Page 10 - Volume 15 Number 8

A view of Mesa Verde National Park. Early inhabitants of the area lived on the mesa tops. It was not until around the 12th century CE that they began to move their homes and villages below the mesa tops, into the natural alcoves and ledges on the cliff sides.
Via Mesa Top Ruins Road and the park’s north entrance, you’ll begin your journey back in time.
You can enjoy MVNP with scenic drives and various overlooks, some within walking distance to many archaeological sites and cliff dwellings. Of course, the park has plenty of hiking if you have the time and inclination. The Mancos Valley Overlook is the first point of interest after entering the park. Beyond it, the Morefield Campground provides access to several trails – two easy, 2-mile, out-and-back trails and the Prater Ridge Trail, which is a more challenging 7.8-mile loop. Continuing along this picturesque mountain ridge, stop at the various overlooks to take photos. Wetherill Mesa Road branches into the western reaches of MVNP and provides access to the Step House (the only cliff dwelling you can tour self-guided). Beyond Step House, the 6-mile Long House Loop paved trail provides access to that dwelling (tickets required) and several other sites. However, keep in mind, Wetherill Mesa Road is only open May-September (weather permitting) and is limited to smaller vehicles. Thus, the more popular option (especially for day-trippers) is to continue south to the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum and Spruce Tree House. Adjacent to the museum is several easy trails through canyons leading to ancient petroglyphs. The paved road then branches into two loop drives. The
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Mesa Top Loop takes visitors to several Archaic-era pit houses and villages and the fascinating Sun Temple (all open year-round). Saving the best for last, the Cliff Palace Loop (closed in winter) leads to Balcony House and perhaps MNVP’s most photographed site, Cliff Palace. Both are accessible via ticketed, guided tours only.
Regardless of where your MVNP touring takes you, you’ll have to backtrack to the north park entrance through which you came. During that drive, you are sure to be taking in the scenery while also deep in the awe- struck wonder of what the ancient people who inhabited this area centuries and millennia before were able to accomplish. Their engineering skills were well developed, but their survival skills were acute enough to be willing to abandon their unique dwellings and move on when required. Mesa Verde is teeming with information gained through decades of dedicated research and preservation efforts. Yet, it’s also a collection of endless mysteries that you will carry with you back into Cortez and beyond.
Great Sand Dunes National Park (GSDNP)
From Cortez eastward, it is roughly a 130-mile flight
to reach the San Luis Valley. Along the way, the route passes along the southern reaches of the San Juan Mountains, where extensive soaring activity is common ›
AUGUST 2021