Have you ever experienced something and didn't want it to end? Welcome to my experience at Mesa Verde, Colorado.
A view from the Lodge at the top of one of the Mesas. Rain came and went at the turn of a corner!
Long House, the first cliff dwelling ruin I toured. Turns out these Pueblo people only lived in these cliff-side structures for 100 years of 750 in this region.
A view from inside Balcony House. These round rooms, Kivas, had a flat roof back in the day. The people used them for ceremonies and crafting. The rooms behind were either where people slept or stored things...depends if there were remains of fire present or not.
Below: Cliff Palace - the largest of the 600+ cliff dwellings on site! I must admit, after seeing this one I was a bit ruin-saturated...needed more riding!
Views from the road. Getting around these Mesas required dozens and
dozens of hairpin turns. It was a true pleasure to look through every
turn up here at ~7,000 feet. I travelled almost 200 miles in the park during the two days I was there.
Before I left home a fellow at the camping store told me his favorite part of cross country trips is the people he meets along the way.
This was particularly true for me when I met Ranger Kaitlyn: Hardcore enough to keep rambunctious children off 800-year-old walls, tender enough to make people weep with her tour narratives and who's love of forests and cold weather is arguably greater than mine!
http://rangerkaitimay.com/
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