Titiev, 1937). Hopi continue to use salt in ceremonies, but changing cultural beliefs among younger generations have diminished the number of collecting expeditions. Today, the National Park Service prohibits visitation to the salt mines. Only sanctioned visits by the Hopi are allowed.”

The Little Colorado

Photographs of the confluence show the dramatic color contrast between the waters of the two Colorado Rivers. The mighty Colorado, with its birthplace in the high Rockies of Northern Colorado, alternates between a dark emerald-green and a muddy, brown chocolate milk color (depending on the time of year), where as most of the year the Little Colorado is an unearthly transparent turquoise color. The Little Colorado gets its start in Arizona’s White Mountains and snakes to the north, across 19% of the state, before joining the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. After the spring runoff, the highly mineralized waters entering the Colorado, are primarily fed by Sipapu Spring and Blue Spring and countless other seeps and springs that feed into the Little Colorado River Gorge (LCRG). Most of these water sources are found around the sipapulima site—located just north of the Salt Trail Canyon. The unearthly light blue color is because of the high concentration of travertine limestone that is often found in mineral rich water flowing from hot springs. It derives its bluish color from the calcium carbonate due to the super saturated alkaline mineral content. For millennia these springs have deposited layer upon layer of travertine limestone that has eroded into fantastic shapes and undulating forms. 

The Choppers and the Choppers

We zig-zagged our way west skirting a temporary corral and herder’s camp and encountered increasingly rough terrain. Climbing up to the top of a low bluff we got our first view of Salt Trail Canyon and we got out to take a closer look through our binoculars. I looked over to the east and noticed an interesting rock formation about 150 yards away. I went over to investigate and found a crudely stacked three-foot-high rock cairn at the highest point of the bluff. Was this an ancient site or something more recent? Gary and Clifford were of the opinion that the stacked rocks were relatively recent, but agreed that the original rock pile may have been much older.

The sound of an approaching helicopter interrupted our inspection of the site. We had watched many tourist flights during our three days out near the rim and these flights were along predictable flight paths, from south to north away from the rim. But this new arrival was different. It was headed toward the LCRG and underneath we noticed a long cable and what appeared to be a load of pipe. Much to our surprise, the chopper disappeared down into the gorge, violating restricted airspace! I grabbed the camera but was unable to shoot any footage of this possibly illegal flight.

The four of us began discussing what we had just witnessed. Obviously, something was going on and we climbed back into the SUV and raced down the bluff in an attempt to get closer to Salt Trail Canyon. But again, we were stymied by the maze of jeep trails and rough ranch roads. We spent the next half an hour trying to negotiate our way closer until finally we were perched an a small hilltop about three miles from the end of Road 6120 where it dead-ends into a cul-de-sac at the top of Salt Trail Canyon. There were five identical white pickup trucks and a large semi truck parked at what appeared to be a staging area for the chopper flights.

Unknown civilian helicopter w/ load slung underneath headed down into LCRG

The chopper took off and appeared to be flying with another sizable load strung underneath —this time it was a large round bundle. I jumped out and began filming the chopper as it again appeared to descend into the LCRG. Then about ten minutes later, we saw what appeared to be the same chopper, but this time it was flying out of the gorge and headed toward the staging area. As it approached it veered off to get a closer look at us and then descended below 100 feet and raced over to the dead-end.

The next two flights we witnessed altered their flight plans and ducked into Salt Trail Canyon as quickly as possible in an effort to hide from us perched three miles away on the hilltop. We all agreed that our presence had probably caused this change of flight plan.

Who were these people and what were they up to? And why were they flying loads down over one of North America's most revered sacred sites? These flights violated restricted airspace and the fact that they altered their flight plan indicated that whatever they were up to, it was of a covert nature and they did not want to be observed.

Needless to say, Clifford was NOT happy about stumbling on this possibly illegal flight activity. He had planned to do a ceremony near the rim above the sipapulima and this development dashed any plans he had made to honor the location. Both Gary and Ron were understandably annoyed as well and we talked about what the possibilities were that would explain this activity…                 Stay tuned for part 4

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/may-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence-part-three/feed/ 4 May 2012 Expedition to Sipapu “The Place of Emergence” part two http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/may-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence-part-two/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/may-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence-part-two/#comments Fri, 27 Jul 2012 04:53:26 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=233 G. E. Kinkaid believed himself to be the first white person born in Idaho. He was an explorer and hunter all his life, working thirty years for the Smithsonian Institute. Below are excerpts from his journal of his alleged adventures in the cave:

One of many caves discovered on the Colorado River.

“I was journeying down the Colorado river in a boat, alone, looking for minerals. Some forty-two miles up the river from the El Tovar Crystal Canyon, I noticed, on the east wall, stains in the sedimentary formation about 2,000 feet above the river bed. There was no trail to this point, but I finally reached it with great difficulty.

“The entrance is 1,486 feet down the sheer canyon wall. Above a shelf which hid it from view from the river, was the mouth of the cave. There are steps leading from this entrance some thirty yards to what was at the time the level of the river. When I saw the chisel marks on the wall inside the entrance, I became interested. Securing my gun, I went in. I gathered a number of relics, which I carried down the Colorado to Yuma, from whence I shipped them to Washington with details of the discovery.

“From the long main passage, another mammoth chamber has been discovered from which radiates scores of passageways, like the spokes of a wheel. Several hundred rooms have been discovered, reached by passageways running from the main passage, one of them having been explored for 854 feet and another 634 feet. The recent finds include articles which have never been known as native to this country, and doubtless they had their origin in the orient. War weapons, copper instruments, sharp-edged and hard as steel, indicate the high state of civilization reached by these people.

Diagram of the Underground City
based on Kincaid's description.

“The main passageway is about 12 feet wide, narrowing to nine feet toward the farther end. About 57 feet from the entrance, the first side-passages branch off to the right and left, along which, on both sides, are a number of rooms about the size of ordinary living rooms of today, though some are 30 by 40 feet square. These are entered by oval-shaped doors and are ventilated by round air spaces through the walls into the passages. The walls are about three feet six inches in thickness.

“The passages are chiseled or hewn as straight as could be laid out by an engineer. The ceilings of many of the rooms converge to a center. The side-passages near the entrance run at a sharp angle from the main hall, but toward the rear they gradually reach a right angle in direction.

“Over a hundred feet from the entrance is the cross-hall, several hundred feet long, in which are found the idol, or image, of the people's god, sitting cross-legged, with a lotus flower or lily in each hand. The cast of the face is oriental. The idol almost resembles Buddha, though the scientists are not certain as to what religious worship it represents. Taking into consideration everything found thus far, it is possible that this worship most resembles the ancient people of Tibet.

Researcher Jack Andrews' computer rendering of the golden Buddha.

“Surrounding this idol are smaller images, some very beautiful in form, others crooked-necked and distorted shapes, symbolical, probably, of good and evil. There are two large cactus with protruding arms, one on each side of the dais on which the god squats. All this is carved out of hard rock resembling marble….

“On a bench running around the workroom was some charcoal and other material probably used in the process. There is also slag and stuff similar to matte, showing that these ancients smelted ores, but so far no trace of where or how this was done has been discovered, nor the origin of the ore.

“Among the other findings are vases or urns and cups of copper and gold, very artistic in design. The pottery work includes enameled ware and glazed vessels. Another passageway leads to granaries such as are found in the oriental temples. They contain seeds of various kinds. One very large storehouse has not yet been entered, as it is twelve feet high and can be reached only from above. Two copper hooks extend on the edge, which indicates that some sort of ladder was attached. These granaries are rounded, as the materials of which they are constructed, I think, is a very hard cement. A gray metal is also found in this cavern, which puzzles the scientists, for its identity has not been established. It resembles platinum. Strewn promiscuously over the floor everywhere are what people call "cats eyes', a yellow stone of no great value. Each one is engraved with the head of the Malay type.

Jack Andrews' rendering of the mummies based on Kincaid.

“Carved on all the urns, over doorways, and tablets of stone, are mysterious hieroglyphics, the key to which the Smithsonian Institute hopes to discover. The engravings on the tablets probably has something to do with the religion of the people. Similar hieroglyphics have been found in southern Arizona. Among the pictorial writings, only two animals are found - one of them looking prehistoric. The tomb or crypt in which the mummies were found is one of the largest of the chambers, the walls slanting back at an angle of about 35 degrees. On these are tiers of mummies, each one occupying a separate hewn shelf. At the head of each is a small bench, on which is found copper cups and pieces of broken swords. Some of the mummies are covered with clay and all are wrapped in a bark fabric. The urns or cups on the lower tiers are crude, while as the higher shelves are reached, the urns are finer in design, showing a later stage of civilization. It is worthy of note that all the mummies examined so far have proved to be male, no children or females being buried here. This leads to the belief that this exterior section was the warriors' barracks…

Jack Andrews' digital rendering based on Kincaid's description.

“One thing I have not spoken of may be of interest. There is one chamber of the passageway which is not ventilated, and when we approached it a deadly, snaky smell struck us. Our light would not penetrate the room, and until stronger ones are available we will not know what the chamber contains. Some say snakes but others think it may contain a deadly gas or chemicals used by the ancients. No sounds are heard, but it smells snaky just the same. The whole underground installation gives one of shaky nerves the creeps. The gloomy feeling is like a weight on one's shoulders, and our flashlights and candles only make the darkness blacker. Imagination can revel in conjectures and ungodly daydreams back through the ages that have elapsed till the mind reels dizzily in space.

Perhaps this sensational claim of the discovery of an ancient Egyptian/Tibetian Buddhist city is what prompted naming so many geologic features in the Haunted Canyon/Trinity Creek area of Grand Canyon with Egyptian and other oriental names? There are promontories in this part of the Canyon that have names such as: the Osirus, Isis, Shiva, Buddhist and Horus Temples, the Towers of Set and Ra and Cheops Pyramid. David Childress called the State archaeologist at Grand Canyon and was told, “…that the early explorers had just liked Egyptian and Hindu names, but that it was true that this area was off limits to hikers or other visitors, because of dangerous caves. Indeed, this entire area with the Egyptian and Hindu place names in the Grand Canyon is a forbidden zone - no one is allowed into this large area. We could only conclude that this was the area where the vaults were located. Yet today, this area is curiously off-limits to all hikers and even, in large part, park personnel."

Bodeway Mesa Base Camp

(L to r) Gary David, JC Johnson and David H. Childress

We all agreed that the week of May 14th through May 17th would work for everyone and planned accordingly. Ron and Dar offered to take charge of meals and the mess tent and arrived fully stocked and loaded towing an ATV; J.C. came armed and dangerous so we elected him and Audrey security; Gary served as navigator and Clifford brought his years of expertise out in the field assessing Indian reservation sacred sites. I filmed the entire trip and tried to be as unobtrusive and invisible with the camera as possible. The team arrived at the foot of Bodeway Mesa—near the Notch--located about 14 miles east of the confluence rim on the afternoon of May 14th. This was the last grouping of trees until the canyon. Sheltered on the east and south the western base of the mesa made a perfect “base camp.” Our little enclave set up tents and unloaded an impressive amount of food and gear that Ron and Dar had bought, and JC remarked that we should call our little town “O’Brienville,” I countered with “JC Land.” Thankfully, neither name stuck.

(L to R) Gary, JC, David, Chris

The first day was spent on a scouting expedition featuring Gary, Cliff, JC and myself.  The maze of farm roads and jeep trails that spider-webbed out across the plateau was a jigsaw puzzle challenge, but we were able to navigate our caravan out to the confluence rim. David and Jen arrived to the camp that evening and missed the first trip out to the confluence. The following day arrived with a cloudless sky and the incessant wind. The weather was hotter than the prior day, in the low to mid 90s and dead bone dry. Our fiendishly steady 20 to 30 mph wind scoured the treeless plateau and kicked up dust devils that raced across the plain as we planned our route. Thankfully, we had a rather sheltered campsite from which to stage our forays. As we left the second morning and headed west toward the rim, the wind increased in velocity. By the time we arrived at the rim sustained 45-50 mph blow-drier-like wind gusts made thoughts of flying a remote controlled helicopter null and void.

Two interesting discoveries had been made the previous day that should be noted. About 3 to 4 miles directly east from the confluence point on the rim, we discovered the remains of two “quasi-megalithic” ruins made from slabs of  limestone quarried from a nearby shelf. One was a small nine to 10 foot diameter structure with low walls and tumbled down blocks of stone. The other—located a hundred or so yards away, was a large 70 foot by 50-foot oval shaped enclosure that featured a number of standing slabs that neared two tons in weight. David did a walk around and concluded that the structure “was a sheep pen,” and had “probably been made with the help of a front loader or backhoe…sometime in the 1950s.” I pointed out that it sure seemed like whomever built these structures went to a lot of trouble to build a simple sheep pen and JC later checked with some elder Navajos who claimed they had never heard of this type of sheep pen construction and doubted that was what they were. Coyotes and other predators could easily jump inside and make short work of sheep trapped inside.  As I walked around the strange formation, I didn’t see any scrape marks or obvious evidence that the stones hade been moved and stacked with heavy equipment. A real mystery to be sure!

The second notable event before reaching the rim was the discovery of a government issue Chevy passenger Suburban parked at a relatively sheltered point just back from the edge. The lack of tire tracks and the sand build up around the wheels indicated that the vehicle had been parked there for several days, perhaps a week or more. After we returned from the trip we attempted to find out which governmental car pool was responsible for the vehicle, but we haven’t yet been able to ID who left the vehicle at the rim of the canyon or why it was parked there in the first place.

At The Confluence

For the past six plus years I have professionally guided private trips to the south rim of Grand Canyon around 200 times. Grand Canyon is undoubtedly the only location I’ve experienced that I could never become bored or jaded about no matter how many times I visit. Every trip brings some kind of new insight or visual details that help create a fresh, vibrant experience each time I stand and gaze at this natural wonder of the world. Few locations on the planet can rival this amazing “great wound in the earth,” as it was described to Francisco Vasquez de Coronado by the Hopi in 1540. And no other location I know of along the canyon rim can rival the point at the confluence where we stood in awe. Up close, immediate and in your face, this spot literally takes your breath away. Words cannot adequately describe the overwhelming majesty of the narrow peninsula on the rim that extends out over the confluence of the two Colorado Rivers. The north and south rims are set back from four to 7 miles from the river—not so here at the confluence point. The canyon literally wraps around you in awe-inspiring splendor with the river--flowing directly beneath you--over 4000 thousand feet below. This is definitely not a place for wimps or anyone at all afraid of heights!

Audrey on the edge of the 4000' cliff face

The swirling winds moaned and whistled around us. Were we being visited by the ghosts of countless thousands of Indians that called the canyon home for thousands of years? Naw, but the sound and the feeling was a bit disconcerting standing on the rim with 40 to 50 mph winds gusts fiendishly pushing at us from behind. Visiting this remote location was a 95-degree test of courage by heat, wind and elevation and the team agreed that the original idea of flying a RC helicopter out over the rim to map the cliff face was out of the question. Later, I came up with a work-around solution for a future trip. Why not fly a kite with a third string for steering that was equipped with a self-leveling video camera mount? With the prevailing winds blowing from the rim out over the canyon, this approach may have a chance of succeeding. Combine this with a second team on the river working in tandem and who knows what we could find.

I made sure I obtained several long five to 7 minute static shots of the dramatic cloud shadows traveling across the many cliff faces to the west before we headed back through the maze of roads to our base camp --14 miles away to the east to plan the following day’s trip out to the rim above the fabled Sipapulima…  part three to follow...

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/may-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence-part-two/feed/ 0 May 2012 Expedition to Sipapu “The Place of Emergence” part one http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/5-14-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/5-14-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence/#comments Sun, 22 Jul 2012 02:13:41 +0000 cob@tmv.us http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/?p=166 by Christopher O'Brien

 

Is This The End-of-the-World As We Know It?

As we sail through the first half of 2012, with the fabled date of December 21, 2012: the so-called “the end of the Mayan calendar” approaching from the end of the tunnel, is this blistering summer of 2012 just the lull before the train wreck or are we in a fluid situation that has no set timetable for any predetermined outcomes? Will this be the “end-of-the-world as the media is programming us to believe? Such drama arrives every-so-often, but the end-time scenario never comes true. Rhetorical questions, of course. There are signs of hope in the culture but it does appear that there is a “doom and gloom” self-fulfilling prophesy manifesting around us—perpetrated by our perception of ourselves and feedback-looped by our front-loaded interpretation of unfolding events. Nightly news shows report worse news after bad news and the spin around world events continue their downward spiral toward what I call, Ytwenty-twelveK. But, maybe I’m too jaundiced and like many are simply ignoring the growing  “chicken-little”-style cacophony.

On the surface, things don’t appear to be getting any better.  Drought, deep well oil well blowouts, fracking earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear meltdowns are bad enough, but what if the doomsayers in Hollywood and the media are right and California decides to slide into the Pacific or (god forbid) Fukashima hits the groundwater and become the world’s first radioactive geyser? It could get real bad real fast! I just bought a Geiger-counter so I can continue to visit my sushi bar with confidence. Am I just being paranoid, or should I be concerned about my fresh tuna being irradiated by the largest nuclear disaster in history?  Should we get ready for the worst, just-in-case? As Sarah Palin would say, “you bet!”

OK, this is all fine and good, and sounds like interesting science-fiction, but regardless of what happens in the next 5 months, we can assume that there will be a frenzied media countdown to doomsday--ending next December. And, (at the risk of sounding too cynical) if the media has its way, the world is gonna end and we’re all gonna die!  Personally, I don’t think so. *hint* I predict the real nastiness will probably occur in mid-to-late 2013 after everyone has breathed their personal sigh-of-Y2012K relief… But seriously, what if doom-and-gloom interpretations are accurate? What should we do? Where should you go for protection from the cataclysms? Is this time period truly ‘the end of the fourth world” as referred to by the Hopi Indians of the Southwest United States? If so, how do the primordial sub-cultures in North America define these times? And why should we care? And why am I asking so many questions?

 Koyaanisqatsi

The Hopi Indians have a term for the time period before the inevitable end-times: koyaanisqatsi which roughly translated means: koyaanis (corrupted and/or chaotic)  and qatsi  (life and existence). I think we all would agree that there is much moral decay, corruption and turmoil in the world and we appear to be headed toward some kind of tipping point. Whether this is the predicted “end-time” or not, is debatable. Another term used to translate koyaanisqatsi is: “life out of balance,” and Hopi “Fire Clan prophesy tablet holder” Elder Martin Gashweeseoma has referred to this current time-period as the “ant dance.” He predicted back in the early ‘90s that the prophesized “War of the Gourd of Ashes” had begun (with the ensuing onset of “Desert Storm”) and that humans will begin to boil around like panicked ants as they scurry about in a swarming frenzy—the ant dance. Looking at unfolding events today, in mid 2012, it doesn’t look very promising, to say the least, with mass killings in movie theaters, drones dispatched in the Middle East to take out “terrorists” and anyone else unlucky enough to be nearby, talk of war with Iran…But I say disregard the boo-birds and ostriches! Let’s forge ahead and do “The Work” we are meant to do in these “interesting times.”

Where Are You Gonna Go?

So, what do intrepid explorers do when faced with looming end-times and predicted cataclysmic earth changes? Mount an expedition of course! But where do you go?  If you want to hedge your bets, you should base your decision on good, in-depth research and trips in-the-field. Let’s have some fun and investigate theoretically what we should do and where we should go in North America if the proverbial merda hits the ventilatre and Gaia decides to wipe herself?

 One place definitely comes to mind and it’s only a few hours north from where I live near Sedona, AZ: the Confluence of the Little Colorado and Colorado Rivers in Grand Canyon. This remote, breathtaking location features a tantalizing story from the early 20th Century of the discovery of an ancient Egyptian/Buddhist underground city allegedly built thousands of years ago. This same area is the supposed location of one of America’s most sacred sites consisting of an underground sanctuary where “The People” are sheltered from cataclysmic earth change events that are said to occur between the worlds. This indigenous version is also connected to the myth of “emergence” into this current world that is shared by many Pueblo Indian tribes of the American Southwest. And, how convenient--both locations are located less than 20 miles apart!

“Check Out These Roads!”

In the late Fall 2011, while using Google Earth, archeoastronomer/author Gary David noticed a strange rectangular lattice of faint roads that are visible from the air on the eastern Rim of the Marble Canyon section of Grand Canyon. This is where the canyon system heads east upriver from the confluence with the Little Colorado. This one-mile X ¾ mile rectangle is easy to spot on Google Earth.  Gary is the author of the seminal book about the ancient SW indians and a correlation between village and sacred sites and the constellations around Orion.  He alerted myself and David Hatcher Childress of this unusual rectangular feature and suggested we mount a trip to the area the following spring. David and his wife Jennifer agreed. So, I set the ball in motion and over the winter came up with a short list of team members.

The first call I made was to Ron Regehr and his wife Darlene. Ron is a retired aerospace engineer who has spent years hunting petroglyphs and pictograms around the Four-Corners region of the American Southwest. He was also MUFON State director for Utah, lives in Moab and is working on a “petroglyph dictionary.” Darleen works at Mesa Verde National Park and is an experienced outdoorsperson. I also contacted river guide and noted cryptozoologist J.C. Johnson who has spent years exploring the region investigating reports of Bigfoot, unknown reptiles and Navajo “skinwalkers.” JC brought his friend Audrey Tortez who is a security officer in Apache County. I also invited Zuni Elder Clifford Mahooty who spent over 20 years coordinating civil engineering projects for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He is also expert at assessing “sacred site” usage. This location where we planned to go is considered one of the most sacred sites in North America and his insight would prove invaluable.

I also contacted a friend who owns and flies a four-foot remote controlled helicopter with a mounted high-resolution video camera. If we could dodge the incessant winds that whistle through the canyon, perhaps we could videotape a map of the location to look for clues of any additional entrances to the underground city and/or the Sipapu.

The Sipapu

There are many emergence myths and place(s) of protection in North America. The most famous is the Hopi sipapu (or sipapulima) said to be located in the Little Colorado Gorge  (LCRG)—just upstream from where the Little Colorado meets the mighty Colorado in the Marble Canyon portion of Grand Canyon. The actual natural formation called the sipapu is still there, about 3.5 miles up the Little Colorado sitting on the eastern shore of the gorge. Consisting of a perfect 70-foot diameter, round dome made out of travertine, with a hole at the center of the top that descends down into the earth, this curious geologic feature is plainly visible on Google Earth, as Gary David discovered. This unique geologic feature is the inspiration for the Pueblo Indian concept of the "kiva."

Kivas are round, underground rooms that are identical in shape and design to the original sipapu in the LCRG  and are created by many Pueblo Indian tribes as ceremonial spaces for traditional gatherings and teachings of sacred knowledge.

Most Pueblo Indian traditions agree that this current time period in the 21st Century is the “fourth world.” The prior three worlds were destroyed by fire, ice and flood with some traditions also mentioning winds and/or earthquakes. Before the world cleanses itself at the end of a particular world (and life is destroyed to start anew in the succeeding world), The People (who are pure of heart) are led underground to be cared for by The Creator during the cataclysms occurring above ground. Loosely interpreted, this location is called by the Hopi the “ant kiva," or sipapulima. Said to be inhabited by “ant-people,” the People are then cared for and protected by these "ant-people" in this underground sanctuary until Creator tells his subordinate gods that it is safe for the people to re-emerge and re-populate the continent/world. The mythic story has several versions of how and why this happens, but in all versions of the story, The People re-emerge up into the new, freshly cleansed world.

The Zuni Indians also mention an interesting detail I haven't found in other traditional accounts. In the Zuni version, as a result of being underground for so many generations, The People have become deformed and adjusted to pitch-darkness after living underground for generations. Upon emerging up into the new world, they are poorly prepared for their new life above ground.  They corrected by the “star people” (kachinas) who help them lose the webbing between their fingers and toes and slowly help them become re-adjusted to the light. When they have recovered, they are then divided back up into clans are sent on the migrations to the four-directions. The Zuni shaliko tradition may contain clues about this process of interaction with The Star People.

Most rational folks in today’s jaded 21st century wouldn’t give an ancient myth such as this a second glance. I’ve heard people snort, “It’s all just a bunch of superstitious nonsense,” or “how could you ever believe this is true…” Well, I don’t believe it literally for a second, but I do respect that many Native Americans do take this subject very seriously.

Regardless of emerging mass belief around this time-period, I thought it would be fun and educational to visit the area. I look at the eastern rim every time I guide a trip up to Grand Canyon. Standing at Desert View on the extreme eastern end of the developed National Park, you can see the confluence—about 16 miles away. The rim is a vast, treeless, remote area with few dwellings and a bewildering spiderweb of rough jeep trails that cris-cross the scrubby sage-adorned terrain. This mysterious plateau sits almost 5000 above the river below and stretches off into the distance as it adorns the canyon’s eastern rim.

The “Egyptian Underground City in Grand Canyon

Curiously, just around the corner of the fabled sipapu is the alleged location of a fantastic underground city supposedly discovered by G.E. Kincaid, in 1909, while traveling down the Colorado River on a prospecting trip. A sensational article trumpeting the claim was published in the Phoenix Gazette, on April 5, 1909. Diffussionist archaeologist and prolific author, David Hatcher Childress researched Kincaid’s discovery claim for his 2009 book Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries of the Southwest (Adventures Unlimited Press):

G. E. Kinkaid believed himself to be the first white person born in Idaho. He was an explorer and hunter all his life, working thirty years for the Smithsonian Institute. Below are excerpts from his journal of his alleged adventures in the cave:

PART TWO to follow....

Illegal? Illegal Chopper Flights Down to the Sipapu?

 

 

]]> http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/5-14-2012-expedition-to-sipapu-the-place-of-emergence/feed/ 0 The Baigong Pipes – Nature or Aliens? http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/the-baigong-pipes-nature-or-aliens/ http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/the-baigong-pipes-nature-or-aliens/#comments Mon, 02 Jul 2012 00:45:00 +0000 admin http://www.ourstrangeplanet.com/staging/?p=85 Article Source Here

We're all familiar with the concept of modern technology having ancient Chinese analogues. But a 2002 discovery in remote Qinghai province is anachronistic enough to constitute an "OOPart". Out-of-place-artifacts are so unusual, or found in such improbable contexts, that mainstream science has no plausible explanation for them.

The crystal skulls of Mexico referenced in the latest Indiana Jones movie, the iron pillar of Delhi, and the ancient Greek Antikythera mechanism are examples of OOPart yet to be explained. Like these, the pipes of Qinghai's Mount Baigong suggest a level of technology simply inconceivable for the apparent era of their manufacture. Those open-minded enough to think "extraterrestrial" when searching for a theory, while often dismissed out-of-hand, have like-minded souls in some of the Chinese scientists investigating.

Locals, residing forty kilometers southeast of Qinghai's Delingha city, have known of the pipes for centuries. They credit aliens for their construction, and even have legends of extraterrestrial visitors to Mt. Baigong. Although the stories are met with predictable skepticism, they become harder to laugh off when one takes in the sixty-meter pyramid near the mountain's summit. Superficially, the pyramid could be shrugged off as having been shaped by natural forces. For some reason, however, the structure has not been conclusively studied, at least officially.

Near the foot of Mt. Baigong lie three caves, the largest and most accessible some eight meters high by six meters deep. Inside, spanning from the roof to the back end of the cave, runs a pipe 40 cm in diameter. Another one roughly the same size runs into the earth from the floor, with just the top protruding.

A piece of Baigong pipe

The pipes, according to tests carried out at a local smeltery, are made chiefly of iron, but with an unusual thirty percent silicon dioxide in their matrix. They are also centuries old, if Xinhua and its source, Liu Shaolin, the engineer who carried out preliminary tests, are to be believed. Strange, but easily written off as a bizarre metallurgical operation by some nomads with too much time on their hands, assuming geological origins of the eerily symmetrical pyramid.

However, dozens of pipe openings have been discovered in the mountains far above the caves. Now these nomads must be credited with some advanced system of drilling since forgotten, as there is no modern industry in the area nor record of such. Not far from the foot of Baigong sits Toson Lake, on whose beach run many more iron pipes in unlikely patterns and in a variety of diameters, toothpick-sized at the thinnest. More pipes are in the lake, some protruding above the water surface, others buried beneath the lake's bed.

Although nine Chinese scientists were reportedly dispatched to make a detailed analysis of the pipes in 2002, there has been no further information. This hasn't prevented local government from promoting the site as a tourist attraction. A CCTV crew went to Mt. Baigong soon after, accompanied by researchers from the Beijing UFO Research Association, but no record or footage of the expedition has come to our attention. If this is because such documentation would be widely laughed off, then they would at the expense of Yang Ji, a research fellow of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who told Xinhua that the extraterrestrial theory was "understandable and worth looking into".

Then again, plain old terrestrial science has many mysteries left to be fully explained. Similar pipe-like structures have been found in the Jurassic sandstone of the Southwestern United States, as well as in Citronelle formations in Louisiana. No pyramids have been found close on, and researchers have concluded that they were formed through natural processes. But similar conclusions from scientists studying the Baigong pipes have yet to be announced, six years later.

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