Monument Valley

Logic Puzzle

You have two ropes and an unlimited supply of matches. It takes 60 minutes to burn either rope, if lit on one end. The ropes do not burn at an even rate. For example, if you cut the rope in half, the two halves would take different times to burn. Your task is to measure exactly 15 minutes using only the two ropes and matches. You may start the 15 minutes whenever you wish. How do you do it?

Monument Valley

Monument Valley has long been on my bucket list, despite not knowing exactly where to go or what counted. Hopefully this article will be helpful to others wanting to go, but are not sure where to go in the vast area that features the iconic sandstone buttes seen in pictures and movies.

It was initially my intention to spend one night somewhere in Monument Valley to give it enough time and figure out where to go. However, Monument Valley, however you define it, is in the vast Navajo Nation where there are not many lodging options. Maybe I shouldn’t stereotype, but I’ve twice stayed at the Havasu campground in the Grand Canyon, which was great, but dealing with the Havasupai tribe in getting camping reservations was confusing, disorganized and expensive. In the end, I decided to spend two nights just outside of the Navajo Nation, the first in Farmington NM and the second in Blanding UT, and devote a full day in between to Monument Valley somehow.

A friend of mine in Albuquerque insisted I see the Shiprock monument, which should not be confused with the city of Shiprock. This is a prominent formation rising 1,583 feet above a flat desert plain in the northwest corner of New Mexico. It’s said to be very sacred to the Navajo people and climbing on it is strictly not allowed. It does not look easily approachable, but it easily seen in the distance if traveling west of the city of Shiprock on Highway 64.

The next point of interest on my journey that day was the Four Corner Memorial. As a geography nerd, this has been high in my bucket list for about 50 years. For those who don’t know, the Four Corner Memorial is the only point in the United States common to four states.

The memorial is located in the Navajo Nation. It costs $8 per person to access the parking lot, if I remember correctly. The memorial is pretty much exactly as I envisioned it based on pictures and stories. The pictures speak for themselves. One of the vendors selling Indian jewelry and art outside the memorial said I chose a good day because it wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t crowded. Based on signage, the line to take pictures at the exact place where the four states meet can get long. When I visited, there was only a short line about half the time and the other half nobody was there. Besides the many vendors selling jewelry and art, there were two trucks selling Indian frybread and tacos, which I find hard to refuse.

When I got back home and shared my excitement with a friend about it, he attempted to pour cold water over the whole experience by saying the monument was in the wrong place. While it is true that the original survey put the marker in the wrong spot, it is recognized by all four states and the US Congress as the official border to all four states. Quite simply, the state borders were moved to make the monument correct.

After crossing off the Four Corner Memorial from my mental bucket list, it was finally time for Monument Valley. While there are monuments all over the general area, there is a concentration of them in what is called the “Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park” , which is run by the department of Navajo Nation Park & Recreation. To get there, follow Monument Valley Road. It intersects Highway 163 about ¼ mile north of the Arizona/Utah border. Look for the Navajo Welcome Center.

After paying another $8/person entrance the main attraction is a scenic loop road. It takes about three hours to do, including lots of stops to take pictures. It is a dirt road, but all but the most delicate cars should have no problem with it. Be warned that hiking and especially climbing are against the posted rules. I got reprimanded once for wandering just a bit away from a parking spot to take a picture. There were also a lot of signs to not scatter cremation remains. This is the kind of place where pictures do must more justice than words.

Finally for the day, on my way to Blanding Utah, I stopped at “Forest Gump Point.” This is the place where Forest Gump suddenly decided to quit running across the country back and forth. I thought I would be the only dorky tourist to stop in the middle of the road to take pictures, but lots of people were. It is located on Highway 163 about 8 miles west of Mexican Hat. If your GPS doesn’t know the exact spot, look for the intersection of Highway 163 and Landing Strip Road. Or just look for lots of other tourists taking pictures.

Logic Puzzle Solution

1. Light one rope at both ends and the other at one end.
2. After 30 minutes, the rope lit on both ends will have burned out. At this time, start the clock and light the other end of the other rope.
3. In 15 minutes the second rope will have burned out. Stop the clock at this time.