SEA STAR TRAVEL LOG: "THE GREEN TABLE " MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK July 27-31, 2011

Mesa Verde

The Green Table. Mesa Verde National Park, COLORADO.

“On a snowy December day in 1888, while ranchers Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason searched Mesa Verde’s canyons for stray cattle, they unexpectedly came upon Cliff Palace for the first time. The following year, the Wetherill brothers and Mason explored an additional 182 cliff dwellings.”

“ June 29, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt established Mesa Verde National Park to "preserve the works of man," the first national park of its kind. Today, the continued preservation of both cultural and natural resources is the focus of the park's research and resource management staff.”

Mesa Verde preserves the artifacts and homesites of early Indian settlers, the Ancestral Pueblans, formerly referred to as Anastasi People, and others who came after. These people lived and farmed the high mesas (therefore the name Green Table) of the four corner region of what is now Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. Three groups are represented there; the very earliest people were called the Basket Weavers but they were not the builders of the cliff dwellings. The following NPS website explains the history.
(if you choose to check the link, you will navigate from this blog-I don't know how to insert the site and bring you back to blog without reloading)

National Park Service - Mesa Verde

Puebloans and their world

They left behind the interesting sandstone brick homes, bricks made one at a time and buildings to as tall as three stories in height, and more questions than the scientists or Park Rangers can answer. Through ongoing research by archeologists and scientists, Rangers try to dispel myths- one of which concerns the difficulty of Ancestral Pueblan lives and in the same vein, the need for protection from other marauding tribes. While walking the cliff house dwellings with a Ranger we are told these were probably non-warlike people; farmers who despite the lack of steady sources of water and too hot or too cold climate, coped well with their environment. Due to archeological finds of decorated basketry and sophisticated pottery, it is assumed they had access to trade and leisure time.

Our visit included climbs and long walks to three major Cliff Dwellings in the park, Balcony House, Cliff House and Long House- fabulous ruins and examples of the larger dwellings built, some with over 150 rooms. The Rangers say the houses are not reconstructed in any way but “stabilized” by a few metal beams and monitored. As the homes fall, and they do, the old beams are saved and the hand- made bricks piled and saved.

In Mesa Verde there is a comprehensive museum to assist the visitor in understanding what can be ascertained about people who lived so long ago. Beside the artifacts; tools, clothing (surmised from current practices of today’s Indians), in 1930 during the Civilian Conservation Corps maintenance in the park, artists completed large dioramas to demonstrate what the lives of the three groups of early peoples’ might have been like. Dan and I found the museum information; explanatory movie, the exhibits of brick making, use of naturally occurring grasses and foods to enhance the enjoyment of the park.

There are two paved roads throughout the park that allow visitors to access the hikes and visit exhibits. After a day on the east side of the park, Balcony House, Cliff House and views, we camped in the park and decided to see the Long View House. Few tourists visit the western part of the park where Long House is located, so we decided that was the place we should ride to. The road would climb up to the top of the mesa in a series of hairpin switchbacks, so it would be fun if there were little traffic. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the locked gate to Wetherill Rd. rather early there were already some cars in line. We kinda worked our way forward so Dan could immediately follow the Rangers as they drove up to the site of Long House. Actually, Dan wheeled to the front of the line of visitors, then slipped in line behind the woman Ranger who was driving. Whahoo! She proceeded to wind her way up the mountain at a perfect speed for us to wind up at a reasonable speed behind her, both of us leaving the waiting cars and pickups behind.

When the others arrived we all rode a shuttle bus for a short trip to the path to Long House and we hiked behind the Ranger down the winding paved path to the cave dwelling; Long View House. He told us about the use of yucca for shoes, and basketry and that a yucca fiber rope of 900 ft. length had been found at LVH. He pointed out the row of finger and toe holds the cave dwellers used or chipped, along with yucca rope ladders, to enter or leave their homes to the mesa high above. Under the ledge of the cliff overhang above the housing structure was built a grainery room for storing the corn, squash or beans grown for food. The Ranger suggested that much is known about the daily life of the people because they basically threw the refuse over the edge of their cliff, including the dead.

We looked into one of the many Kivas, a round hollowed area in the lower level probably used for ceremony as well as daily life. The Kiva fire is central to the circle. In front of the fire, oriented south is a vent column open to the top, a vent outlet is at the base and a deflecting stone helps keep the entering fresh air circulating around the circle. The entry would have been by ladder through a hole in the wooden beam circular ceiling, through the hide-coated roof structure, directly over the fire circle.

The archeologists over time have discovered more about the materials used and that these people fired beautifully decorated functional pottery, made arrowheads and stone tools and fashioned decorative items like beadwork and jewelry. From these items they’ve surmised that the people of the cliff dwellings had leisure time and did not engage in warfare. As the Ranger said, “The people did not ‘vanish’. People do not just vanish, they may have moved farther south to what is now New Mexico as there are 22 Indian tribes along the River.

Tribes of Mesa Verde

Returning after our tour, a walk and birding on the Wetherill west road, we were coasting our way back down the mountain when we saw right in front of our eyes, possible disaster. We saw a very young black bear- ON OUR SIDE of the road! We heard each other gasp but it was too “late” to stop or to change course. Dan slowed as much as he could but I just held on to the bike and focused on the cute little animal just standing there. It looked like we could pass it; then it started across the road right in front of us. Dan swerved then sped up to straighten out- (luckily there were no ascending cars at the moment) and we missed that cub by inches! I could have touched his little furry back- ‘cause I wasn’t driving. Around the next bend Dan pulled over to breathe. He had seen the Mama bear close to road in the bushes on the side the cub crossed safely to. That was a close call, I guess for all of us -except Mama Bear, who might not have been in a good mood had we run over her cub….. and maybe dropped the bike!

See my 3 internet chosen -copied pictures to illustrate.

bear black

Anyway, all was well and we had quite a story for our last real day of the west trip that had started mid April. It was now July 31, 2011 and we were hearing of bad weather heading toward Florida. After visiting Mesa Verde, one of our personally favorite National Parks, Dan and I strapped the bike on the trailer and headed for Florida. Thanks to the kindness of the cruisers on our dock at Titusville all was well with Sea Star when we returned three days later. We arrived in time to hear that Tropical Storm Emily had not developed further and then was disintegrating before troubling Florida.

Editorial comment from Kathy:

The Parks are way beyond “beautiful” and, in my opinion, areas for the young to hike and explore are essential to coming generations understanding of the American Experience. The resources, the geology, biology; plants, birds and animals were noted as essential by forward thinking scientifically-minded citizens, as well as Native Americans who encouraged their preservation. Some Presidents have been more convinced of the importance of natural lands than others. My hope is that the fight to preserve and protect will not succumb to desire for the riches.

Enjoy my last slideshow from our “Go West”, _____Man and Woman” scratching the surface of some National Parks in the USA and Canada.