Mesa Verde - Part II

The alcove on the left is Oak Tree house

Further along the cliff face is Cliff Palace

This Land was Their Land - Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde has long been on my bucket list.  I marvel at the structures when I see photos.  Having watched several videos of the area, I finally got to see it for myself.

The ancestral Pueblo people settled here around 550 A.D.  Yes, long before Europeans came and took the land away.  As a matter of fact, the Pueblo people left the dwellings in the late 1200's.  The cliff dwellings were discovered in the 1800's and have been extensively excavated and studied.  But since the Pueblo people had no written language, there is much that remains unknown.  Our guide told us that he had Pueblo blood on his mother's side of the family.  He was very informative.  Here are some of my photos.

A second-generation pit house.

A third evolution of a large pit house.  Pit houses were entered through the roof.  They were in use from 550 to 750 A. D.

The structure had eight kivas and at least 60 rooms.  It was reached by ropes and ladders up the cliff face.  Below is a view of the cliff face showing the placement of the dwelling.

As I am struggling with some meds to treat a sinus infection, I will save my other pics for another day and call it a night.

Riding the Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railway

I got an email from AARP yesterday with a list of twelve breathtaking train rides.  This ride was one of them.  And it certainly is breathtaking.  Here is what AARP says:

Originally built to haul gold and silver ore down from mines in the San Juan Mountains, this historic 45-mile-long railroad has been in continuous operation since 1882. Coal-fired steam locomotives pull passenger carriages on sinuous excursions through remote canyons, completing the 3,000-foot climb from Durango to Silverton (elevation 9,305 feet) in under four hours. At the train’s top speed of 18 miles per hour, riders have plenty of time to marvel at the grandeur of mountain landscapes unreachable by car.

We actually rode the train from Silverton down to Durango.  And it took longer than four hours.  Some of the track had been replaced during the prior week and the train had to move extra-slow over the new track to tamp it down.  What a ride.  The views were incredible and sometimes pretty scary.  While there are lots of rocks visible in the Animas River, I was told that in spring the river provides quite the white-water rafting adventure.  I love rafting, but doubt I will do anymore at this point in time.  Enjoy the photos.

 Blowing-down steam as we cross the High Bridge over the Animas River

 400 feet above the river on a horseshoe curve.   We are in the San Juan National Forest

Privately-owned Shalona Lake.  We could not see any large home, just a few smaller structures.

Here are some short videos.  I apologize for the blurs on the second video.

Leaving the station

High above the river.  I was leaning out of the window taking the video.  If you just sat in your seat it would appear that you were hanging off the edge of the mountain.  Well, we were kinda, lol.  Lots of nervous Nellies on board.

Unfortunately, I was too tired when we finally reached Durango and did not go back into town to visit the Railway Museum.  And the next day I ate something which did not agree with me, so missed another opportunity.  Such is life.  Tomorrow we visit a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Getting to the Rails

It is over 200 miles from Moab, Utah to Silverton, Colorado.  Our route took us through Grand Junction, Colorado and Ouray and included a ride on the Million Dollar Highway.  My pictures of the drive are sparse and pretty unspectacular.

 Ouray.  Folks call it 'Little Switzerland'

On the Highway.  I was on the wrong side of the coach for the spectacular 'drop-off the mountain' pictures.  Lots of yellow aspen color made me appreciate Michigan's patchwork quilts of yellow, gold, orange and red.

Our end destination is Silverton, Colorado and a ride on the narrow-gauge Durango & Silverton train.  We will ride the train to Durango and the coach will meet us there.  Here is Silverton and the train.

P is for Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak, Colorado.  Elevation 14,115 ft.  A definite Rocky Mountain High.

The first time I was in Colorado in the 1970's, my husband and I were going to drive up to Pikes Peak.  There were notices posted that said that while the road was still open, it was getting treacherous.  At the time the road up to the peak was not paved.  We turned around and went elsewhere for the day.

When I went to Denver in 2002, I had three items on my 'to-do' list:

1.  See the Cirque de Soleil show that was in town.  (Is that where I saw 'Alegria?)
2.  Go white-water rafting on the Clear Creek, a fun adventure.
3.  Finally get to Pikes Peak.

Since I was there during the Hayman Wildfire and the air down in Denver was the stuff you could see in front of you, getting out of the city seemed like a good idea.  But this time, I decided to go up to the peak on the Cog Railway instead of making the drive. 

I knew it would be cold at the top, but I was not prepared for how cold.  I had to purchased a fleece jacket to put on under my coat when I got to the summit.  I then set off to enjoy the view.  And oh, what a view it was:

The air is thin up here and you need to heed the warnings of the park rangers.  One woman on the cog stood up and immediately passed out.  Others were sitting inside the park's shop with their heads between their knees. 

We dealt with lots of clouds and haze, but on a clear day you can see four states, the snow-covered peaks of the Continental Divide, the cities of Denver, Manitou Springs, Colorado Springs and the historic gold camps of Cripple Creek and Victor.

While in the area, you will also want to visit the Garden of the Gods for more luscious scenery.  Or go to Rocky Mountain National Park.  You could easily spend a week here enjoying yourself, especially if you enjoy the outdoors.  Here is a link to hiking in the park: Adventure

While writing these A - Z posts, I realized that I should do a post about my white-water adventures on the Niagara River, Snake River, Rogue River, American River and Clear Creek.  I would still like to do a trip on the Green River and the Colorado.  My tom-boy side still exists.  Any adventurers out there?

P is also for Paris, Prague, Pisa, Pompeii, Portugal, Prado Museum, Prince Edward Island, Phoenix, Pacific Coast Highway, Philadelphia, and Pennsylvania Dutch Country