In October 2013 we took a quick trip to New Mexico to attend the Chuckwagons of the West Jamboree.   While on this trip we also wanted to see some of the volcanos and unusual lava flows and two Chaco Outliers.   Thanks to John Boner and Ted Cruz's Tea Party we were thwarted and only got to see one Chaco Outlier, Salmon Ruin in Bloomfield NM which is owned by the State of New Mexico.   BTW: the State of New Mexico has done a great job restoring and maintaining this ruin.    

Betty was very impressed with Salmon, especially the guide book which told how various rooms were used in everyday life of the inhabitants.   It really brings the people of Salmon to life.
To get an idea of what life was like in these towns please read Adolph Bandolier's book "The Delight Makers".   I have read it a number of times (usually before a trip to see the ruins) and I get a better prespective on their life each time.   I wrote a report on this book for a Cultural Anthropology course I took and the instructor swore he would read the book.

Salmon was colonized by the Chaco Culture folks, about 50 mi. south, about the year 1088.   The Chacoans decided to spread out and colonize, Salmon and Aztec were directly north of Chaco Canyon on the two river crossings they encountered, the San Juan River (Salmon) and the Animas River (Aztec).   They built a road about 30 ft. wide with signal towers spaced along it to connect Pueblo Alto (on top of the mesa North of the actual Chaco Canyon) to Salmon and Aztec.   Salmon and Aztec, as Chaco Outliers, grew maize and beans then brought a portion of their crop to Chaco for redistribution.   Apparently Pueblo Alto, on the mesa above Chaco Canyon, was used as the store house and redistribution center.   Shards of 100's of thousands of clay jars were found around Pueblo Alto.   Salmon used the Chaco Plan in construction, if you look at orientation, and actual masonry you'll immediately see the similaritys.  

Aztec is actually two buildings, East and West, only the West Ruin has been excavated.   It was said the Chacoan "Great North Road" passed between the two.  

For some reason, known only to Google, you have to scroll down to see the actual ruin.   Here is the Google Maps view of Salmon Ruins.   The visitor center is Noth of the actual ruin. View Larger Map.

For comparison, this is Aztec Ruins, only the West ruin has been excavated, and note the reconstructed grand kiva (circular building).   Notice the similartiy of orientation of the building and the placement of the grand kiva etc.   View Larger Map

The Mesa Verde people reoccupied this town shortly after 1150 for 50 years.   According to the sign outside.

Take a look at these walls and you'll see the Chacoan artististry and workmanship.

Close look at a window, again the workmanship and artistry (bands of small stones used as decoration).

The sheer size of some of the rooms tells about Chaco builders.   The Mesa Verde people subdivided the rooms.

Betty looking and reading.

The pic doesn't show it well, but there is a large indentation or alcove in the left wall.

A small kiva.   These kivas were usually built by and for a clan withing the pueblo culture.   Bandelier's book, "The Delight Makers" mentions about 10 clans in the group he was describing.   The pueblo culture was matriarcal, women built and owned the "house" and the men visited their family's home.   The men built and mostly lived in their kivas.   If you're interested in learning more about pueblo (Anasazi) culture, read "The Delight Makers" or check out this site: "https://indianpueblo.org/matriarchs-at-the-heart-of-pueblo-families/".

Broader look at a small kiva.

Looking down the top remaining row of rooms and kivas.

Different angle on the main ruin.

Looking down into another small kiva.

You can see the vega holes for roof supports on the back wall.   Again, note the size of the rooms.

Where repairs were made, probably by the Mesa Verde pepople.

Although this is considered a small Chaco outlier, it has a lot of rooms, and kivas.

Some of these may have been granaries.

A small kiva, note the door in the foreground and another at the rear.   Kivas were normally entered via a ladder through a hole in the roof.

Inside this small kive looking back up at Betty.

Its always puzzling to think about what all these structures and rooms were built for.   Note the round column in the right rear of the room in the foreground.

Differences in workmanship.

Another pic of the round column in the corner of a room.

I think the square holes in the back wall were for storage, there are more rooms on the othe side of the wall.

Betty looking.   Note she is standing abuot on top of the first floor.

A 'Tee Shaped' doorway has been filled in.   Mesa Verde is famous for it's Tee shaped doorways.

Again large rooms.   I am standing on the roof of the first floor, looking down into first floor rooms.

A larger kiva   There is the outline of a very large unexcavated 'great kiva' here also.

Again, notice the workmanship and artistry in the walls construction.

The 'great kiva' at Salmon as seen across the top of a slightly smaller kiva.   This is a large kiva, but not as large as those in Aztec and, of course, Chaco.

This appears to be a divider wall constructed by the Mesa Verde people, note the difference in workmanship in the two walls.