There's a ice cave in Southern Colorado Sangre De Cristo Mountains that the Ute Indians used to store meat in way back in their day. I wouldn't be surprised if the Navajo used the ice cave there in N.M. for the same. Anybody know if that is the case?

Hi Scott! The owners of the Ice Cave NM (my grandparents Dave and Reddy Candelaria) found evidence in the 1940s-60s that the Ancient Pueblo Indians (ancestors of the Hopi, Zuni and Acoma) used our cave about 800-1200 years ago. There were hockey sticks in the cave and Anasazi pottery in the surrounding lava beds in crevices. As far as the Navajo are concerned, they did know about the cave and volcano, naming them Sheep's Hogan and Winter Lake, but as far as we know they viewed the lava beds as taboo and wouldn't hike through them frequently - which we speculate is why their enemies, the peaceful Pueblo tribes, made them their home for a short time. That's just speculation though, whether or not the Navajo used the cave as well is uncertain but it's possible.

Your assumption is probably spot on. But no one knows for sure, due to the lack of record keeping.