Mesa Verde
National Park
Visited by McDowell Family: June 3-9, 2017
Mancos, Colorado
Established June 26, 1906 President Theodore Roosevelt
established Mesa Verde National Park to "preserve the works of man,"
the first national park of its kind.
Tent camped at Mancos State
Campground, 7 nights
First off, it’s a cuesta. Not a mesa.
cues·ta
ˈkwestə/
noun
GEOLOGY
1. a
ridge with a gentle slope (dip) on one side and a steep slope (scarp) on the
other.
me·sa
ˈmāsə/
noun
1. an
isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides, found in landscapes with horizontal
strata.
I didn’t know there was any such thing, but now I see them
everywhere!
And if anyone wants to recreate these amazing lodgings in the
side of the canyon walls, we will gladly book a stay with you. They are so
amazing. All inclusive, water seeps right from the walls, warm and/or cool when
needed, amazing views. They’re a little tough to navigate to by having to climb
up and down steep paths and tall ladders.
And their “doors”? More like windows, tiny windows. These were a
little people. It was very entertaining to watch my 6’4” husband try to
maneuver the openings.
BTW, the “ancestral puebloans” is now the politically correct
term for the ancient people who lived there long ago. They no longer say
“Anasazi”. The term “Anasazi” means “enemy of the natives”. These guys weren’t
enemies! They were easy-going, creative and intelligent. There doesn’t appear
there to be any aggressive behavior in their history at all. They were even
vegetarians, surviving mainly on corn and beans.
These people intrigued us quite a bit. Why did they move into
the cliffs? Why did they stay only 100 years? Where did they really go? We
spent some time around the campfire discussing these interesting questions and
developing our own hypotheses.
My theory is that they got really bored of eating only corn and
just had to move on to find a new crop. We tried listing corn dishes, but
something tells me they didn’t have corn chowder or corn frites? My husband
thinks that they wore out the soil and entered a time of famine.
While in Mesa Verde, don't be fearful of the tours with kids
(they do sound scary). Instead, be one of the very few who go beyond just
staring at the park from above and actually descend down into it.
Participate in the tours, read the history, go to the Ranger’s
presentations, camp in the park. Learn all you can. It brings it all to life.
This goes for all of the parks. By doing this, our lives have been enriched
already.
We spent two days in the actual park.
The first day we explored the views of the dwellings from the rims while we
waited for our tours to begin. We toured Cliff Palace and Balcony House.
Balcony House was by far, our favorite. The second day we explored Weatherill
Mesa by bike. We took the 6 mile loop and explored the ruins on the mesa tops.
It was hot. But, a fairly easy and short ride.
Andrew decided he would like to live in
the cliff dwellings. They would make a very fascinating airbnb listing, that's
for sure. The small tunnels and 32 foot ladder climbs may be a slight deterrant
to some, however. But don't let those things stop you from visiting with small
kids.
If you've been to Mesa Verde, what is your favorite memory? I will never forget climbing that 32-foot ladder side by side with my son. It was nerve wracking and yet, here we survived!
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| Our first National Park, 58 to go! |
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| Cliff Palace |
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| View of Cliff Palace from above |
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| Cliff Palace |
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| That's my rear end on the right and Drew is on the left climbing a 32 foot ladder in Balcony House. |
