Mesa Verde - A Trip To The Past

Yesterday was supposed to be a nice clear day - never trust the weatherman! We began our two hour drive to Mesa Verde in partly overcast skies. At least it wasn't raining and really didn't look like it was going to either. At least the weatherman had that part correct.

Our drive took us through Shiprock, NM., north to Cortez, CO., and then east to Mesa Verde Natl. Park. There is a big rock that reaches 7000 feet into the sky in Shiprock and it is call, of course, Shiprock. I attempted to get a picture, but our highway turned away from it, and then there was a morning haze, but it is kind of interesting anyway. On our drive north toward Cortez, CO., we passed Chimney Rock. I again attempted to get pictures, but why, oh why do they always put the telephone and electric wires on the side of the road that is scenic? Anyway, on our return from Mesa Verde, I did get pictures of Chimney Rock and Shiprock at sunset. As always, pictures are at http://picasaweb.google.com/SchultzTravelPhotos

We arrived at Mesa Verde late morning after a very pleasant, scenic drive. We passed through the entrance gate and discovered that we would be climbing close to 3000 feet to get to the ruins - wow, we thought we were done with this uphill, zig-zag road thing - not!

The drive to Far View where the visitors center is was really a pretty drive even though it was full of curves. Again, like the drive to the top of Pikes Peak, the road, in many places, clung to the side of mountains. In one or two of my pictures you can see how they shored up the road to keep it from sliding down the mountain. At Far View, we stopped to check out the museum and small gift shop. I was able to get some pictures of jewelry displays inside the museum. They are labeled which tribe created them. Far View visitor center is where you purchase any tickets you may want for the ranger lead tours to specific ruins. We opted not to take any of these tours as they involve a good bit of hiking. Instead we decided on the driving tour.

Our first stop was at Far View Sites. From A.D. 900 to 1300, it was one of the most densely populated parts of the mesa. Nearly 50 villages have been identified within a half square mile area, home to hundreds of people. Here we viewed Far View House which had 40 rooms on the ground floor and a unknown number on the second floor. There are five kivas here, four in the structure and one outside. Kiva is a Hopi word for ceremonial room - here underground chambers that may be comparable to later churches. Ancestral Puebloans may have used kivas for healing rites or to pray for rain, luck in hunting or a good crop. They were also gathering places and sometimes used for weaving. A Kiva consisted of six main items - a ventilator, bench, air deflector, fire-pit, sipapu and pilaster. Entry was by ladder.

Next door to Far View House was Pipe Shrine House, so named due to the dozen decorated clay pipes found on the floor of the large kiva. There are 20 rooms on the ground floor and there may have been a second floor here also.

We did a short hike to Far View Tower. This consisted of three kivas, 16 small one-story rooms and the tower. Nearly 60 round towers have been found at Mesa Verde, but their function has yet to be discovered.

From Far View Sites we drove on to Mesa Top Loop, a 6 mile loop that gives you great views of Cliff Canyon. First we stopped at the Pithouse. These where occupied by the first Ancestral Puebloans know as Basketmakers for their skill at the craft. They lived in pithouses from about 550 to 750. The pithouse featured a living room sunk a few feet in the ground. Four corner timbers supported the roof. The firepit had a air deflector. An antechamber most likely contained storage bins or pits. The sipapu was a hole for passage to the underworld, from which the people had come. Pithouses later evolved into kivas.

Next stop on the loop was at Navajo Canyon View. A beautiful deep canyon that makes me wonder how these people got around. I sure couldn't picture me climbing these walls!

From here we drove to points where we finally got to view some of the cliff dwellings. I'm going to do Mesa Verde in two parts since there was so much to this National Park. I'll be posting more later today about our adventure in Mesa Verde so check back.