V6N4B

Mesa Verde NP

The second leg of our homeward journey found us at Mesa Verde National Park located a few miles east of Cortez, Colorado. We decided to camp at the Park campground which is unusual for us. While we're traveling we prefer to pay less than $26 per day for an 8X36 foot space to park.

We arrived at Mesa Verde and went immediately to the Visitor's Center to assess our activities for the next day. For us the Cliff Palace Tour seemed to be our best bet over the several selections that were available. Climbing the five 8' ladders didn't seem to faze Sharon in the least, so we paid our $5 fee and we were ready for the next day.

Upon arrival at the Cliff Palace Overlook we wondered if the tour would give us any better view than the one we were experiencing here. Looking into the alcove from about 200 feet above, we had a bird's-eye view of the largest cliff dwelling in the US. We had seen many cliff dwellings in the past but this was spectacularly large. The total structure had been about 85% restored, but the actual size of the original can be clearly seen by the restoration.

As we stood on the overlook we speculated on how we would get down to the structure from where we were at. The obvious route was overlooked because it looked like it led over the cliff. The Ranger that would lead us on the tour warned us about the challenge of this tour and the strenuous nature of the walk. There were several "old" people still willing to make the trip, so we thought it would be a piece of cake. Big mistake.

The trip down, including the first ladder, was very easy. Going downhill always is. We stayed in the structure for about 25 minutes with the Ranger giving us all the information about the 700 year existence of the cliff dwellers and their eventual migration to the Pueblos of Northern Arizona. The methods of construction were very interesting having used the stone and mortar technique of building. The soil around the alcove is very high in clay composition which makes it easy to produce mortar for the joints. The structure itself has many round and square towers rising almost to the 10 story ceiling. Many Kivas (ceremonial rooms) are also present at the location providing proof of the approximate number of persons who had actually lived here. The total number seems to have been around 125. And they lived here for about 700 years before the drought forced them out of their ancestral homes because of the lack of water. The popular theory is that they left the cliff dwellings for Pueblos on the desert, and who are we to argue.

After the visit it was time for the ascent to the upper world. Keep in mind that the elevation of this cliff dwelling is approximately 7500 feet. We would have about 50% of the oxygen that we were used to breathing over the past 5 months. The first part was a ladder which took, us to an upper portion of the structure past a couple of the more than several dozen rooms. We were afforded a peek inside to see the actual size of the rooms. Continuing upward over uneven steps which were cut into the rock the air started to become very thin. Heaving breathing was becoming clearly evident, not just from us, but from everyone. Stopping to "admire the view" was a regular feature of the return trip. The next challenge would be the remaining three ladders which seemed much taller than 8 feet. For me, the last 3 steps of the final ladder were aided by a good yank from God because I had nothing left to climb with. The bench at the top was good for at least a 10 minute rest as the "old" people walked by rolling their eyes at the difficulty of the climb. I nodded as I had the energy for nothing else.

We returned to the car where we ate the lunch that Sharon had made before we left home. But in all honesty I would have eaten liver and onions for the opportunity to sit down.

"MISSING" in Action

The "missing" are National Parks which are listed in my National Parks Book which lists all the 384 parks by state. I am referring specifically to Hohokam Pima National Monument, Yucca House National Monument and Canyons of the Ancients National Park.

Hohokam Pima was an excavation of an Indian Pueblo that was dug up decades ago and then filled in so no evidence of the site remained. We saw pictures of the excavation at the Gila Indian Center just north of Casa Grande, AZ.

The second is Yucca House, and whether it had been excavated we don't know. We found no evidence of such an excavation, and the people who know about the site say it is just a mound of dirt that remains.

Canyons of the Ancients is the last of the "missing" parks. It is presently managed by the Bureau of Land Management but nobody knows exactly where that is, or who to contact.

My question is this: Is the National Park Service using these parks as evidence of their continuing maintenance backlog? We continue to see reports of the Park Service needing money for maintenance, while at the same time building multi-million dollar Visitor's Centers. I shouldn't complain about the Visitor's Centers because I use them. But a lot of people don't, and in some cases pay exorbitant visitor fees. I for one, am waiting for the day I can buy my senior pass to the parks. I hope I haven't seen them all by that time. In that case I guess I'll just have to start over.

D&SNGRR

Having read about the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad in several recreational publications, I had always wanted to take the ride. This year our return trip found us in Durango, Colorado and the train was making winter trips.

Narrow Gauge Railroad means that the rails are 36 inches apart. That's right, 36".(54" is normal) The cars are 8 feet wide and 14 feet high. The balancing act that takes place is equivalent to standing a deck of cards on a stack of quarters. I was amazed that the train never came off the tracks, and I was concerned when it rolled around a corner, hundreds of feet above the Animas River with the cars gently rocking left and right. But let's go back to the beginning.

We left the station in a train that was built back in the late 1800's. The locomotive was belching black coal-fired smoke and an occasional blast of steam that created a mist that you could feel on your face, and see it on your camera lens when the wind was just right. The length of the train extended about 10 cars with 2 observation cars, a snack and beverage car and several passenger cars, along with the Engine and Tender. It chugged and jerked until it reached the blazing speed of 18 miles per hour. It would only maintain that speed for a short time out of the station and then again when it returned. Otherwise it varied anywhere from a few miles per hour to an average of 10-12.

The winter trip only goes as far as Cascade Canyon which is roughly halfway to Silverton. It was approximately 25 miles and it took us 2 hours to reach the canyon. When they arrive, they turn the train completely around and the cheap seats on the way up are now the good seats on the way down. The views from the windows and the observation cars are spectacular. While we haven't seen our pictures and video yet, they should be fabulous.

Even though the weather was absolutely perfect, we discovered a new adult beverage on the trip. It's called an Apple Pie. It's Hot Apple Cider and Captain Morgan Rum. That'll warm you up on a brisk day.

This whole trip was the culmination of a whim and a real escape into the past for one afternoon. On the way down I told Sharon about my amazement of how the train stays on the track and the dynamic involved in completing that process successfully. She thanked me for not bringing it up on the way up the mountain. I knew what she meant.