SOUTH STATE ROAD 117 - Imagine standing along the edge of a sandstone cliff and then climbing higher and higher to escape the red-hot lava consuming the earth.

Imagine walking along the paths with the ancient ones, the Anasazi, long before the horse and motorized travel.

There is no need to imagine because it is possible, and it is only minutes away. Just nine miles south of Interstate-40 sits the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Ranger Station. Working in the station is BLM ranger Karen Davis. Davis is a native of Acoma Pueblo, and she cannot wait to show you the many ancient treasures of Cibola County.

Davis will be leading three planned hikes in the El Malpais National Monument area beginning June 4. The first hike will explore the Aldridge petroglyphs. "I talk about the petroglyphs and the journeys or routes the Anasazi people may have taken a long time ago," said Davis. Davis said she will also talk about the cultural importance of the area and how the ancient ways of life are still carried on today in the traditions of the Acoma people.

Davis said one question she frequently answers concerns the whereabouts of the Anasazi. "People from Chaco did not die, they are still here," Davis said.

Davis will also talk about the meanings of the petroglyphs. "What I did was go to the elders and ask them what the symbols might mean," said Davis. Davis said that the petroglyphs visitors will see on the Aldridge hike tell part of the creation story of the Anasazi. To hear the creation story told by Davis while standing in the same spot as the ancient ones and imagining what life was like around 950-1300 A.D. during the Chacoan period, sign up for Davis' hike.

Davis does not just talk about the cultural history of the area. She will also talk about how the El Malpais became a protected wilderness and how the plants native to the area are still used by native peoples living nearby. "Also, as we're walking along, I will talk about the different sandstone formations and other archeological sites that are connected to Aldridge," said Davis.

Davis said hikers can expect an easy to moderate trek, but she recommends wearing long pants and hiking boots because of the terrain - tall cactus and shrubs. Davis also recommends that each hiker bring along two quarts of water per person, lunch and snack food. The hike is three miles round trip, and it is easy to get dehydrated in the New Mexico sun, said Davis. She also recommends hikers bring a camera.

Davis asks, however, that hikers not come with small children or pets. She explained that any person who signs up for the hike must be able to carry his or her own water jugs and gear to and from the petroglyph panel.

Interested hikers can contact Davis at the ranger station at (505) 280-2918. Other hikes to the petroglyph panel are scheduled for July 9 and August 6. To get to the ranger station on state road 117, take I-40 east from Grants or Gallup to exit 89, and drive south for nine miles to the station. Davis said hikers need to arrive at 9 a.m. The hike will start at approximately 9:15 a.m.

"The El Malpais is a mystery," said Davis. "It's a place where there is no one explanation for all that happened to the people, the climate and the land during the time of the lava flows. We're talking about the uniqueness of the area. It has a lot of stories from nearby places and it is a place where people can go out and learn the history of the area." Davis also said that many people have so much fun on the Aldridge petroglyph hike, that they often start exploring the area on their own after having made their first foray with a park ranger.

By Will Kie