MONDAY - You may not believe this, but it's true, Tricia didn't take one single photo of our travel day today.
That's mostly because there wasn't much to see along our 27-mile route between campsites, other than the Walmart parking lot where we stopped for a few grocery items.
TRAVEL DAY
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
9
The campsites here at Mesa Verde National Park are nothing special. Some do have water/electric/sewer and are only $25.50 per night with the senior pass.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
9
Even this entrance photo was taken when we drove back down to the Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is 4-miles away and about 900' lower than the campground.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
9
This photo was taken at the Mancos Overlook (elev. 7850'). The town of Mancos is far below.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
9
There is not much snow left on the southern side of the nearby mountains.
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
9
The southern side of Mancos is all residential farmland.
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
9
The long and winding road between the campground and the Visitor Center.
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
9
This peak dominates the ridgeline along the entrance road...
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
9
...but try as I might I can't find out it's name, surely it has one.
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
9
Looking back down towards the park entrance.
TUESDAY - We are wasting no time getting our sightseeing started here at Mesa Verde National Park.
Two weeks ago I reserved two tickets for the Cliff Palace Tour. I selected the first tour of the day at 9:00AM. Two weeks in advance is as far out as they open up reservations for any of the Ranger led tours here in the park.
Without being on a Ranger led tour you're not going to gain access to any of the numerous cliff dwellings here in the park, with the exception of Step House.
We arrived at the meeting spot for the tour about 30-minutes early, a full 15-minutes before they require you to be there for the safety and rules orientation speech.
They only take 50-people at a time down to the Cliff Palace (47 in our group), but they take another 50-people down just 30-minutes later. So by us being the first tour of the day we had the place all to ourselves for almost the entire time.
CLIFF PALACE TOUR
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
31
Cliff Palace has 150 rooms, making it the largest cliff dwelling in North America and is considered the Crown Jewel of Mesa Verde National Park.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
31
Cliff Palace had ongoing construction from 1190 A.D. to 1280 A.D., or almost 750 years ago.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
31
Soon our Ranger will arrive and lead us passed this locked gate and down into the dwelling.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
31
We paused at the edge of the Cliff Palace for a 15-minute presentation with some Q﹠A.
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
31
Tricia was taking photos during most of the entire presentation.
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
31
Somewhere on the far right side is our exit point.
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
31
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
31
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
31
SLIDE NUMBER
10
OF
31
In this photo you can see where the original plaster has fallen off the wall.
SLIDE NUMBER
11
OF
31
The "T" shaped doors and windows were a common form in cliff dwellings of this time.
SLIDE NUMBER
12
OF
31
The three story dwellings seem to reach all the way up to the stone overhang.
SLIDE NUMBER
13
OF
31
Finally we get to approach much closer to the Cliff Palace.
SLIDE NUMBER
14
OF
31
We were able to peer down into a few of the round subterraneum kiva rooms.
SLIDE NUMBER
15
OF
31
It's not until you're standing directly underneath them that you appreciate their size.
SLIDE NUMBER
16
OF
31
SLIDE NUMBER
17
OF
31
SLIDE NUMBER
18
OF
31
We are finally led up to the second level of the dwelling.
SLIDE NUMBER
19
OF
31
Here we gathered around a kiva and again listened to a 15-minute presentation.
SLIDE NUMBER
20
OF
31
SLIDE NUMBER
21
OF
31
From inside the dwelling we could look back up to the overlook platform.
SLIDE NUMBER
22
OF
31
The wooden beams would be used to support the floors above ground.
SLIDE NUMBER
23
OF
31
SLIDE NUMBER
24
OF
31
The Ranger talk was very engaging and kept most everyone's attention.
SLIDE NUMBER
25
OF
31
This is the only interior photo we were able to take.
SLIDE NUMBER
26
OF
31
To think all that rock overhead is held together with nothing but 750 year old mud mortar.
SLIDE NUMBER
27
OF
31
The 9:30AM tour has now entered the far side of Cliff Palace, so it's time for us to leave.
SLIDE NUMBER
28
OF
31
The tour entrance and exit are not along the same route.
SLIDE NUMBER
29
OF
31
The exit route has you climbing 4 of these wooden ladders to reach the top.
SLIDE NUMBER
30
OF
31
I made it out. Now I'm just waiting for Tricia to emerge.
SLIDE NUMBER
31
OF
31
That's the 10:00AM tour getting their safety speech over on the overlook platform.
Our Cliff Palace Tour was finished by 10:00AM and we still have some more sites we'd like to check out before it gets too hot later this morning, SO LET'S GET GOING!
The Cliff Palace Loop Drive is 6-miles long and there are several other pullouts around the loop that we'd like to check out.
CLIFF PALACE LOOP DRIVE PULLOUTS
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
16
The first pullout on the loop, beyond Cliff Palace, is the Canyon View Overlook.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
16
It's easy to see why they named it Canyon View. There are four cliff dwellings visible from the overlook, if you know how to spot them.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
16
This one is called "House of Many Windows", even though most of the openings are doorways.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
16
A closer view of "House of Many Windows" (15 rooms and 1 kiva).
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
16
The next location is simply called "Site 634".
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
16
I guess they ran out of clever names when they got to this one.
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
16
This cliff dwelling is called "Sun Point".
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
16
Appropriately named thanks to it being in the sun more often than other nearby dwellings.
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
16
This one is called "Mummy House" (12 rooms and 2 kivas).
SLIDE NUMBER
10
OF
16
I'm not sure how they came up with Mummy House for this one's name.
SLIDE NUMBER
11
OF
16
The next stop on the loop had a direct and more complete view of House of Many Windows.
SLIDE NUMBER
12
OF
16
SLIDE NUMBER
13
OF
16
SLIDE NUMBER
14
OF
16
SLIDE NUMBER
15
OF
16
Can you spot the "Hemenway (not Hemingway) House" cliff dwelling in this photo?
SLIDE NUMBER
16
OF
16
HINT: Always look for the largest alcove just below the rim of the canyon.
Also on the Cliff Palace Loop Drive is a site called the Balcony House, but it can't be viewed from any overlook along the Loop Road like all the others. That's because it's located on the canyon wall directly below the roadway.
It can be viewed up close while on a Ranger led tour, but we didn't sign up this tour, not after reading this trail description:
On this one-hour tour to the Balcony House, you will climb a 32' wooden ladder, crawl through an 18" wide by 27" tall tunnel extending 12' in length, plus climb up a 65' open cliff face with 31' of steep uneven stone steps and two more 18' wooden ladders to the exit.
That doesn't sound plausible for either of us, defintely not me!
Fortunately we don't have to do any of that just to observe the Balcony House from a distance. There is a 1.25-mile long trail nearby that leads to an overlook on the opposite side of the canyon from the Balcony House. That's sounds more like something we would enjoy, so we've planned it for early tomorrow morning.
Right now I need to drop Tricia back off at THE POD and head into town for a 1:30PM appointment at the auto repair shop to have them try to figure out why ROVER is getting so "hot under the collar" when towing THE POD uphill. I sure hope they find something wrong so we can get it fixed before heading even higher up into the Rocky Mountains over the next few weeks.
WEDNESDAY - We got an early start this morning, not as early as we would have liked, but still early enough to spot a little bit of wildlife in the campground.
When I say "little bit" I mean "LITTLE bit". This doe was crossing the campground road in front of us as we were leaving the campground and moments later a LITTLE fawn came out of the brush and followed it's mother up into the brush on the other side.
I can't imagine this tiny little fawn is more than a week old.
Even with the LITTLE distraction when leaving the campground we were still the first ones to arrive at the trailhead at 8:30AM this morning.
SODA CANYON OVERLOOK TRAIL WITH A BALCONY HOUSE VIEW
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
17
The trail is .5-mile long meander out to a point on the Chapin Mesa.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
17
At the end of the .5-mile trail is going to be a .25-mile loop with three overlooks.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
17
We haven't seen any benches, so this rock looks like a good place to stop on the way out.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
17
It wasn't long before we were approaching the first overlook.
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
17
Can you spot the Balcony House? Remember what I taught you about how to spot them!
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
17
That's right, it's way over there under that huge alcove.
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
17
Balcony House has 38 rooms with 2 kivas and is the best preserved site in the park.
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
17
Quite a few of the timbers used in construction are still intact.
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
17
SLIDE NUMBER
10
OF
17
Here you can see the "double wide" ladder used to climb up into the dwelling.
SLIDE NUMBER
11
OF
17
This is the first of two overlooks featuring Soda Canyon. If you look over your right shoulder there is another view of Balcony House.
SLIDE NUMBER
12
OF
17
On the right hand side of the photo you can better see the "double wide" ladder. On the left hand side you can see the final ladder returning you to the parking lot up on top.
SLIDE NUMBER
13
OF
17
The third overlook features views up and down Soda Canyon.
SLIDE NUMBER
14
OF
17
On the opposite ridge you can also see the result of a devastating wild fire.
SLIDE NUMBER
15
OF
17
We spotted this First Aid kit hidden in the woods just off the trail. It was locked, but I'd bet there were probably a few hundred feet of climbing rope inside to aid in rescues.
SLIDE NUMBER
16
OF
17
As usual, nothing left to do but head back to the parking lot.
SLIDE NUMBER
17
OF
17
The cactus appear to be trying to bloom, but it's awfully dry up here on the mesa.
Less than an hour later we were back at the trailhead after completeing the 1.2-mile hike. This hike finishes up our exploration of the Cliff Palace Loop Road and now we're ready to cross over to the nearby Mesa Top Loop Road and see what there is in store for us there.
MESA TOP LOOP ROAD OVERLOOKS
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
51
Something new are the appearances of "pit houses" in addition to the cliff dwellings.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
51
This "pit house" was constructed around 600 CE and would have housed an entire family.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
51
Pit Houses predate the appearance of cliff dwellngs by over 500 years.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
51
This is the view from the Navajo Canyon Overlook.
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
51
If we zoom in on that alcove over there what do you think we'll find?
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
51
Another cliff dwelling of course!
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
51
Looking south from Navajo Canyon you can see all the way down to New Mexico.
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
51
The next stop is the Square Tower Overlook. Once again a short walk is required to see it.
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
51
You can just make out ROVER peeking through in between the trees.
SLIDE NUMBER
10
OF
51
Now you understand why a short walk is required to see Square Tower House.
SLIDE NUMBER
11
OF
51
The 27' tall, four-story Square Tower House is the tallest dwelling in the park.
SLIDE NUMBER
12
OF
51
It is estimated that 90% of this dwelling is still of original construction.
SLIDE NUMBER
13
OF
51
Many of the original timbers and interior plastered walls are visible.
SLIDE NUMBER
14
OF
51
The next stop included more pit houses built between 700-950 CE (Common Era).
SLIDE NUMBER
15
OF
51
The round hole on top is where fresh air was drawn into the covered pit house. The standing stone in front of the floor vent was used to deflect the air and force it to circulate around the room.
SLIDE NUMBER
16
OF
51
This pit house contains a bi-level design...
SLIDE NUMBER
17
OF
51
...whereas this pit house has two separate rooms.
SLIDE NUMBER
18
OF
51
This round room served as a kiva (ceremonial space).
SLIDE NUMBER
19
OF
51
SLIDE NUMBER
20
OF
51
This site also has some above ground early pueblo style homes.
SLIDE NUMBER
21
OF
51
SLIDE NUMBER
22
OF
51
SLIDE NUMBER
23
OF
51
These next few photos are of the Sun Point Pueblo.
SLIDE NUMBER
24
OF
51
They show several rooms connected by underground tunnels.
SLIDE NUMBER
25
OF
51
SLIDE NUMBER
26
OF
51
SLIDE NUMBER
27
OF
51
The cliff dwellings across the canyon are collectively called Oak Tree House.
SLIDE NUMBER
28
OF
51
Oak Tree House could be more accurately be called a cliff village.
SLIDE NUMBER
29
OF
51
What it lacks in depth it makes up for with length.
SLIDE NUMBER
30
OF
51
The next stop are the Fire Temple and New Fire House dwellings.
SLIDE NUMBER
31
OF
51
This is the Fire Temple House with the large flat space for outside gatherings.
SLIDE NUMBER
32
OF
51
SLIDE NUMBER
33
OF
51
SLIDE NUMBER
34
OF
51
This is the New Fire House cliff dwelling. Notice the detached two level construction.
SLIDE NUMBER
35
OF
51
Not much is known about the 4' thick walled Sun Temple.
SLIDE NUMBER
36
OF
51
The extra thick walls required plaster on the tops to aid in water runoff.
SLIDE NUMBER
37
OF
51
These runoff areas created recesses in the rock base.
SLIDE NUMBER
38
OF
51
What we see here today is all reconstructed to imitate what was used 750-years ago.
SLIDE NUMBER
39
OF
51
Oddly no roof beams or household goods were found at this site.
SLIDE NUMBER
40
OF
51
The interior is made up of 24 rooms of various sizes and shapes.
SLIDE NUMBER
41
OF
51
None of the rooms ever had a roof, possibly indicating construction was never completed.
SLIDE NUMBER
42
OF
51
This detached 4' thick wallled circular space also had no roof?
SLIDE NUMBER
43
OF
51
Located on a side loop road is where you'll find the Spruce Tree House.
SLIDE NUMBER
44
OF
51
Unfortunately tours of the Spruce Tree House were suspended indefinately back in 2016.
SLIDE NUMBER
45
OF
51
The reason, safety concerns related to rock falls from the alcove above.
SLIDE NUMBER
46
OF
51
It a shame because with only a half mile round trip paved trail required to gain access to the dwelling it was the "easiest" dwelling in the entire park to visit.
SLIDE NUMBER
47
OF
51
With a little assistance it was even considered wheel chair accessible.
SLIDE NUMBER
48
OF
51
It's been nine years since the dwelling was closed to the public...
SLIDE NUMBER
49
OF
51
...so I doubt it will ever be open again to up close visits.
SLIDE NUMBER
50
OF
51
These photos were all taken from the back porch of the Ranger's Office.
SLIDE NUMBER
51
OF
51
You can get a little bit closer by hiking down the trail a short distance, but the views don't really improve any from what you can see from up above.
As we were heading home after a full morning of hiking and sightseeing we came over the highest point in the park and had a long view of the road back home.
There is a pit tiolet on the side of the road out in the middle of nowhere. During this week we have passed by this particular toilet many times and have never seen a single car pulled over in the large parking lot. So we were surprised when we saw a half dozen cars far down below in the lot.
It wasn't until we came around the final switchback that we realized why they were there, certainly they didn't all have to use the restroom at the same time.
It's only fitting that if we start our morning with a wildlife sighting, that we finish it with another.
Tricia took these photos as we drove past the horses at 35MPH.
THURSDAY - While we were in Hawaii one of the modifications we had done on THE POD was to change out the "frosted" privacy glass on our door to "clear" tinted glass, just like all the other windows on THE POD.
It's a popular modification that a lot of Airstream owners do and today it paid off. If we still had the frosted glass this photo would not have been possible.
We would have had to open the door and that would have instantly sent the deer running away.
Today we have some chores and activities planned for outside of Mesa Verde National Park.
It's once again time to get my prescription medications renewed. It's a problem when you're fulltime on the road and usually spending a week or less in any one location.
Today I lucked out when I saw a doctor at a walk-in clinic who understood my predicament.
During our first 3-4 years on the road every doctor I saw was more that willing to write me a 90-day extension on my meds after giving me a cursory examination. For the last 3-4 years most doctors are reluctant to write me prescriptions for anything more than 30-days.
That means that every month I have to find a clinic, fill out all the paper work as a "new" patient, and worst of all pay the office visit fee of $150 to have them ask me a bunch of questions after a nurse takes note of my height, weight, pulse and blood pressure.
Then the doctor comes in and looks over the meds I'm currently taking, sometimes they check my breathing with their stethoscope, before asking me why I don't just call my Primary Care Physcian back home.
I then try to explain that I don't currently have a PCP because I've been traveling for the last seven years and don't make it back to Florida every year. This time I actually do have an appointment with a new PCP for a full check up, but that's not until just after New Years.
Then the doctor surprised the heck out of me and wrote me a 90-day prescription with 3-refills. Effectively that's a 270-day (9 months) prescription that will take me well beyond my appointent in January. This doctor just saved me over $1000 in office visits between now and January.
The office staff phoned in my prescriptions to the only Walmart Pharmacy in town and they should be ready to be picked up after we go on a little sightseeing adventure.
I mentioned in our previous post that our route had us traveling though a section of the Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, but we didn't stop and therefore did not count it as a visited National Monument.
That all changes today as we are headed 10-miles north of Cortez, CO to the Canyon of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum. That alone doesn't count as a visit to the Monument, even after watching two short documentary films and exploring the museum filled with artifacts collected from the numerous monument ruins.
Nope, we are headed another 25-miles northwest of the Visitor Center to a site called the Lowry Pueblo, which in 1965 was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The Visitor Center and Museum has an impressive solar array running the entire building.
Outside the Museum is this "big cat" sculpture adorned with Puebloan style artwork.
The flower beds out front are planted with Apache Plume, native to this area.
LOWRY PUEBLO
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
9
Original construction began at the Lowry Pueblo site over 1000 years ago.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
9
It is believed that the site then underwent a half dozen separate "remodelings and additions".
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
9
You are allowed to enter a few of the rooms, but there wasn't much to see.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
9
This doorway leads to a view of the interior of one of the kiva rooms.
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
9
A roof was eventually constructed over the main building to preserve it.
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
9
Otherwise all the walls could've crumbled to the ground like these two did.
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
9
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
9
A short distance away is a separate round kiva space.
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
9
From here it was just a short walk back to the parking lot.
After visiting the Lowry Pueblo we drove the 35-miles back south to Walmart to pickup my prescriptions, $15 for a 90-day supply, such a bargin. Everything at Walmart went smoothly, it doesn't always happen that way, and then we were off to head back to the campground.
Five miles before the exit we needed to take to enter the National Park the sherrif's department had the road blocked in both directions and was making everyone make a u-turn and head back towards town.
When I got up to the front of the line I rolled down my window and asked the sheriff what was going on. He informed me there was a bad accident and the road would be blocked for another hour to hour and a half.
I asked him about a detour around the accident to get to the National Park entrance and was told it was too complicated and that we'd likely get lost.
Denny Lake Park, complete with a dog park and bathrooms.
We made the u-turn like everybody else and then went to fill up ROVER's gas tank and get something cold to drink, now that we had a little time to kill. We then pulled into a little city park just 3-miles from the roadblock and found a shady spot under some trees to wait out our time.
We couldn't see the roadblock from our parking spot, but we could monitor the traffic in both directions on the closed highway. After an hour I saw what seemed like normal traffic going in both directions on the highway in front of us, so we pulled out and once again headed home.
One thing we did do while waiting was to check Google Maps to see how difficult the detour would be to travel. It was then we regretted not taking the detour right away as my dear wife had suggested. When we got to the front of the line again, before making the u-turn, I confirmed with the sheriff that Highway 184 was the road I needed to reach to get into the National Park from the other side.
Then we set off on the 40-mile detour, rather than wait another estimated hour to hour and a half for the road to open.
We were about 5-miles into the detour when the traffic came to a standstill and police cruisers were flying around us towards the head of the backup. When we got to a crest in the road we could see that both sides of the road were blocked ahead and nobody was getting around yet another accident. So we made another u-turn and now that Plan B has been aborted it's time to move on to Plan C, which involved some less traveled residental streets and some minor, poorly paved county roads that would bring us over to the desired Highway 184.
Plan C wasn't any longer of a detour than Plan B was, just slower with more turns (creating plenty of chances to get lost).
When we finally arrived at the intersection of Highway 184 and US-160, the road with the major accident, I put on my right turn signal and got into the turning lane. Someone stepped out in front of us with a reflective jacket and portable STOP sign. He asked where we were headed, so I assumed the road is still blocked.
We told him the National Park entrance and he said we should be fine and let us then make the right hand turn. It was quite a while later, but we did eventually make it home. We were glad to be off the road before we became invovled with all the craziness going on today.
SUNDAY - We took the last two days off from sightseeing so I could get started on this blogpost and not fall too far behind.
Today we are exploring the last section of the park we haven't seen yet, the Wetherill Mesa Road. The end of the road, where most of the sightseeing is, measures about 23-miles from the campground.
The road is closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, and is limited to vehicles under 25' in length and less than 8000-lbs. ROVER is only 20' long and just about 7500-lbs with both of his passengers onboard. Famous last words? We should be fine!
Still, I'd be willing to bet we see at least one 26' long and 12,000-lb. Class C "rental RV" at the end of the road today.
THE STEP HOUSE (A SELF GUIDED TOUR)
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
18
This time being early didn't pay off. We arrived at 8:30AM to find the trail closed.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
18
But right at 9:00AM they opened the gates and 8 people went flying passed us.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
18
We were in no hurry and I bet we were the only ones to spot this squirrel.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
18
Coming around a corner we could see the exit trail from the dwelling site...
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
18
...but we could also see all the big white bags blocking the trail?
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
18
So no one has come back out, so we kept moving forward.
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
18
There were several pithouses that predate the cliff dwellings by several hundred years.
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
18
This one even had a reconstructed roof to give us an idea of what it may have looked like.
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
18
It required quite a bit of wood and mud to create the pit house roofs.
SLIDE NUMBER
10
OF
18
There were ladders to climb to reach the second and third levels of the dwelling.
SLIDE NUMBER
11
OF
18
This is a first for us, petroglyphs in a cliff dwelling.
SLIDE NUMBER
12
OF
18
The Ranger told us they were probably made years before by the pithouse inhabitants.
SLIDE NUMBER
13
OF
18
I learned today that the elevated positions around the edge supported roof beams.
SLIDE NUMBER
14
OF
18
This tower appears to be barely still standing.
SLIDE NUMBER
15
OF
18
This is how they supported the second and third story floors.
SLIDE NUMBER
16
OF
18
I've seen enough! Let's head out of here, it's a long and steep half mile back to the top.
SLIDE NUMBER
17
OF
18
I told you there would be at least one oversized and overweight RV down here. The only thing I was wrong about is this is not a rental, they should know better.
SLIDE NUMBER
18
OF
18
There are two other cliff dwellings to see out here at the end of Wetherill Mesa Road, but they are a little longer hike and one of them has to be reserved in advance.
With our morning hike completed it's time for us to head back down this 23-mile side road to the main park road.
There are several pullouts along the roadway and we'll stop at most of them to basically just "see what there is to see".
Like this little archway in the rocks. It wasn't noted on any of the info boards.
Find a big enough alcove and there's bound to be a dwelling tucked up in there.
As far as the eye can see...
Those snow capped mountains over there are the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains.
Just a few of the varities of roadside wild flowers we saw this week.
There is one more location along the main park road that we haven't seen yet, so we're headed over there now.
This location has been name the "Far View Sites" and consists of six excavated sites that began being studied as far back as 1916.
FAR VIEW SITES
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
16
The Far View House in the center of this village was by far the largest building, with 40 rooms on the ground floor and an estimated 30 more rooms on a second floor.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
16
Exterior doorways lead directly through several rooms before reaching the center kiva.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
16
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
16
This exterior kiva appeared deeper than most of the others we've seen.
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
16
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
16
This wall shows the full depth of the Far View House.
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
16
Can you see the wall in the foreground bulging outward? No doubt due to the weight of the second floor pushing down upon it.
SLIDE NUMBER
8
OF
16
This entire corner of the building looks a little bit unstable.
SLIDE NUMBER
9
OF
16
Even with these three foot thick walls you can only put so much weight on them.
SLIDE NUMBER
10
OF
16
The second building here in the center of the village is the Pipe Shrine House.
SLIDE NUMBER
11
OF
16
In 1922 the Smithsonian Institute excavated this site and found a dozen highly decorated tobacco pipes in one of the kivas, along with small carved stone figures and pottery.
SLIDE NUMBER
12
OF
16
This photo shows just how close these two community buildings were.
SLIDE NUMBER
13
OF
16
In the back center of the Pipe Shrine House is a single stone carved with a spiral in it?
SLIDE NUMBER
14
OF
16
SLIDE NUMBER
15
OF
16
SLIDE NUMBER
16
OF
16
This building too was not short on interior rooms.
A few more roadside wild flower photos on our way to our final overlook.
We may not have saved the "best" for last, but we did save the "highest" for last.
PARK POINT ELEVATION 8572'
SLIDE NUMBER
1
OF
7
Just a quarter mile up this steep pathway will bring you to an elevation of 8572'.
SLIDE NUMBER
2
OF
7
This fire observation tower is located at the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park. During the summer monsoon months of July-Sept it is an actively manned post.
SLIDE NUMBER
3
OF
7
A few more steps will bring you to a Southern Overlook where you can deep into the park.
SLIDE NUMBER
4
OF
7
You can also see several of the winding roads that facilitate visiting the park.
SLIDE NUMBER
5
OF
7
SLIDE NUMBER
6
OF
7
SLIDE NUMBER
7
OF
7
The Northern Overlook has a commanding view of the Rocky Mountains.
The Morefield Campground is located 4-miles inside the Entrance Station of Mesa Verde National Park and this tunnel is 1-mile passed the campground.
As you pass through the tunnel there is a feeling of entering another world, where ancient cliff dwellings and even older pit houses and pueblos still exist.
We spent an entire week here at Mesa Verde National Park and if you plan a visit I suggest you do the same, there is just so much to see and do here. Mesa Verde National Park is also 1 of only 19 U.N.E.S.C.O. (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Sites located in the Lower 48 states, that too should let you know just how special this place is!
Looking for our Visited States Map and Data? How about our State by State Bucket Lists or Visited Campgrounds List? If so, click on the sign below to be taken to our other website.
The campsites here at Mesa Verde National Park are nothing special.
Even this entrance photo was taken when we drove back down to the Visitor Center.
This photo was taken at the Mancos Overlook (elev. 7850'). The town of Mancos is far below.
There is not much snow left on the southern side of the nearby mountains.
The southern side of Mancos is all residential farmland.
The long and winding road between the campground and the Visitor Center.
This peak dominates the ridgeline along the entrance road...
...but try as I might I can't find out it's name, surely it has one.
Looking back down towards the park entrance.
Cliff Palace has 150 rooms, making it the largest cliff dwelling in North America
Cliff Palace had ongoing construction from 1190 A.D. to 1280 A.D., or almost 750 years ago.
Soon our Ranger will arrive and lead us passed this locked gate and down into the dwelling.
We paused at the edge of the Cliff Palace for a 15-minute presentation with some Q﹠A.
Tricia was taking photos during most of the entire presentation.
Somewhere on the far right side is our exit point.
In this photo you can see where the original plaster has fallen off the wall.
The "T" shaped doors and windows were a common form in cliff dwellings of this time.
The three story dwellings seem to reach all the way up to the stone overhang.
Finally we get to approach much closer to the Cliff Palace.
We were able to peer down into a few of the round subterraneum kiva rooms.
It's not until you're standing directly underneath them that you appreciate their size.
We are finally led up to the second level of the dwelling.
Here we gathered around a kiva and again listened to a 15-minute presentation.
From inside the dwelling we could look back up to the overlook platform.
The wooden beams would be used to support the floors above ground.
The Ranger talk was very engaging and kept most everyone's attention.
This is the only interior photo we were able to take.
To think all that rock overhead is held together with nothing but 750 year old mud mortar.
The 9:30AM tour has now entered the far side of Cliff Palace, so it's time for us to leave.
The tour entrance and exit are not along the same route.
The exit route has you climbing 4 of these wooden ladders to reach the top.
I made it out. Now I'm just waiting for Tricia to emerge.
That's the 10:00AM tour getting their safety speech over on the overlook platform.
The first pullout on the loop, beyond Cliff Palace, is the Canyon View Overlook.
It's easy to see why they named it Canyon View.
This one is called "House of Many Windows", even though most of the openings are doorways.
A closer view of "House of Many Windows" (15 rooms and 1 kiva).
The next location is simply called "Site 634".
I guess they ran out of clever names when they got to this one.
This cliff dwelling is called "Sun Point".
Appropriately named thanks to it being in the sun more often than other nearby dwellings.
This one is called "Mummy House" (12 rooms and 2 kivas).
I'm not sure how they came up with Mummy House for this one's name.
The next stop on the loop had a direct and more complete view of House of Many Windows.
Can you spot the "Hemenway (not Hemingway) House" cliff dwelling in this photo?
HINT: Always look for the largest alcove just below the rim of the canyon.
The trail is .5-mile long meander out to a point on the Chapin Mesa.
At the end of the .5-mile trail is going to be a .25-mile loop with three overlooks.
We haven't seen any benches, so this rock looks like a good place to stop on the way out.
It wasn't long before we were approaching the first overlook.
Can you spot the Balcony House? Remember what I taught you about how to spot them!
That's right, it's way over there under that huge alcove.
Balcony House has 38 rooms with 2 kivas and is the best preserved site in the park.
Quite a few of the timbers used in construction are still intact.
Here you can see the "double wide" ladder used to climb up into the dwelling.
This is the first of two overlooks featuring Soda Canyon.
On the right hand side of the photo you can better see the "double wide" ladder.
The third overlook features views up and down Soda Canyon.
On the opposite ridge you can also see the result of a devastating wild fire.
We spotted this First Aid kit hidden in the woods just off the trail. It was locked,
As usual, nothing left to do but head back to the parking lot.
The cactus appear to be trying to bloom, but it's awfully dry up here on the mesa.
Something new are the appearances of "pit houses" in addition to the cliff dwellings.
This "pit house" was constructed around 600 CE and would have housed an entire family.
Pit Houses predate the appearance of cliff dwellngs by over 500 years.
This is the view from the Navajo Canyon Overlook.
If we zoom in on that alcove over there what do you think we'll find?
Another cliff dwelling of course!
Looking south from Navajo Canyon you can see all the way down to New Mexico.
The next stop is the Square Tower Overlook. Once again a short walk is required to see it.
You can just make out ROVER peeking through in between the trees.
Now you understand why a short walk is required to see Square Tower House.
The 27' tall, four-story Square Tower House is the tallest dwelling in the park.
It is estimated that 90% of this dwelling is still of original construction.
Many of the original timbers and interior plastered walls are visible.
The next stop included more pit houses built between 700-950 CE (Common Era).
The round hole on top is where fresh air was drawn into the covered pit house.
This pit house contains a bi-level design...
...whereas this pit house has two separate rooms.
This round room served as a kiva (ceremonial space).
This site also has some above ground early pueblo style homes.
These next few photos are of the Sun Point Pueblo.
They show several rooms connected by underground tunnels.
The cliff dwellings across the canyon are collectively called Oak Tree House.
Oak Tree House could be more accurately be called a cliff village.
What it lacks in depth it makes up for with length.
The next stop are the Fire Temple and New Fire House dwellings.
This is the Fire Temple House with the large flat space for outside gatherings.
This is the New Fire House cliff dwelling. Notice the detached two level construction.
Not much is known about the 4' thick walled Sun Temple.
The extra thick walls required plaster on the tops to aid in water runoff.
These runoff areas created recesses in the rock base.
What we see here today is all reconstructed to imitate what was used 750-years ago.
Oddly no roof beams or household goods were found at this site.
The interior is made up of 24 rooms of various sizes and shapes.
None of the rooms ever had a roof, possibly indicating construction was never completed.
This detached 4' thick wallled circular space also had no roof?
Located on a side loop road is where you'll find the Spruce Tree House. 
Unfortunately tours of the Spruce Tree House were suspended indefinately back in 2016.
The reason, safety concerns related to rock falls from the alcove above.
It a shame because with only a half mile round trip paved trail required
With a little assistance it was even considered wheel chair accessible.
It's been nine years since the dwelling was closed to the public...
...so I doubt it will ever be open again to up close visits.
These photos were all taken from the back porch of the Ranger's Office.
You can get a little bit closer by hiking down the trail a short distance,
Original construction began at the Lowry Pueblo site over 1000 years ago.
It is believed that the site then underwent a half dozen separate "remodelings and additions".
You are allowed to enter a few of the rooms, but there wasn't much to see.
This doorway leads to a view of the interior of one of the kiva rooms.
A roof was eventually constructed over the main building to preserve it.
Otherwise all the walls could've crumbled to the ground like these two did.
A short distance away is a separate round kiva space.
From here it was just a short walk back to the parking lot.
This time being early didn't pay off. We arrived at 8:30AM to find the trail closed.
But right at 9:00AM they opened the gates and 8 people went flying passed us.
We were in no hurry and I bet we were the only ones to spot this squirrel.
Coming around a corner we could see the exit trail from the dwelling site...
...but we could also see all the big white bags blocking the trail?
So no one has come back out, so we kept moving forward.
There were several pithouses that predate the cliff dwellings by several hundred years.
This one even had a reconstructed roof to give us an idea of what it may have looked like.
It required quite a bit of wood and mud to create the pit house roofs.
There were ladders to climb to reach the second and third levels of the dwelling.
This is a first for us, petroglyphs in a cliff dwelling.
The Ranger told us they were probably made years before by the pithouse inhabitants.
I learned today that the elevated positions around the edge supported roof beams.
This tower appears to be barely still standing.
This is how they supported the second and third story floors.
I've seen enough! Let's head out of here, it's a long and steep half mile back to the top.
I told you there would be at least one oversized and overweight RV down here.
There are two other cliff dwellings to see out here at the end of Wetherill Mesa Road,
The Far View House in the center of this village was by far the largest building,
Exterior doorways lead directly through several rooms before reaching the center kiva.
This exterior kiva appeared deeper than most of the others we've seen.
This wall shows the full depth of the Far View House.
Can you see the wall in the foreground bulging outward?
This entire corner of the building looks a little bit unstable.
Even with these three foot thick walls you can only put so much weight on them.
The second building here in the center of the village is the Pipe Shrine House.
In 1922 the Smithsonian Institute excavated this site and found a dozen highly decorated
This photo shows just how close these two community buildings were.
In the back center of the Pipe Shrine House is a single stone carved with a spiral in it?
This building too was not short on interior rooms.
Just a quarter mile up this steep pathway will bring you to an elevation of 8572'.
This fire observation tower is located at the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park.
A few more steps will bring you to a Southern Overlook where you can deep into the park.
You can also see several of the winding roads that facilitate visiting the park.
The Northern Overlook has a commanding view of the Rocky Mountains.
