Day 15 - Mesa Verde to Bluff, Utah
The first part of our day was within the Park. Leaving the Lodge we followed the Wetherill Mesa Road to Wetherill Mesa. We back tracked to Mesa Top Ruins Road taking the Spruce Tree Loop, then the Oak Tree Loop and finally the Cliff Palace Loop before heading out of he Park to connect with US 160. Google Map
Leaving the Park we turned west on US 160, north on State Hwy 145, west on State Hwy 184, north on US 491, west on Road BB, south on Colorado County Road 10/Utah County Road 212 into Hovenweep National Monument. Leaving the Monument, we continued west on County Road 212/County Road 413 (Reservation Road) west on Belitso Road (Reservation Road) west on County Road 5099 and County Road 262 to US 191 where we turned south to Bluff. Google Map
Mesa Verde National Park
Mesa Verde National Park, established in 1906, protects the rich history and well-preserved archeology of the Ancestral Puebloan people, who inhabited the mesa from around 550 to 1300 CE.
It preserves over 5,000 known archeological sites, including mesa-top villages, farming terraces, reservoirs, pictographs and petroglyphs, towers, and cliff dwellings. These cultural sites are some of the most notable and well preserved in the United States. These sites are sacred ancestral homes and often visited by Mesa Verde's 26 affiliated tribes.
We drove the loops slowly and stopped at most of the pullouts to view the historical markers and overlook the cliff dwellings. Most of the dwelling could be seen from the highway or a very short walk to the overlook. Mesa Verde Park Map
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| Cliff Dwelling Life (Historical Marker Database) |
Cliff Dwelling Life
There are about 600 alcove sites in Mesa Verde National Park. About 90 percent contain fewer than 11 rooms. At least one-third are simply one room structures, probably storage rooms for a nearby cliff dwelling.
There are only about a dozen cliff dwellings that contain 40 or more rooms, including Oak Tree House. Historical Marker Database
Wetherill Mesa
The first half of the road is twists and turns in and out of nine steep-sided valleys, generally running just below the crest of the great ridge finally straightening and running along a narrow mesa.
Wetherill Mesa was named after Richard Wetherill (1855 - 1912), an archaeologist and explorer of Ancient Puebloan sites. The access road ends at a large parking area where a tram used to take people to several overlooks and trailheads. Unfortunately, the tram was discontinued in 2015, so the 4.9 mile loop is only accessible by foot or bicycle.
There are five major ancient sites on Wetherill Mesa - Badger House on top of the plateau, Step House accessible by a self-guided trail, Long House viewed from an overlook, and Nordenskiold Site 16 and Kodak House which are inaccessible and only glimpsed from viewpoints.
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| Step House (American Southwest) |
Step House
The Step House alcove provides clear archeological evidence of two separate occupations—a Basketmaker III pithouse community dating to early 600s CE, and a Pueblo III masonry pueblo dating to the 1200s.
BM III sites are difficult to locate within alcoves because of later cliff dwelling activity. Because the Step House pueblo was built on the south end of the 300-foot long alcove, it left at least part of the BM III site undisturbed. The Step House alcove contains six known Basketmaker III pit structures and a Pueblo III masonry pueblo with 27 rooms and 3 kivas. Step House - National Park Service
Chapin Mesa
The majority of the viewable ruins and cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park are found on Chapin Mesa, as are most visitor facilities. The access road is open all year.
Including the various loops the road is 14 miles long and passes dozens of overlooks, several short paths, two longer trails and three dwellings open to the public - Cliff Palace, Balcony House and Spruce Tree House.
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| Oak Tree House (Wikipedia) |
Oak Tree House
Oak Tree House is one of the larger cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde. It contains at least 60 rooms. The well-built stone masonry walls supported multiple stories. The alcove itself was sometimes used as a roof for upper rooms.
Oak Tree House has six kivas. Kivas were surrounded by several adjacent rooms. Each kiva and set of rooms may have been used by an extended family. Oak Tree House - Historical Marker Database
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| Cliff Palace (Wikipedia) |
Cliff Palace
Although silent today, Cliff Palace is a reflective reminder of a people who settled among these cliffs, canyons, and mesa tops for a time, and then migrated to establish new communities and neighborhoods further south. Here, for 700 years, they passed their skills, traditions, artistry, and knowledge from generation to generation.
With at least 150 rooms and 23 kivas, Cliff Palace is an exceptionally large cliff dwelling. It was constructed in a very special location, surrounded by a vibrant, active community. Several features suggest it was an important gathering place, perhaps an administrative or governmental center for the Ancestral Pueblo society that centered around these canyons. Cliff Palace - Historical Marker Database
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| Wildfire Damage on Chapin Mesa (Wikipedia) |
Mesa Verde Wildfires
During the years 1996 to 2003, the park suffered from several wildfires. The fires, many of which were started by lightning during times of drought, burned 28,340 acres - more than half the park.
The fires also damaged many archaeological sites and park buildings. The fires destroyed two rock art sites and nearly destroyed the museum.
After the Chapin V, Bircher and Pony fires, 593 previously undiscovered sites were revealed. Also uncovered during the fires were extensive water containment features, including dams, terraces, and reservoirs. Mesa Verde Fires
McElmo Creek Flume - Hwy 160
The McElmo Creek Flume was in use from the 1890s to the 1990s, carrying water for over a hundred years. After it was abandoned, it remained in good condition until 2006, when a flash flood carried debris into the trough and damaged the wooden top.
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| McElmo Creek Flume (Wikipedia) |
Deterioration continued rapidly after that, and the Flume was in danger of collapse. McElmo Creek Flume - Historical Marker Database
Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum - Dolores
We stopped at the Visitor Center and Museum. It is an archaeological museum of Native American pueblo and hunter-gatherer cultures. Two 12th-century archaeological sites, the Escalante and Dominguez Pueblos, at the center were once home to Ancient Pueblo peoples. The museum's permanent and special exhibits display some of the 3 million Ancestral Puebloan artifacts. The center also houses a public research library, educational resources and a museum shop. Visitors Center and Museum - BLM
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, administered by the BLM, protects 176,056 acres of archaeologically-significant landscape. President Clinton established the Monument by Presidential Proclamation on June 9, 2000. As of 2005, over 6,000 individual archeological sites had been identified within the monument.
During the Developmental Pueblo period (AD 750-1100) buildings were built with stone, windows facing south, and in U, E and L shapes. They were located closely together and reflected deepening religious celebration. Towers were built near kivas and likely used for look-outs. Pottery became more versatile, including pitchers, ladles, bowls, jars and tableware for food and drink. White pottery with black designs emerged. Water management and conservation techniques also emerged during this period.
During the Great Pueblo period (AD 1100 to 1300) the buildings were larger pueblos or villages on top of the pit-houses. The Pueblo dwellers were farmers and hunters. They grew beans, corn and squash and raised turkeys. They also made and decorated pottery. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument - Wikipedia
Hovenweep National Monument
Hovenweep National Monument, administered by the National Park Service, spans the Utah/Colorado Border. President Warren G. Harding established the Monument by Presidential Proclamation on March 2, 1923.
There there is evidence of occupation by hunter-gatherers from 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. A succession of early puebloan cultures settled in the area and remained until the 14th century.
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| Hovenweep Dark Sky Park |
Hovenweep Dark Sky Park
Hovenweep enjoys dark, natural night skies on account of its geographic isolation in a part of the U.S. that has a very low population density.
Its Gold-tier – the darkest of the three tiers – skies afford both a respite from the busy, everyday life of populated areas, and a natural nighttime experience. The monument management has taken steps to ensure these qualities endure for many years to come.
The Monument is largely known for the six groups of Ancestral Puebloan villages - Cajon Group, Cutthroat Castle Group, Goodman Point Group, Holly Group, Hackberry and Horseshoe Group, and Square Tower Group. The Visitor Center is located at Square Tower Group.
The Square Tower Group contains the largest collection of ancestral Puebloan structures at Hovenweep. The remains of nearly thirty kivas have been discovered on the slopes of Little Ruin Canyon, and a variety of other structures are perched on the canyon rims, balanced on boulders and tucked under ledges. It's possible that as many as 500 people occupied the Square Tower area between 1200 and 1300 CE. Hovenweep Map
Hovenweep Wildlife
The common collared lizard named for it's distinct coloration, can grow up to 8–15 inches in total length (including the tail), with a large head and powerful jaws. Males have a blue-green body with a light brown head. Females have a light brown head and body. However, when reproductively active during breeding seasons, females undergo a rapid color change, in which faint orange spots on their heads increase in brightness.
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| NPS photo by Jacob W. Frank |
Collared lizards are active during the day, and spend most of their time basking on top of elevated rocks or boulders. As a highly territorial species, they remain hyper-vigilant, scanning for predators or intruders, ready to sprint or fight when necessary.
Generally, males engage in more chase, fight, display, and courtship behaviors than females. In captivity if two males are placed in the same cage they will fight to the death.
Bluff, Utah
It feels like we are home when we arrive in Bluff. First things first, we got ourselves settled in at the Desert Rose. Desert Rose Inn started with 5 Executive Cabins on the west side of Bluff in 1997. In 1999, they proposed a project of building a 30 room lodge and conference facility. Now they have expanded with a new courtyard lodge and restaurants. National Geographic - Desert Rose Inn
Twin Rocks Cafe and Twin Rocks Trading Post
Time for dinner at the Twin Rocks Cafe. Twin Rocks Cafe is open year round for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu features many traditional Navajo delights, homemade soups, salads, quiche, and vegetarian selections.
Founded in 1989, Twin Rocks Trading Post has become one of the most influential art galleries in the Southwest. Internationally known for working closely with local Native American artists to inspire new techniques and design motifs, when it comes to Southwest art, Twin Rocks Trading Post is quite literally at the intersection of tradition and innovation. The gallery specializes in Navajo basketry, the Twin Rocks Modern style of rug weaving, and gem-quality turquoise. National Geographic - Twin Rocks Trading Post
Moki Dugway - Hwy 261 Utah
"Moki" is a local term for the ancient Puebloan people who inhabited the Colorado Plateau. "Dugway" is a term used to describe a roadway carved from a hillside. The Moki Dugway Scenic Backway is a stretch of Highway 261 in Utah where the blacktop turns into a dirt road that drastically switches back and forth down the side of a cliff at an 11% grade.
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| Moki Dugway - Hwy 261 (2008) |
This unique stretch of road, which has literally been carved from the face of the cliff, connects Utah Highway 95 with US Highway 163.
Along the dugway route are places to pull out and get a fantastic views of Valley of the Gods and the San Juan River Canyon, where the stripes of different colored rocks create what is known as the "Navajo Tapestry". If you look off to the horizon, you can even see Monument Valley.
The Moki Dugway was constructed in 1958 as a route for transporting mined materials from Fry Canyon to a processing mill in Mexican Hat, Utah. This stretch of Utah Highway 261 is part of the "Trail of the Ancients".
 Post Note - Day Fifteen:
How totally accommodating of the National Park Service to provide us with a special edition"Virtual Stamp" for Hovenweep National Monument. Maybe we are not the only crazy people doing virtual trips during Covid. NPS Virtual Visit The picture of the collared lizard was in the wildlife section of the NPS website. Karen is always catching pictures of creepy crawlies so it just seem appropriate that she would find this colourful character on our visit to Hovenweep. Hovenweep is our last Ancient Ruins site. I'm officially done with cliff dwelling and ruins. As fascinating as they are, they are starting to be quite repetitious. If I'm feeling this way "virtually" I can only imagine that at some point in the last few days we have looked at each other and said "let's scrap the rest of this and go play on Hwy 261" - so that is exactly what we are doing. Although I'm getting anxious to bring this trip to an end and head home, we still have a few areas to explore. Tomorrow we will head to Canyonlands National Park and will stay in Moab two nights. |
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