In May 2008, the week after I retired, Jeff and I headed to the Bandelier Wilderness for a few days of backpacking. It was a 13 hour drive straight through. We spent the first night at a campground, the 2nd night alongside the stream that runs through the canyon where many of the ruins are, and the 3rd night on Mesa de Rito. It rained much of the 3rd night and rather than make a wet camp a few miles from the ranger station we packed out a day early. The trip is described in my journal at http://ckjournal.blogspot.com/