Day 16: Mesa Verde National Park

“The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.” –  Marcel Proust

Hello all!  My intentions today were to head north up to Silverton in order to do the Ice Lakes trail.  But after reading a few reviews of the hike in the last week or so, it sounded like there was quite a bit of snow up high still and the possibility to get to the lakes was slim.  Afternoon thunderstorms were also supposed to roll through, so I thought it better to head south to Mesa Verde National Park, where the weather was not supposed to get bad.

I must say I had no idea that I was even near Mesa Verde National Park, nor had I ever even heard about it.  I also didn’t know what was in it or what to expect, but I was amazed when I got there.  I had always heard about cliff dwellings and seen pictures, lucky for me, I got to see them today.

So I strolled into the park and got the lay of the land from the rangers.  Unfortunately, all of the tours were sold out, but I was given a self-guided tour to some of the most popular sites and best lookouts to see all of the old villages in the cliffs from above.  They were spectacular, nothing I had ever seen before, and I am so fortunate to have decided to visit this National Park.  Here are some of the pictures.

What was astounding to me was that besides the main buildings that are still intact, when you looked out onto the surrounding cliffs you could see what was left of many buildings. It was as if every crack was filled with artifacts and old buildings. Not to mention that along many of the drives were preserved sites of buildings before people moved into the cliffs.

After strolling the museum for a little bit and seeing all of the old dwellings, I thought it was time to get a little hike in. I settled on the Prater Ridge trail. There is a North and South Loop. You can combine the two to do a hike just under 10 miles, or do the North for just under 6 miles, or South for I think about a 4-mile hike. I decided to just do the North Loop. You gain slightly over 600 ft at the beginning to get to the top, where it levels off. The hike itself was pretty bland, but there were some overlooks that provided a great view, oh and a few lizards.

Another great find on this trip. I think Mesa Verde is a must see just to for the historical aspect. While you can get your miles in hiking, that would not be the primary reason I would go. Once again, another amazing day! Tomorrow I pack up and head to Phoenix to visit some family. It will give me a few days to get off my feet until I head off to Sedona. I know I said this in yesterdays blog but I want to say it again. I most likely will not be doing any hiking while in Phoenix but I want to blog every day this trip. So if you have any suggestions on topics you want to hear about please let me know. Tomorrow will be another driving blog, but after that, I am hoping to write about some things I have been thinking about this trip. As always hope all is well where ever you are and happy adventuring!