2003-10-17,18 The Journey 2003-10-18,24 Creel 2003-10-19 Rock Climbing 2003-10-20 Valley of the Monks 2003-10-21 Copper Canyon 1 2003-10-22 Copper Canyon 2 2003-10-23 Copper Canyon 3

Valley of the Monks by Mountain Bike (Monday, 10/20/2003)

By Monday morning, I was beginning to feel my oats again, and I joined the gang for a 25-mile mountain bike ride into the hills and valleys surrounding Creel. Our trip took us past breathtaking rock formations, under pine canopies reminiscent of East Texas, over tons of delicious slickrock, atop ridges with distant glimpses of the Copper Canyon system, down virtually impassable stream beds, through Tarahumara pastures, and on just about every other type of terrain that the area has to offer. But by far, the highlight of the day was the Valley of the Monks.

While strolling among the larger-than-life rock spires ("chichis") that stretch out along the Valle de los Monjes toward the distant hills, one can easily see why the natives consider the valley to be a mystic place. Standing among the "monks" gives one a sense of insignificance in the face of the grandeur of Nature. It also gives one a sense that the Tarahumara are very pure of thought for not making the obvious Freudian connections. Let's just say that if the French could imagine tetons in the Rocky Mountains, I'd love to see what name they would give to this place.

Like many of the scenic destinations in the Sierra Tarahumara, the Valley of the Monks is inaccessible to any vehicle except the two-wheeled or four-legged variety.