Monument Valley and Mystery Valley

We signed up with a Navajo guide, Derrick, for a 4x4 tour of Monument Valley. You can do a self-driving tour but the Navajo guided tours take you into the backcountry and show you things you wouldn't see on the self-driving tour. Unfortunately, we didn't get to finish the tour because Carol Ann slipped on a slick rock and fell on her head. She got a nasty gash just behind her left eye. Blood was spurting out of a broken artery making it look a lot worse than it was. Blood was running down the side of her head and soaking her shirt.  Derrick got the first aid kit from the truck and we applied a pressure dressing, which Carol Ann kept pressed against the wound. So instead of finishing the tour the guide took us to the Monument Valley Navajo Health Clinic. The clinic is owned and operated by the United Navajo Nation. It was new and very modern. She was seen rather quickly and assessed by a PA (Physician's Assistant). After a nurse cleaned up the wound the doctor came in and put three stitches in her head. The PA, nurse, and doctor were all Navajo and did a super job. Carol Ann is doing fine except it looks like she took a punch in the eye. To say she has a black eye would be minimizing it. The eye is completely encircled by red, blue, and black bruising.

Here are some of the Monument Valley photos I managed to take before the accident. Where possible I have included the name of the monument.

One of the Mittens

The Three Sisters

The Sleeping Dragon

One of the Mittens

Roof of the Big Hogan

The Big Hogan 

   

A traditional Navajo hogan

The next day we took another Navajo guided tour of Mystery Valley. Mystery Valley is south of Monument Valley. Here are some photos.

A Navajo hogan

The Big Hogan

Roof of the Big Hogan