Travelogue with Photos and Cursory Explanations Continued

Mesa Verde Cliff Dwellings At some point, the ancestral pueblo peoples moved from the mesa tops to below in sheltered alcoves. Most likely it was for protection, as the Ute and Navajo peoples started encroaching on their territory. These were very defensible spaces, but I can’t begin to imagine how much work it was to build them. Huge stones were shaped and brought up the cliff faces, then big timbers had to be hoisted somehow. After they were built, they still had to descend using ladders and tricky footholds carved into the rock to grow their crops, hunt, and bring up water.

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  Dwellings on both levels! A bit of a trip to visit neighbors.

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  Cliff House?

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  Look closely for this site. Hint: check the next photo…

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  Some rooms were carved right into the rock. The access to this site defies imagination.

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  Spruce Tree House
  

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  Square Tower House
  

Mesa Verde Cliff-top Ruins A thousand years ago the ancestral people had a thriving culture. Kivas were the hub of the community; specific clans held religious rituals that kept the world in working order. The Hopi believe that this is the fourth world; they had been preserved from prior destruction’s in various ways. Most recently, they emerged from being sheltered underground by the Ant People through a Sipapu, which is represented by one of the holes in the floor of the kiva.

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  What did everyday life look like here?

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  Doorway to the past.

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  This area was not open to visitors, but I could climb on a rock to see what I was missing. The circular structures are kivas.

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  The spiral represents the Hopi journey to the four corners of this world, ending up in the Four Corners area.

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  What does this one mean?

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  This area held Metates for grinding corn with a round stone called a Mano. Teeth were worn down from chewing rock dust in the cornmeal from this process.

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  Well-preserved Kiva.

Desert Gardens Fall in red rock country has its beauty, but for me, I’ll take the spring. This is tough country in which to survive, much less thrive.

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  Claret Cup Cactus

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  Penstemon with fire-burnished tree

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  Fire-felled trees make picturesque borders

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  Prickly Pear Cactus

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  50 years after the fire, the remains are sculptural

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  This stone bowl reminds me of Moqui Marbles – sandstone balls cemented by iron oxide minerals.

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  Rocks, fires, death and rebirth.

Snow Canyon State Park This was supposed to have been Zion National Park, but it’s so popular, no one goes there anymore. We drove through Zion, and identified off-the beaten-path opportunities for next time, but just couldn’t face the hot, crowded shuttles leading to crowded attractions. So, we checked out opportunities near our condo in St. George, UT, and found a promising lead. Checking it out, it was the perfect way to end the exploration part of our road trip. Red rock galore! We found a promising hike, but someone (probably a local, not wanting to share with outsiders) removed the cemented in cairns that marked the most confusing part of the trail. No worries, next trip we will allow more time – I’m positive we can route-find on our own to the connecting trail.

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  We are SO happy that we BOTH love hiking in red rock country!

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  This is where my boots want to wander

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  Sere, serene sandstone sends a siren call to stay and explore

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  Room to roam here

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  Distant vistas beckon

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  Why, yes, this IS the trail!

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  Next time we will find a route down to the bottom!

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  Bones of the earth laid bare

Well, that’s it! Like so much in life, the trip didn’t always go as planned or as we initially hoped, but it was a beautiful, wonderful trip. And now we’ve gotten to share it with you!