This area is mis-named as "Whiskey Creek" in English. Locals call the area Béésh Naha daas in Navajo, which describes knives falling one after another. The mesa itself is a volcanic neck that has columned sides. When water from snow melt flows from the top of this mesa, it knocks off slabs of rock that fall down like knives. For this reason, I call the mesa "Falling Knives Mesa" because I like the way it sounds.
Water from this mesa flows into Whiskey Creek, which turns it black from the lava rocks it flows over. For this reason, the creek is called Tó Dihi (Black Water) in Navajo. Since Tó Dihi is also another name for whiskey, it is translated as Whiskey Creek on maps.
Béésh Nahadaas sits between two peaks called Séí Heets'osí Bika' (Male Slender Cone) & Séí Heets'osí Ba'áád (Female Slender Cone). Séí Heets'osí Ba'áád sits north of Béésh Nahadaas, closer to Wheatfield's Lake, while Séí Heets'osí Ba'áád sits to the south. It is said that when Béésh Nahadaas totally wears down due to weather where Séí Heets'osí Bika' & Séí Heets'osí Ba'áád "see" each other, this world will end. Béésh Nahadaas is also the home of the "snake with horns" that loggers occasionally see.
To the south of Béésh Nahadaas is another range of mountains called So' Silá, which translates to "Stars Lying Down." When Hailey's Comet (So' Bitsee' Nineezí) was first seen by Navajos, crystals were placed on this mountain every year after its appearance. This is how they learned it returned every 76 years. Navajos used to bring crystals to the top of this site, until some time ago they were all stolen.
The valley south of So' Silá shown in the picture below is where the monster Déélgééd, the Monster With Horns, was killed by Naayéé' Neizghání (Monster Slayer).
|
