MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK

Saturday was a pretty day so we visited Mesa Verde National Park. The entrance to the park was not far from where we are staying, but after you get into the park it is 15 miles just to the visitor's center. It was another 9 miles to the next closest site. Allan took two ranger guided tours to the cliff dwellings. I stayed in the car as the tours included much climbing of steep steps and many ladders.

From 2011-05-22

From 2011-05-22

Before the guided tours we stopped at some sites near the road where I could get out and walk around and observe. These were not cliff dwellings, but the remains of dwellings on top of the mesa. Some were dwellings and some were pits. While they were occupied, the pits were covered but the coverings are now long gone. The ranger said the people that dwelt there were Puebloans. They remained there for 700 years, but in the late 1200's they left the area due to years of drought.

From 2011-05-22

The first ranger led tour was to the most photographed group of dwellings which is called the "Cliff Palace". It was an hour long tour where they walked from the top of the mesa down trails to the Palace area. The cliff dwellers had built their structures in hollow sections of the cliff walls high above the valley floor. From 75 to 85% of the present structures are original. Some work has been done in reconstruction.

From 2011-05-22

From 2011-05-22

The next tour Allan went on was to the "Balcony House". This required climbing down man made stairs and climbing ladders back up to the cliff dwellings.

From 2011-05-22

From 2011-05-22

There was also sections you had to squeeze through narrow passages and get on our hands and knees and crawl through a small tunnel.

From 2011-05-22

They were warmed ahead of time that you had to be physically fit to take the tours. The kivi is a Hopi word for ceremonial room. They are underground chambers comparable to churches. This is where they practiced their religion.

From 2011-05-22

Between 2000 and 2004 the park has experienced several fires which have destroyed about 75% of the stand of trees. Many are still standing, but are dead and burnt.

From 2011-05-22

I am adding a picture of our site showing all the snow melted, which we found on our return from the trip to Mesa Verde National Park.

From 2011-05-22