Amazing Mesa Verde

Standing among the cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park, you can almost feel the presence of the ancestral Puebloans that occupied these amazing spaces.  Perched high on the cliffs of skyrocketing mesas, the dwellings are a masterpiece of human ingenuity and skill.  Although none of the sites are fully recovered, it is still possible to imagine how the structures functioned.  With expert craftmanship molding and carving the stone to near perfect fit, the dwellings utilized nature to its best advantage.

We ended up in Mesa Verde after Arches having bypassed the Needles section of Canyonlands when our great friends from Boise decided on an impromptu road-trip to join us.  Before leaving Ken’s Lake, we hiked to the “waterfall” that feeds the reservoir.  Originating from a pipe running through the mountain from a spring on the other side, the waterfall was not only beautiful but fascinating.

The day slightly less arid than the preceding days, we had a comfortable ride out of Utah and into Colorado.  Needing a few extra supplies with company coming, we stopped in Cortez, CO just in time to be stopped by a parade (the origin of which we still don’t know!!!).  After fuel, groceries and much-needed laundry, we headed up the steep slope to the Morefield Campground at Mesa Verde to set up camp.

What a treat to have Christine and the boys join us!  They arrived late and we had chili waiting just in time to beat the chill settling in with the setting sun.  After dinner outside, we huddled around the RV table for a game of “golf” that we played repeatedly when sailing together in the Bahamas years ago.

The next day, we headed out early for our first cliff dwelling tour at the Balcony House.  With stairs, ladders and tunnels, we worked our way into our first Puebloan experience.  To imagine the inhabitants living and working in these surroundings fascinating.  Each space is intricately planned and utilized from the ceremonial kiva to the grain storage high above, from the unique water capture system to the cooking fire space.  Each block used to create the structure was individually formed and where extra mortar was required, chips of stone or even cobs of corn were used for stabilization.

After Balcony house, we hit another challenging trail to view the area petroglyphs and stopped for our picnic before hitting our second tour of the largest dwelling, the Cliff Palace.  Again, we found the same amazing cliff-side community but on a grand scale where they expect over 150 people lived!  On top of wandering through the rooms and imagining days past, we enjoyed the amazing views before heading back to the campsite.

The night brought delicious barbeque, a campfire with marshmallows and another rousing game of golf and we retired ready to wake early to head to the second mesa and final cliff tour of the Long House.  This dwelling is guessed to be the spiritual gathering place of the area with less living area and 21 ceremonial kivas being the main focus.  Taking an hour to hike to the area and another steep descent, it was again unique although our guide seemed to be proficient in one words explanations and, on that front, we felt a little disappointed.

The final chapter was to hike to the Step House, the only cliff dwelling where you can view the space without a tour.  The Step House was the only one with a pit house in it.  These were the structures used on the mesa before the people moved down the cliff face.  I guess that would make it an older structure.

All of the sights being seen, Christine, Logan and Cole headed down the road for Canyonlands, Arches and home and we regrouped back at the campsite.  Having reserved the site for three days, we spent the day getting ready for the balance of our Colorado adventure. 

Before heading down the road, the next morning Rob did the “daily maintenance” (think fill water tanks and drain “the other” tanks) while I took advantage of yet another nearby trail.  Being further down the mesa, I was enchanted when I hiked around a bend and found a view of the entire valley and surrounding range and continued to be amazed at how an entire population managed life on the sheer cliffs.

On the road again, we set turned the map to the Durango area and a day of more surprises and delights, thankful for what had happened and excited for what was yet to come.