This morning, as with yesterday morning, the highest peaks, and some of the lower ones, are shrouded in clouds. Yesterday it was cold and drizzly, today the world is powder sugared. Yesterday I thought about postponing my trip up to Mesa Verde, but after checking the weather, it seemed like it may be the best of the next three. So, to Mesa Verde National Park.

If you cut a fairly large tree off flat just above the ground, then roughed up the top of the stump with a chain saw until it’s covered with grooves, you’d have in a relative sense, Mesa Verde. Then if you had an Act of Congress and made some boundries you’d have Mesa Verde National Park.

This sculpture, of a cliff dweller scaling a rock face with a basket, is in the entrance patio of the Park Visitor Center.  From this Wanderer’s point of view, this is very powerful work.

While driving the roads in Mesa Verde National Park sometimes you are driving up on the very top of the tabletop. At other times you are down in the canyons worn into the mesa over centuries. There are some stunning vistas from up on the mesa, I just don’t happen to think they make good photos, but that’s just me.

The Ancestral Pueblo People, whom I’ve written about from site blogs all over the SW, were never more evident than on Mesa Verde. Many archeologists think that at the height, this area of SW Colorado, may have had more people living here then than there are today.

Mesa Verde has some of the most extensive, and extensively preserved, ruin areas in the entire four corners area.  Archeological evidence clearly demonstrates an era with large Kiva communities on top of the mesa, and then moving down to become cliff dwellers.  On Mesa Verde the cliff dweller era lasted only about a couple of generations, 75 years give or take.  By 1300 they were all gone.  Sound familiar?

Some of the cliff dweller sections on Mesa Verde have trails that go down closer to the sites.  Unfortunately due to lack of Rangers, (these paths are Ranger guided only), or slippery conditions they weren’t open on this day.  Shortly before I took this last photo it was 45 degree sleet.

Meanwhile, back on Saturday morning, ……  Remember, this post started on Saturday morning?  So, speaking of sleet, I’ve been doing laundry and working on this blog while the conditions outside have been moving through, drizzly, a snow shower, although that would imply just a little bit of sun, and light rain. There is no sun and it’s 38.  All in all, a great day for reading and napping. 🙂