Thursday, 30th September 2010
We drove into the Mesa Verde National Park and walked up onto the Prater Ridge, a climb of 500 feet. We followed the 7.8 mile loop around the ridge and back to the Campground. There were some good views of the Prater Canyon and the Montezuma Valley but there was little variety of terrain or scenery. We then travelled to various outlooks to view the undercliff dwellings, including Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde's largest cliff dwelling.
Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular
look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for
over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to A.D. 1300. Today, the park protects over 4,000
known archaeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some
of the most notable and best preserved in the United States. Elevations in the
park range from about 6,100 to 8,400 feet. The terrain in much of the park is
dominated by ridges and valleys running roughly north and south.
Early morning at the Baymont Hotel . . .
where we have great views from our room
The Prater Ridge Loop Trail . . .
climbs 500 feet and winds to the south . . .
along an easy path . . .
overlooking Prater Canyon
The tree provides welcome shade for a short break
before we continue on along the ridge . . .
which exhibits many dead trees
Looking down onto the Montezuma Valley . . .
and more dead trees
Nina, Geoff and Sean choose a good spot for lunch
Another tree - this one with something wrapped around its trunk . . .
could it be a snake!!!? No, just fungus
Towards the end of the trail the San Juan mountains feature in the distance
Cliff Palace is on the agenda for tomorrow
The information board shows us that . . .
this dwelling is aptly named . . .
and just visible in the top right corner - we spot a nest
It is thought that because neither household goods nor roof beams were found by archaeologists at Sun Temple, the symmetrically planned "D" shaped building was never completed.
A number of dwelling are to be found on each side of this canyon