roadquill1

Our plan on Tuesday was to visit Mesa Verde, so we headed up to the Visitors Center at 9:00. From the VC into the scenic mesas (one still closed for winter) is a long climb of about 20 miles. The temperatures hovered around 10 C to 12 C, so we stayed in sweats and down vests as we toured all the walk-in sites along the top of one of the mesa loops in the bright sun. Some of the Ancestral Pueblan sites are surface pueblo structures on the mesa tops, while the later (900 AD to 1200 AD) were cliff dwellings – some with three story apartments. (BTW…the term “Anasazi” is no longer used as apparently it was a Navajo word, not a Pueblan word, and it referred either to the “Ancient ones” or “Ancient enemies”.) There seems to be no mystery as to why they were abandoned somewhere around 1300 AD. There was a prolonged drought of about 25 years, and the clans moved south. Their ancestors remain to this day in tribes such as the Zuni.

Looking north to Cortez, CO

The Mesa Verde north entrance

Mesa tops and canyon

Cliff dwellings upon cliff dwelling (Keeping up ABOVE the Joneses!)

From the Museum at the end of the loops, there is a walk down to the Spruce House which is open to the public, so the four of us hiked down to tour this cliff dwelling. After the tour, Sandy and I stayed for the 1/2 hour video, while Bob and Alice continued on to do their circuit of the loop that we had visited earlier.

Tony, Alice and Bob (Sandy is climbing the cliff as we watch!)

Alice goes into a Kiva in Spruce House

Spruce House

The weather stayed beautiful until late in the afternoon, when the continuing pattern of disturbed weather descended on us and threatening clouds moved in from the west. The four of us shared supper in the Padgham’s trailer, and then ended the evening early.

This morning, we received word that Sandy’s uncle had passed away in the night, and though it wasn’t unexpected, we decided that a continuing sense of joy of discovery was going to be more difficult, and so we decided to make the turn for home a few days early. We called Santa Fe to cancel our reservation at the RV park there, and turned back towards Monticello, Moab, and Green River. (The Padghams were heading back to Moab, then Zion and Bryce to spend a few more days in Utah.)

The re-roading was okay (I try not to travel on the same routes if I can help it) as it gave us a different perspective, and different light of day on the beautiful sceneries! At Green River, we turned north up 191 towards Salt Lake City and headed for our chosen site tonight at Draper, UT.

Looking towards Monticello, UT

New snow on the La Sal Mountains

Truck House waits below road side arch

Tomorrow, we will head west of Salt Lake City to see the Great Salt Lake flats. The horses are heading for the barn, and you will all be familiar with the single-minded speed that that process takes.

Much love, best wishes and hugs to all!

Tony (the Quill) and Sandy (the Quilter)