Mesa Verde,Colorado

Snow covered peaks of the southern Rocky Mountains.

The sign welcomed us.

The Anasazi Indians occupied this area
from 700 AD to 1000 AD. During that time
they built dwellings out of stone, adobe and wood.

I'm standing by partial walls of these 1300 year old dwellings.
The National Park Service has worked to preserve
and stabilize these ruins. What you see is part
of the Far View Community.

In the past 15 years, there have been three
major fires in Mesa Verde. These fires destroyed
countless five hundred year old trees. Because of
the harsh climate, a tree grows very slowly.

The Anasazi Indians began building adobe homes
in the caves in the Navajo Canyon. Keep in mind
that these are two and three story buildings. This
particular community is called the Cliff Palace.

The Many Windows Dwelling is perched
in a shallow cave two hundred feet
above the canyon floor.

The Hemenway House Dwelling named for
an early woman who fought to preserve these
cliff dwellings.

I had to include an artsy fartsy picture of the wood
that was naturally carves and dried. Can you see
the serpent's eyes and mouth?

Long view of Cliff Palace.
The creators of these cliff dwellings probably
built them for protection from their enemies.
The only way to get here is by climbing ladders.
If you look to the right, you will see a tour being guided
by a park ranger. Taking the tour is not for the faint of heart
because you have to climb a vertical 100 foot ladder
with no assistance or safety lines and crawl
through openings that are only 16" square.
PS: Guess who did not go on the tour!