Mystery Photo

[Dennis S]

This was taken in the mountains of Northern New Mexico. It has a very practical purpose. Can you guess what it is?

I have another picture which makes it's purpose plain that I will post after giving people a chance to guess.

 

[escargome]

to support the logs and act as an animal/people crossing?

 

[Dennis S]

Here is a big hint. This is for something to cross, but not animals or people.

 

[escargome]

how about water. Maybe like a dam?

 

[Dennis S]

It involves water, but nothing resembling a dam. In the rural mountains of Northern New Mexico water is a precious resource. A challenge to human ingenuity is how to move the water from where you find it to where you need it. Part of the legal or governing answer to this question was the forming of acequias. These are currently codified in New Mexico law, and existed before the Pilgrims got to Plymouth rock. Most acequias were ditches, dug out by the back breaking labor of early settlers, often assisted by essentially the slave labor of Pueblo Indians. But how do you cross a deep gorge without access to money or materials? Here is the answer.

 

[escargome]

Oh wow Dennis. Thank you for the enlightenment. I truly do learn something new each day of my life.

 

[Duffey]

Super neat!

 

[Bina]

Chris was on the "right track". I wasn't thinking that it would be hollowed out logs, I was going more along
the lines of a super deluxe crossing for some type of animal to run across.

 

[hensylee]

I thought it was a ladder to climb to the logs and then walk on across! :<)