Mesa Verde Pictures

Trying to get caught up here seems like a long time ago we were in Mesa Verde. We had left the Grand Canyon a day early booking a spot near our next stop at Mesa Verde.  Really near the next stop, we booked a night at the Mesa Verde KOA which is about 12 miles out from the campground we had booked in Mesa Verde National Park at the Morefield Campground.  The kids were excited by the prospect of WiFi but this KOA's wifi wasn't up to par with what they had experienced in San Antonio so no fortnite for them. But there was a pool so we went swimming and cooled off.  It was still pretty hot here in Cortez just outside Mesa Verde.  But the next day when we went up into the mesa to that campground it got nice and cool in the evening and we were able to sleep without the air conditioning.  It was glorious, I broke out my flannel in the evening and morning and had a couple of campfires. A morning campfire really is my all time favorite. 

So it was a quick stop a day of rest in the KOA then a couple nights in Mesa Verde.  We did some sight seeing and a day was enough to take in all the sights.

Mesa Verde cliff dwellings 

Marcus at the KOA pool.  Was a small pool but 8 feet deep and a good way to beat the heat of the day.

View from a turn out just down the mesa from our campground.  Only place we could get internet or make a call.  

Pit house

Marc was excited about the pit houses. He had learned about them in school a couple years ago and proved he pays attention at times as he had all kinds of info about them he shared.

View of the square tower

Zoomed in view of the square tower

More modern pit house they had different eras and could see how there construction methods improved over the years

Trail to the step house

Signs of past fires along the trail. On the Mesa Verde drive they had the name and date of various fires so it was interesting to see how long ago it burned and how much had or had not come back

Becky and Marcus found a little overhand along the trail

At the bottom of the trail

Had a restoration of a pit house at the bottom

Finally a ladder we could climb. Tickets were sold out for all the tours and we heard you get to climb through some so were happy to get a little taste.

 

 

Now the hike back out

 

 

I took a solo hike our last evening in Mesa Verde. Was just a couple of mile trail called Knife Edge that was off the campground. It was a easy mostly flat hike with great views.

Got a little close to the edge in some places earning it's name but mostly had plenty of buffer

Me

View of the Ute Mountains at the end of the trail

End of the line, but the whole trail seemed like it could be slide area. There where huge rocks that you could see where they came down from the cliff above and looking up you could see some that looked ripe to come on down at anytime.

Finally able to have another fire.  Since the beach fire we had at Padre Island I haven't been able to have one because of burn bans.  And with the blazing heat wouldn't have wanted one anyway.