Cliff Dwellings of Mesa Verde

This is the fairly new Visitor's Center at Mesa Verde, where we spent 3 days camping. They did a great job of framing the mesa between the roof sections of the building so it hits you square on when you arrive.

The weather was very unusual for this time of year - early August. We've been lucky because the rainy weather has also been cooler than usual. We had several thunder and lightening storms and periods of rain, both short but heavy and light but constant. If you are leaving on a ranger-guided tour of a cliff dwelling and there is lightening, the group can only depart for the tour if there is more that a 30-second delay between lightening and thunder. We only got delayed one time, but walked a couple of miles in cold rain to get to and from Long House cliff dwelling. It was worth it though!

there were also lots of low-hanging clouds in the valleys

Most of the previously forested areas of Mesa Verde National Park look like this. There have been many lightening-caused fires in the last several decades and about half the park is still recovering slowly from these fires. It takes many decades for pinyon and juniper forest to even begin to grow back to their former size. 

If you've ever been to Mesa Verde you recognize this type of cliff dwelling, built and occupied by the Ancient Pueblo around the years 1200-1300 AD. The little group of tourists gathered around a kiva on the right side gives an idea of the size of the cliff dwelling. This one had about 120 rooms. 

Here's another closer view. All built without anything but stone and wood tools. No metal for building or cooking or anything else. 

Steep and narrow stairways

And sometimes the stairways were slick with rain. These even, solid concrete stairs are great for visitors to the cliff dwellings. I don't know how the original occupants managed to scramble up and down the cliffs. As one ranger pointed out, often the women were pregnant and carrying water or other bundles on their heads, with another little one on their backs. The average longevity was about 30 years. Half of the kids died before age 5. 

Well-worn wooden ladder descending into the one kiva (ceremonial room) that the Pueblo permit to be viewed by visitors 

Some cliff dwellings can only be visited in a tour group led by a ranger.  This ranger - Brian - was excellent. He let the two sisters here help him lead the group. One would wear his ranger hat and lead us up a ladder and then pass the hat to the other sister for the next climb. These kids were great throughout the whole 3 hours we were with them.

We learned a LOT about plants, shrubs and trees that the Ancient Pueblos used for medicine, making tools and clothing, and for cooking in general. Prickly pear, rice grass, gambol oak, yucca, etc.

Now we're in Durango Colorado and we love it here. A wonderful town! I'm at the library doing this and it's time to go back to the campsite - more later...