Long, Strange Trip: Mesa Verde

8/3

We arrived at the Moorefield campsite in Mesa Verde National Park very late (after 9pm) and the sky had darkened considerably. This night was totally different than what we were accustomed to and strong winds shook and buffeted the tents. Rain began to pour just after we turned in and kept up most of the night. In the morning, getting out of the site and on the road was slower than usual as we had to wait for our tents to dry. The campsite was completely different in the morning sun than it had looked the night before, high rock walls covered in green and expansive meadows before us. Once ready, we went to the visitor center to get our passport stamped. The responsibility for this had been unofficially given to me. My mom and dad set up our plans for the day and we made our way to the trail head around 11. Mesa Verde is home to many Pueblo’s (Spanish word for village) of the Anazansi’s or ancient people and Cliff Dwellings, the later homes of the same people. Our first hike was a short walk down to a large Cliff Dwelling named Spruce Tree House. It is a very popular dwelling and is very much intact, my first sight of the sandy, yellow bricks, low doorways and tall towers made me feel as though I had walked straight into the past. Located on the underside of a huge jutting cliff, a series of room sized houses had been built all along the inside of the cavern. Not many of the buildings were taller than one story but the ability of the builders was amazing. They had made these villages for large groups of their people 900 years earlier with primitive knowledge and materials and these structures were still standing today. It was incredible to look upon a place where a whole society and way of living had existed so many years before. Once we had seen all of the Spruce Tree House we moved on to our 3 mile hike to see Petroglyphs and more cliff dwellings. It was the coolest hike I had done in any National Park and the rest of the family agreed. It was a difficult climb in some areas but was far from a clear, paved path. This trail led you through thick woods, under overhanging rock walls and above staggering canyons looking down onto beautiful landscapes rich with color. The Petroglyphs were along a rock wall at the midpoint of the hike. They consisted of crude designs and drawings carved into the rock face hundreds of years earlier. All the sights we saw at the Mesa Verde filled me with wonder and a strong curiosity about these ancient civilizations. After seeing some of the above the canyon dwellings, the pueblos still baffled me, the close confines of the buildings, the number of ceremonial pits or kivas that were built and the amount of space they took up. As we moved on from Mesa Verde, it had left a lasting impression on me. It is tied with the Badlands, in my mind, for my favorite of the National parks we had visited. We had a long drive to our next destination, the home of our former pre K childcare providers at their new home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They had moved away about two years ago and it was our first time seeing them and their two children since the move. When we arrived it felt as though nothing had changed and everyone hit it off instantly. We had dinner shortly after at an authentic New Mexican restaurant, the food was very good but to my vast disappointment I was not feeling well and as I write this blog now I am filled with a craving for the food I could not stomach earlier. The rest of the night was filled with fond recollections of the past and tales of us at our old school. Glory and Michael had always had a soft spot for the Zechman boys and it was really great to see these people who had been such important figures in our early lives. The mood was slightly dampened when Finn, playing a game with the two preschool age children, fell onto a small bed and snapped the frame. Glory and Michael had much experience with us and our destructive tendencies so the night moved on without a hitch. The kids were enthralled to have us there but we were exhausted after the long drive and headed to bed around ten. All the kids slept in the living room in a helter skelter arrangement and I ended up very comfortable on a couch, anything is better than the ground. It was a very good night.

Editor’s Note:

We have been blessed with almost perfect weather for our entire trip. The only rains that we have encountered to this point were brief showers while driving in Indiana. As noted earlier, we had a couple of short thunderstorms the evening of our arrival at the Grand Canyon and then the serious rain while camping at Mesa Verde. This was the first night since Ohio that Carol and I were going to be sleeping in the two man tent. If you recall, Carol frantically clawed her way out of the tent that night in Ohio due to a bout with claustrophobia. Paul really wanted to sleep with his brothers and this was one of the last nights to do so. He picked a good night. The three man tent with Silas, Finn and Paul remained dry. The two man tent with Carol and I did not. Thankfully the sun was shining in morning so that we could dry our tent, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads. It was a long and not-so comfortable night.