Through the Ute Reservation and onto Mesa Verde June 16 and 17, 2013

We left Four Corners fairly early and the next section of road took us through the Ute Reservation.

We were headed towards the mountains of Colorado and Mesa Verde in hopes of seeing more ancient Indian dwellings

The road into Mesa Verde climbs rather steeply from about 5,000 feet to its highest point of 8,500 feet

 

Jim took this picture so I could see how high I was climbing. I wasn't doing much gawking around.  My eyes were glued to the steep winding road I was navigating.  We went about five miles up in the MH and then left it at our camping site for the night and took the Jeep on up to the top.  Again I was thankful for having gotten Jim his National Park Senior pass. No charge for getting into the park and the camping spot was only $10.00. What a great deal the pass has been, to date it has saved us just over $200.00

 

Here we are almost to the top.

 

 Although there are three cliff houses on Mesa Verde this is the only on we visited. The other two required strenuous climbs. On required a climb up a 32 foot high ladder.  I am sure you all know by now you won't find me doing that.

To reach the cliff house we visited we had to walk down a trail that dropped 100 feet in elevation in less the a quarter mile.  The walk down was like going from one climate to another. Up on top it was hot, dry, and windy.  As we approached the halfway mark we began to notice  the temperature dropping and the brush around us was greener.  The closer we got to the bottom the more the temperature dropped and we began to fell moisture in the air and I could, for the first time in over a month, smell damp earth.

 

Archeologists are actively working this, so while we got to go right up to it, we weren't able to enter the rooms.

 I have to mention again, I just cannot imagine what it took to build these places.  This cliff house is called the Spruce Tree House and is over 900 years old.

 There are several areas similar to the one pictured here. They were originally underground but have been opened up by the archeologists.

 

The two pictures above are of the one room that still remains unopened. The room is probably eight feet deep and you have to keep in mind, this was dug out by hand and then lined with stone and mortar. Pretty amazing!

One the way back down we stopped at several pull offs. This pull off had this lonely dead tree just hanging on the side off the cliff.

 

If you look closely you can just make out the original road bed along the side of this steep hill. It has now been replaced by a tunnel through the mountain.

 

 

I of course had to have one picture of the desert flowers.

 

 

Here we are headed back down Mesa Verde.

 

Next planned stop will be just east of Pagosa Springs, Colorado were we will spend several days at West Fork dry camping (for free) in the San Juan National Forest.