Unveiling the Secrets: Unearthing Three 1000-Year-Old Ancient Towers on Google Earth

[@sarenajurado4565]

Thank you Jeff for taking us along with you! You're a sweetheart and we enjoy your videos. Bless you

[@girlygirl2969]

Before youtube and google earth my friend and I made trips like this using old maps. It was some of the most fun I ever had. He's gone but watching your videos brings back memories. I'd love to do a guided tour if you ever do that. Thank you for your videos.

[@reneenorris1361]

That would be epic if you could go along . Shoot I’m sure a lot of us would pay to tag along !😊

[@robertallen6710]

@@reneenorris1361 I would..

[@MissRazna]

sorry for your loss

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, but happy you made some great memories together. I have been playing around with the idea of doing tours or trips or something. Trying to figure out how it would all work 🙂 Thank you for your comment!

[@03stmlax]

Do those have a 'street view' feature?

[@deborahm6036]

Thank you for another very special and evocative adventure.

[@margeanblake4356]

I admire your dedication to not disturbing artifacts. I enjoy your videos 😊

[@scottperine8027]

It’s much more than a pleasure to join you Jeff,this is one of the best and most inventive channel out there!

[@sandrabates7649]

You have such a great personality and your excitement over all of these sites make the video even more enjoyable.

[@trumer-and-co]

It blows my mind of all the ruins that are still out there. Thank you for sharing and being so respectful of the sites. Looking forward to your next finds.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I hope you like my next video of my visit to some canyons in Lake Powell!

[@tedpreston4155]

I, too, am amazed by the number of these Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont ruins that have survived an entire millenium unmaintained, abandoned in the desert - and it was the dry air in that desert that preserved them. The whole Colorado Plateau is littered with ruins left by those and many earlier inhabitants. After a thousand years we can still find wood in many of these ruins that can be used to date the approximate time when the structure was built, using the tree-ring data taken from a small core drilled from the wooden parts.

[@johnmcnulty4425]

What a great channel this is! Equal parts discovery, solitude and beautiful vistas.

[@antichristhater3440]

Probably one of the more underrated KZbin channels

[@michaelsonleitner5724]

Thanks Jeff, enjoy following your travels!

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you for coming along with me!

[@thehunter3386]

You videos continue to fascinate! You emphasis on respecting the integrity of the site and it's surroundings is a message that bears repeating. Thank you for all this!! I grew up with a popular guideline. "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but tracks." Take care...be safe.

[@TekedixXx]

I'll be honest, it's cool to see the ruins, but I think the most valuable aspect of this channel is how you educate on being mindful of your surroundings. A lot of what you say seems obvious once you say it, like don't touch the walls, don't walk on this plant that looks like dirt; but you don't know what you don't know, and these little tidbits of info are going to have a profound effect on anyone who might stumble upon a ruin like this. I'm no explorer, especially out west, but having watched your videos I'm at least somewhat confident I won't accidentally destroy an ancient ruin if I came across one lol

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Loved your comment! I try to share what little knowledge I have about "hiking etiquette". I'm still learning always!

[@annesaunders3580]

Yes, I too like the respect Jeff demonstrates. Love these treks, thank you for sharing them.

[@lovesloudcars]

Now you have me LEARNING stuff as well as being entertained and enjoying another great virtual hike! Great stuff Jeff. You're a better man than me, I'd be flying the drone.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thanks for joining along with me!

[@tedpreston4155]

@@TheTrekPlanner Jeff, I was planning to do a video on a trip to a Wilderness Study Area in Wyoming. I was curious whether I could fly a drone there, and I concluded that the BLM regulations suggested that launching the drone from outside the boundary, and then flying over the WSA is permitted, but the drone must not land inside the WSA nor interact in any way with wildlife or humans in the WSA. (Sorry, I wish I could give you a link, but I probably derived my conclusion from several sources, and my memory is hatefully bad. 🤔) I'm still planning to take the drone on that trip. It would be easy to film the best of that particular WSA by launching the drone from outside the boundary, and making footage of spectacular hoodoos and wildy eroded badlands, then landing again, outside the boundary.

[@charleshicks3492]

Great trip, excellent; thanks for the tag along😎⭐️🤩

[@rdgerdes]

Very cool discovery. Thanks for sharing!

[@Blackw0lff]

These are watchtowers. And they were always built overlooking a valley, river, or wide open area. Usually built on top of a small hill. They were used for hunting purposes as well as security towers. When they would see an animal or a person approaching, they would light a fire on the top to signal either the other tower, or those nearby.

[@robertallen6710]

I always thought if a Native American was going to build a structure like that, security, number one and I didn't think of the hunting aspect...

[@andrewdowd3997]

Thank you for sharing all of these finds. And even more, thank you for researching, understanding, and respecting all of the regulations of where you visit.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thanks so much!

[@Bryan-fg1ef]

Excellent video. Interesting info about the soil and ecosystem.

[@gregoryeaton7266]

This is a great discovery, and I'm glad you finally got there! I agree with you that the last structure clearly has a door. While it is possible that the rock infill is from stones falling from above, it looks a little too deliberate to me. There is plenty of record of Ancestral Puebloans ritually closing buildings, such as the blocked doorways and windows discovered at Chaco and other places. While the stones in the apparent doorway are not as well placed as the built walls, they do look to have been deliberately placed, rather than the result of random collapse. Just a thought, but there is evidence to indicate that this could be what you are seeing. And the first tower: It could have been a watchtower to see if anyone was coming to steal from their water source, OR, since you are correct that it overlooks a place that would be popular with game, there is a possibility that it was a hunting blind. It would have been low enough that they could stand and shoot over it, but high enough to hide their presence from game. And *Thank You* for always being mindful of the cryptobiotic soil, and leaving pottery sherds, etc. in situ.

[@tinkerstrade3553]

About the rocked up door. A lot of this land has seen its share of cattle ranchers and sheep herders. This could have been a ruin used as shelter for man or beast, as late as the 20th Century. A spectacular find. Loved the trip!! Thank you for a return to yesteryear.

[@susanne5803]

What is cryptobiotic?

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Those are some great ideas!! The hunting blind would make sense too considering the water sources nearby

[@tinkerstrade3553]

@@TheTrekPlanner Not to mention, your enemies drink water too. So this could do both, with some natural camo.

[@DJ_Paleface]

I think the *3 structures are ancient granaries, just like the one in the picture

[@RobertFairweatherMusic]

Awesome! Great share. You rock!

[@kathy9172]

Thanks for taking us along with you on these discoveries. I hadn't even thought about cougars, yikes!! Guess you need 3 eyes to stay safe out there!

[@johnfortes2171]

Thank you for a very interesting and well done video!

[@kjbuchanan63]

I always enjoy joining you on your hikes. They ARE refreshing to the spirit.

[@johnhall6436]

Thanks again for the video Jeff, they are very much appreciated.

[@watcherspirit2351]

You do great work. Everything I know about 4 Corners ruins, I learned from you. My two favorite additions to the nomenclature: "Moki Steps" and "Cryptobiotic Soils." That rocked-in doorway reminds me of Poe's "Cask of Amontillado."Thanks for sharing the excellent videos.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you so much!

[@daverupes7022]

These videos make my mornings! Can't say enough about how interesting and informative these are🎉 so looking forward to seeing you find one that's completely intact 😊

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I can't wait for that day too!

[@terrencew.pringle1065]

I love your passion dude. This channel has made me so interested in the ancestral pueblo; incredibly fascinating.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you! Love this stuff. the Ancestral Pueblo have been so mysterious and interesting to me since I first learned about them.

[@thefred8481]

Great video! I enjoy your work..

[@sandradanforth8524]

I so enjoy visiting the different places you go. Thank you so much 💓 😮😊

[@granddad-mv5ef]

If your channel had not just popped up on my feed one day, I would never have seen any of these ruins. So thank you very much for taking on the job of showing this history. Because you have, I have done a little research; and there is much factual history and quite a bit of unwritten history.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

That makes me happy to hear!! I'm beginning to learn just how big the reach of these ancient peoples really was

[@geeteemasoomehhashemi8564]

Good job man, thanks to share your adventures with us😊

[@linkylou13]

Oh boy. You did it again. Love going on these adventures with you

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thanks for coming along!

[@RobynSouder-rt9jf]

Hiking in the desert and seeing these incredible places sooths my soul. Thanks for taking me along to see even more than I have been able to see.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you for coming along, Robyn!! ☺

[@chrisackerley1842]

Appreciate your mention of cryptobiotic soil. In Southwest Arizona, where I live, people never seem to comprehend how fragile the desert pavements are. I once read an archeological study of a particularly arid place West of Ajo that stated the desert pavement at that location is more than 100,000 years old. Incredible, but true. It rains in that place only a few times each century. The only erosive force is the wind. A careless tire track left by a side-by-side will still be there a thousand years from now. With that said, thanks for another great video! I know how much effort it takes you to make these videos and I really appreciate it! I never get tired of seeing these old Anizazi ruins. Keep up the good work, kid!

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I can't imagine having tire tracks last for a thousand years! Thank you for your comment!

[@rem1762]

The earth is only about 6-10 thousand years old.

[@chrisackerley1842]

@@TheTrekPlanner- I'm pretty swamped right now but, within a few days, I will dig out the archeological study I refer to and send a "pdf" copy of same to the e-mail address listed in your KZbin profile. If you read the responses after yours you will understand why I don't feel comfortable naming the place in this forum.

[@AlanDayley]

Nice ruin with the filled in door. Triggers my imagination. Thanks for sharing your adventures.

[@jennifersiegrist8440]

Love watching you explore these locations, I’m happy to know your able to do it more often now. ❤❤ thank you for sharing your adventures with us ❤❤❤❤ also was that a bucket in the brush?

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you, Jennifer!! Yes, I didn't show it, but there was a bucket and some tubing in the brush. I'm assuming it was for some type of pump that a rancher used to get water for their cattle.

[@jaye1967]

You seem to be creating one of the largest video records of stone ruins in the 4 corners region. Also, with all these trips you have made, I think you need to have a bit more confidence in the knowledge and experience you have when making these trips and less afraid. Keep up the good work.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you! And thank you saying I should be more confident! Means a lot to me

[@bbfoto7248]

​@TheTrekPlanner @jaye1967 It's always good to maintain at least a little bit of fear, caution, and awareness of your surroundings. For example, Jeff didn't discover that there was water and a good natural watering hole there during his trek until AFTER he had arrived on site. As Jeff said, it would be a prime spot for a Cougar to "sit and wait" for any type of potential meal to show up. Cougars and all small & large cats are masters of silence, stillness, patience, and camoflage when they hunt! While deer hunting in my teens with my father & friends up in the Huntington Lake area of CA, I was walking alone along a "deer trail" on one side of a semi-steep canyon with a small creek about 100 feet below. I was a smaller, fairly slinder kid of about 5'-6" and 140lbs. My father and friends were on the opposite side of the canyon as well as below & behind me, hoping to flush potential deer out and up into the canyon towards my position. It was also cloudy and had been raining lightly off & on and continued to drizzle lightly. The fresh, clean smell of rain in the forest was invigorating and welcomed. But as I passed by an outcropping of exposed granite and brush that was just over and above my left shoulder, I got a faint "wiff" or smell like that of a wet dog or horse...and knowing what it most likely was, fear suddenly overtook me. The "trail" was narrow, but luckily quite straight and smooth in this section...it was just soft forest earth covered with some pine needles and light foliage on either side. I kept on walking at my normal pace but after a few steps of looking over my shoulder, I turned around completely and kept walking backwards slowly as I pulled out my cheap pocket "taser" in one hand, and pulled my 1911 out of its holster with my right hand. My rifle was still slung securely over my shoulder. After a few more steps, a young cougar yearling rose slightly out of her crouch where I could see her ears from on top of the granite and brush less than 20ft away as I kept walking backwards, and locked eyes with me... As soon as this happened, I could anticipate the determination and forthcoming charge and pounce, so I immediately thrust my hand in the cat's direction and triggered the taser for a long burst of "ZAPS". This was just a cheap "wannabe" taser, but it emitted a Very Loud, continuous ZAP and a small electrical "Lightining Bolt" from the front for as long as you pulled the trigger. I was also an avid road bike pedal rider at the time, and always carried this Taser with me to deter any stray Dogs that started to chase me on the bike. It worked extremely well in every one of those instances I encountered, and any of the other animals that I had (harmlessly) "tested it on" did NOT like the sight & sound of the Taser and would instanly flee in fear. The ZAP from the Taser definitely startled the young cat, and it jumped back and to the side away from me while still keeping its eyes on me, but it didn't run off. It moved a little further away and was slowly pacing back & forth, as if still deciding if I was really a threat. I started yelling at it..."Go On, Get Outta Here!", and I actually made a step towards it and gave another burst of the Taser. It reluctantly moved a bit farther away, but didn't seem to want to give up. :( I kept yelling and waving my arms and triggering short bursts from the taser, but it kept hanging around about 50'-60' from me now, just waiting to see what I would do. I finally shot a round from the 1911 just below and in front of it, and the sound of the gunshot as well as the spray of debris in its face finally sent it running off. WHEW!!! I breathed a BIG sigh of relief...and then cursed out loud for a fair bit while my hands trembled, haha! Everyone in the hunting group carried one of those small, GMRS band "Walkie-Talkies" with a supposed "10 mile" line of sight range. My father and friends had all heard the gunshot and wondered if I had bagged my deer, and immediately contacted me on the radio to make sure all was well and to get my location. (Sorry to those that find this gruesome and are against this sort of legal hunting). Luckily, we all had a good enough signal on the radios, and I let them know what had happened and organized a plan and coordinates to meet up ASAP. I couldn't wait to rejoin the group as I was still gripped with fear, and in the back of my mind I knew that the cat could still be stalking me from a distance if it was desperate. We all finally met up and I could breathe another huge sigh of relief... I had been just 8-10 feet away from that cougar without even seeing it! If it had not been raining and wet, or if the wind was blowing up the hill instead of the cool air coming down the mountain, I might not have smelled it. And I was also very lucky that it had been a smaller young cat. If it had been a large, fearless adult, it probably wouldn't have hesitated and would have immediately pounced on me before I had any idea that it was there! It took me a long time to settle down and get to sleep that night, LOL. BTW, Cougars also LOVE to hang out in the limbs of trees, especially over natural game trails and watering holes...just like modern human hunters use a "tree blind". So if you ever trek in cougar country, scan the lower limbs of all the trees ahead and around your trail or path, and especailly any time you take a break to rest and sit down. And in regards to snakes, I've nearly stepped on top of Mohave Greens, Diamond-Backs, and Sidewinders multiple times while hiking in the washes and canyons around Palm Desert, Mojave, and the Southwest. They will usually "feel" or hear you coming before you see them, but if you're walking at a fairly rapid pace, you can be on top of them before they have a chance to rattle or move. NEVER wear earbuds and listen to music or podcasts etcetera while you are hiking or trekking. And especially if you are going to TREK ALONE (which is my only serious reservation regarding Jeff and these Trekking videos), you should ALWAYS let family and/or friends know exactly where you are going, what time you plan to be back, and say that you will "Check In" with them when you are back from your trek. Thanks for the great videos and adventures, Jeff! Enjoy, but be safe out there, too!

[@jaye1967]

@@bbfoto7248 Though situational awareness is part of what experience has taught us. As well as understanding that wild animals are just that, wild animals. It's somewhat amazing to see the increasing number of videos coming out of Yellowstone of people getting up close and personal with bison. I suppose we can chalk this up somewhat to the explosion in the number of cameras, though it seems to be more related to the increase in the number of people with poor judgement. I think your story does illustrate how doing lots of hunting or hiking does help a person develop good judgement. Though it also shows that even at a young age you had already started to develop good instincts about being out in the woods.

[@akowboyshippielife7405]

Much love to everyone and their families from Cedar City Utah USA 🤠👍💪

[@kenanderson2216]

Possible hunting blind??? Lots of green, water, and life. And quiet. Thanks for the vidges!. I live in AZ and gives me stuff to check out.

[@albertoortiz3574]

Great Nice walk, thanks for sharing!!

[@ApacheMagic]

I love your adventures! Great video ❤

[@dorianmclean6755]

Stunning...absolutely beautiful find. Sad but accepted...the no drone thing. Yes...wilderness... Love your treks, from Northern Arizona ...ty

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you! No drone this time, but the next one for sure! 🙂

[@lnbjr7]

Your approach toward sharing your incredible journeys with us is Perfect! Thank you for the fantastic views along your adventure! Your drone shots are the best!

[@ztwilkerson]

I’m really thankful for your channel. Most of these discoveries would have been largely lost to time. Thank you for your important work!

[@zoomerboomer6834]

Great finds! A couple of decades ago, a buddy and I were looking for a place in Flagstaff, Arizona to ride our mountain bikes and I accidentally discovered what looked like ancient stone ruins. There was a designated area for off-road recreational vehicles in a massive volcanic cinder field we thought would be fun. Wrong! The further we attempted to ride into the cinder field, the more difficult it became, until it became impossible. We ended up slinging our bicycle frames over our shoulders and began to portage our way out. It was level, but really rough going. This was due to the depth of the stone, pea-sized cinders. It seemed like it would take an exceptionally long time to traverse the field at the rate were going. The massive open field had been punctuated with miniature mesas, what I called "sky islands". To be better able to determine the closest edge of the cinder field, I decided to climb to the top the nearest mesa to get better look of our surroundings. At the top I was amazed to find the crumbling remains of many circular stone structures. They were partially filled with the same cinders we'd been laboring to traverse. It made me wonder who had originally built the structures and what their fate was. Were they there at the same time as the volcanic incident that had spread the cinders? When was that? Finally found the best heading to get out of the massive cinder field. Never was able to return or find out anything else about the stone ruins.

[@dorianmclean6755]

Whoa ..... Right on.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Wow, what an amazing find and adventure! You could have written 10 pages on your trip and would have read the whole thing. Sounds extremely interesting!

[@zoomerboomer6834]

@@TheTrekPlanner The American Southwest is just so vast that a person could spend multiple lifetimes and hardly scratch the surface of amazing discoveries, great and small. The combination of remoteness and rugged environments leave so much for generations of people to discover, and lose, and in time, genuinely rediscover. Much respect to you as an explorer and presenter of amazing discoveries. Be safe and keep on trekking! Cheers! 🍺🍺

[@dbaider9467]

Really enjoy your channel man, quality and interesting content. And you are respectful to the places you visit.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you!

[@Materialworld4]

I would not miss it for the world. I share your passion for this area of history that exists in such a harsh and unforgiving environment imbued with incredible beauty. I beg you at some point at your convience to explore more of that canyon if it is possible withut your drone. That place is wonderful, magical, and foreboding all at the same time. Finally, the towers you waited three years to lay your eyes on were well worth the wait, and were truly a sight to behold. You Sir are amazing, and I thank you for sharing your love of these places with all of us. Now I feel the need to add the following, for your own safety man, please look into Apple or other satellite emergency locator beacons because You Are Worth Every Penny.

[@susannenerad9851]

He said he has one in another video, can't remember which one it was though

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you for your concern about my safety! It really touches me when I see comments like yours. I always carry a satellite phone with me and have check-in times with loved ones. I'm also overprepared with the amount of water and food I carry. And, I will go back! Some of those ruins were too tempting to just "pass over". I will plan another visit

[@southwesthardypalms]

The craziest thing is that he hasn’t even SCRATCHED the surface here in Utah. There are literally thousands of these sites all over the state, many not even known yet. That structure with the silver shrub (roundleaf buffaloberry) growing inside of it was very interesting. Another fantastic video man, please keep ‘em comin! P.S. thank you for mentioning the cryptobiotic crust, it’s so important not to disturb it!

[@TheTrekPlanner]

That's one of the best things I've learned since doing all of this: just how many sites like this are even just in Utah! Don't bust the crust!

[@stankygeorge]

The reason they've not scratched the surface is because they are not looking, nor will they, ever!

[@Aluttuh]

Have you heard of jon levi? Does some interesting hypothetical videos revolving around the fact that the history we are told is completely BS when we look at the evidence.

[@johnrose2643]

Absolutely beautiful the colors of the dirt and the stone. And the green shrubs what a wonderful stone structure that you located. Thanks for sharing.

[@artemusbowdler7508]

Highway 25 south of Albuquerque and north of Hatch on either side of Highway is rich with ruins. Any place near washes , streams, and rivers.

[@esztervizi7202]

I enjoy your videos thank you. Will you take a compass with you to see if these sites have energy? Maybe that's why these sites aware chosen leylines might intersect these sites.

[@ariesflies]

What a lovely spot these ruins were at. It gives you a little more of an idea of what it must have been like when people lived there and what brought them to the area. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I would have lived here! Unlimited water and probably plenty of deer and big horn sheep around

[@tedpreston4155]

@@TheTrekPlanner I would have lived there too! When I visit Cedar Mesa, I find myself wondering about the crops they grew as well as their animal food sources. I look around to get a sense for where they may have grown enough corn, beans and squash to keep them fed over the winter. Some of those canyon bottoms are awfully narrow. I wonder whether they were effectively farming the entire canyon floor?

[@stoverboo]

Thank YOU for sharing your adventures with us! I had no idea there were so many inhabited spots in the southwestern US. This certainly supports the idea that this continent was vastly more populated when colonizers arrived than we were taught when I was a child.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

I had no idea either! I always learned too that ancient peoples in this region kind of lived in isolated areas, but I'm finding that to be not very true. They lived ALL over even in very small settlements that literally dotted the landscape

[@josephbrowne4826]

COLONIZERS👌you are so woke.

[@hogkillerjp]

excellent, thanks for sharing..

[@gstone42]

Love your videos....man you need an ATV!

[@dawilliamstn]

Isn't this just great. This video shows up out of the blue in my suggested videos and I'm hooked. My problem is I'm hooked on too many other channels. This kind of stuff holds great interest for me so this channel moves to the top.

[@DTRBrianMallard]

I really appreciate you going to the trouble to go and document this stuff as I'm based on the east coast and can't put in the time and travel to see it. It's so fascinating

[@kathylammers8360]

Jeff, I'm new to your site. Thanks for sharing with us your adventures! I love the beautiful blue skies, the hike, the 'hills', the fantastic ruins. What a hard life these people had. No wonder their lives were so short. I too climbed, hiked, enjoyed the nature, the aroma of flowers and trees. With your video, I can almost smell them now. Wow! Beautiful, evocative of my happiest, healthiest life! I even experienced the sense of peace from the solitude, and the joy. Thank you for bringing it all back to me!

[@StirlingLighthouse]

Very cool! Thank you 🙏 ❤

[@azjersee]

WOW I love your videos!!

[@gerryhartung736]

Doesn't matter to me, who's studied these sites or when. I never knew they were there, so I am learning from your videos. Anything we may have touched on remotely concerning this subject can only be described as a comma or period in my history classes back in 1950 s.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you!

[@Iseekoutthetruth]

I hunt Using Google Earth Also, I Found Some Cool Ruins Myself Yesterday.

[@pixelpeter3883]

Especially that last 'tower' looked pretty impressive. Kinda makes you wonder if all these sites you visit are actually registered (and/or studied) at all?

[@josephgonzalez4380]

Safe to say that we enjoy watching these videos and hear his outlook. These places need to be preserved. Real estate investors will find all sorts of strategies, to slowly but surely invest for development…

[@katesutton1476]

Thx 4 sharing this adventure. I miss the desert sometimes its a good place to recharge. Much luv Carry on

[@manfredbiefeld6727]

Keep up the good work it mmakes you wonder, how they survived back then. THUMBS UP

[@sandramorey2529]

Wonderful! I love these video treks. I never got to the Southwest in my hiking days and I really regret that. We did backpack through the Sierra almost every weekend and found lots of wildlife and some California native acorn preparation food holes, but other than a trip to Mesa Verde I never saw any of the riches the Southwest has to offer. So I really appreciate what you do, Thanks

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you!

[@Armyjay]

The best tip for avoiding snakes & other unfriendlies is to stomp around making noise. They’ll hear you coming long before you see them and they’ll get as far away as possible. I learned this on Jungle training in Belize when i was serving in the British Army. I hope this helps. Keep up the exploration!

[@sandysue202]

Very cool video! I am thinking that maybe...very maybe...that1st "tower" you found could have been more of a hunting blind? If it was smaller, the men could have used it as a good place to shoot arrows at the animals that came into the ravine to get water? Just a thought. Thanks for taking us along! I see things thru your eyes (and go-pro) that I would otherwise never get to explore. ❤

[@carlwest859]

Many of the ruins show a shortage of stone to reconstruct the original wall height. Notice how the most easily to access sites have the crudest rocks. Indicates that many of these structures were disassembled and the best rocks sorted out and transported to other projects. Unfortunate that this happens to ancient structures. Good building stone with flat surfaces and square sides is desirable for easy and strong wall construction, which is often seen on the cliffside walls or larger later dwellings. One of the structures shows evidence of volunteer restacking of random rocks to raise a portion of the fallen wall. Keep on exploring. Enjoy your humor as always.

[@kezzatries]

That's cool mate, whilst our own indigenous peoples of Australia have been here some 40 thousand years or more, they unfortunately didn't build in stone like you have found. Though I have come across caves that have been used some of which must go back to the last Ice Age in Western Australia.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

That would be amazing to see!

[@kezzatries]

@@TheTrekPlanner it was. You could see the low roof of the cave was blackened with smoke from their fires and outside you can see where they were making stone tools by smacking the edge with another stone, I forget what that's called sorry. The other nice thing is that the local ranger didn't know about it, that felt cool.

[@liamredmill9134]

Thanks again for another fascinating expedition

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@karinbergman1646]

How very exciting to be discovering all these sites and being able to visit them! I wish I'd spent more time out West visiting such areas. Its always amazing to look down and see the potsherds all around, look at the pictographs and petroglyphs, and think of the many people who lived out there. Im so grateful to have found your channel! Thank you!🦎

[@robertodebeers2551]

I really like how you do all the walking, swat all the bugs, and dodge the mountain lions and snakes, so I can sit here with a cool drink and discover all these wonderful places.

[@AL-qr4vf]

Great vid bro! Have you ever explored Santa Cruz County in southern Arizona?

[@michelrichardson753]

More likely to be guard, signal, or lookout towers with a less likelihood of being granary, dwelling, or tomb. Try connecting the dots on google earth look for circles, squares and triangles. There might even be concentric shapes.

[@DROK278]

Just subscribed to your channel, I love what you do. I've been watching for hours and it amazed me what you've found on google earth and the best part is you actually go there to investigate! This was my childhood phantasy your living out and it's damn cool to see man lol. Awesome work, keep the masses curious!

[@PSC9634]

You've got a good on Google Earth. You have a skill to know what imprints to look at. It's like a hunter with wildlife. You're amazing. Luv your content!

[@joetucker879]

Hey Jeff! I remember this Video of yours being one of the very first that I watched but, I didn't give it a Thumbs up! I subscribed quite a while back and thoroughly enjoy your Videos which give me the opportunity to see the Midwestern areas again! I live in Middle Tennessee and real life does not allow trips back that way right now! Thanks for all the incredible places that you bring to everyone and always looking forward to a new one! (thumbs Up is placed on this one! LOL)

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Hi Joe! Thank you for your comment and for giving this video a thumbs up and for subbing to my channel! :-) I say this a lot, but it does mean so much to me! -Jeff

[@lemonyellow3117]

Totally awesome. Thanks for sharing

[@nikkischreiber3221]

In many cases towers were used as signaling stations . Fire flashing in a chosen direction - messages via a line of towers across large distance. Like Morris Code.

[@stevemehan7276]

What an awesome experience thanks for sharing! Almost as good as being there

[@dsatt57]

The placement makes me think of lookout shelters. If your tribe was camped down below , you’d want someone keeping an eye out. Maybe it’s part of a nomadic cycle of travel.

[@texasgina]

Love this! I used to love to explore when I was younger

[@prieten49]

It's amazing how you can spot potential ruins from Google Maps. I read a book which claimed many of these Anasazi villages had towers which he surmised could be used to communicate with fire or smoke signals with other communities. As the time passed, he felt there was evidence that the Anasazi attacked each other and the communities sought more secrecy.

[@robertbevill5085]

At the first structure I noticed the ground was blackened is that natural or from fire ?

[@ZachAlanPhotography]

Have any native historians or people of that sort reached out to you? It seems like you're creating an invaluable catalogue of sites that may have never been recorded in any detail before. As a guy who loves the desert, I watch all of your videos! I know what you mean when you sit there and try to grasp what it must've been like to live there 1,000 years ago! Even with all of their knowledge of the land, it still must've been hard living for the Anasazi!

[@chilihead10]

This content worth watching! Cheers!

[@TheTrekPlanner]

Thank you!

[@garymucher4082]

Once again old ruins like this prove people that came before us were not stupid people whatsoever. They not only built such structures, but had the abilities to move such heavy stones and rocks that are pretty heavy, an managed to live there for some time. Thumbs Up!

[@Pillarofcreation1]

These little towers you always find are almost always on top of hills or fortified positions it seems. I'm guessing they were used for defense or communication if they had line of sight to one another.

[@Tenere55W]

I love watching your videos. Im located in Argentina and there are also prehispanic ruins. Great work!

[@corneliusdinkmeyer2190]

That canyon is absolutely beautiful !

[@ericchilver9113]

Thanks for sharing your time , curious to what else you find. 🇦🇺🇺🇸

[@magicjack]

My unprofessional opinion, could some of those taller structures be guard posts as some native Americans battled each other and possibly even foreigners? Love you videos btw.

[@robertallen6710]

Yep..🧐

[@pjqziggy]

Fascinating. Many thanks for your efforts.

[@arailway8809]

I was surprised to see a door way. Some of the old stuff had doors in the roof. Good hunting

[@johnwrinkle3443]

the outlier towers were thought to be defensive strongholds, signal stations , liked ths one very much.

[@mnemonth]

Watching your videos and hearing you talk of your enthusiasm for the area and its history reminds me of what drew me to the Southwest four decades ago. (Looking for an excuse to live there, in my own burst of enthusiasm I ended up going to the medical school in Albuquerque. Perhaps that was a _little_ extreme.) I look forward to viewing more of your adventures. Incidentally, I'd be curious to know what hardware you use to record these hikes. Especially those remarkable drone segments.

[@me-yy9zz]

cool finds..............

[@JosephofWalton]

I wish we could find things like that in the Southeast. We have a few mounds here and there, but many were bulldozed by farmers and such. Before Atlanta was established there was a large native American community near by on the Chattahoochee River. Apparently the remains were flattened and the Atlanta Water Works was built on top of it.

[@TheTrekPlanner]

It's sad to hear that the ruins were built on. I have been wanting to see these mound places for years now. I'm hoping to make a visit and learning more about them. I know there are tons of them.

[@JosephofWalton]

@@TheTrekPlanner there are a few that have been preserved. The Etowa mounds near Cartersville is probably the best. There are others in North Alabama and Missouri