They Just Don't Build Cliff Dwellings Like They Used To

Entering Mesa Verde National Park
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After breakfast in Durango was spent as many mugs of coffee while chatting with Michael the manager, I drove to Mesa Verde National Park. The views of the Rockies are just fabulous in this area of Colorado, no matter if you’re in a valley or on the green table itself. But these views were the best I had seen yet. Looking for petroglyphs and wildlife, I explored a bit of the silty terrain, and waited for a guided tour.

Petroglyphs, which are like pictographs but carved into the rock face, are all over the Southwest, and people of the current pueblos have been able to interpret them. For instance, one of the most intriguing and common is the dotted spiral, which depicts the story of the people’s origin (I hope I'm not mixing this up with other stories). The spiral is the cyclic journey through worlds in pursuit of harmony, to blandly summarize. They believed that they have traveled in stages from the darkness of the world under the rock up through stages- the third stage was still underneath the ground we walk on, but marked when the people gained consciousness- they were aware of their self. When they were aware of themselves as a people, they ascended to this world of light and life (through the river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon). Here they are waiting for all people to hold the same harmony- to be a single people, living in abundance. Once this peace is shared, the fifth and final world (very similar to the concept of heaven) will descend upon everyone. Which I find so much more inspiring and organic than western individualist organized religion.

Above the dwellings, ancient farmland
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Back to the park, the guide was named Stirling, and he was jolly and knowledgeable and everything you would want in a tour guide. He led us down to "the Spruce House" of the Ancient People of the Pueblos. It is the third largest in the park and retains the most original architecture, which means they've messed with it the least.  I capitalized the title because Anasazi has been denounced; it means “ancient enemies” in Navajo, rather than the extensively purported ‘ancient ones.’ In replacement, the Ancient People of the Pueblos might take- in another decade or so. The cliff dwellings are most likely not dwellings at all but a storage and maintenance facility, where ceremonies were held, to support one of the largest concentrated populations of ancient people in this region.

"The Spruce House"
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There were hundreds of rooms, still supported by the wood used in 1200. Amazing, the wood, it was either Juniper or Cedar, I forget, is so oily that it lasts even if it sits at the bottom of a lake for centuries. The genius behind the construction shut me up the entire time Stirling spoke. The rooms began just far back enough to never be rained on. The dug out kivas (rooms underground) had a carved area for fires, and a rock was placed in front of the opening so that as the fire burned, the smoke and heat would circulate, purifying and warming the people inside, then rise out the hole in the 'ceiling.' The efficiency of this method mocks our chimneys. All orientations were set up to receive exactly as much light and heat as desired, astrology and moon light played a significant role in ceremony- you could set your compass in certain spots. And they didn't have metal. Amazing.

In the Cave with Stirling
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After walking back with Stirling and discussing the disappointing repercussions of letting white men fix things that don't need fixing (a large section of rock was considered 'about to fall' and was recently dynamited, covering the path with earth and allowing even more rock to fall at a controlled time and take out plenty of trees in the process), I explored a bit more of the camp. Unfortunately most of the park was closed, but I got to spy most of the attractions. I never walked to Petroglyph Point, which required scaling down a thirty foot rock face that was undoubtedly icy. I find myself having to be a lot more cautious now that I'm doing all these adventures alone.

There are three preserved petroglyphs in the center, look for white dots.
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Tip: most rangers will either ask for, or happily take down your information about you and what hike you're about to take, which is a nice way to leave some breadcrumbs.

I did get a good look at Cliff Palace, the largest "ruin" at the park, which was exceptionally preserved. Like watching mountain goats perched midway up a cliff, I couldn't really figure out from my distance how they could have reached this little village, let along build it. Look at the picture.

And off again I went, without really a clue where I wanted to go, and without the Lady, who fell down a couple times and was having a difficult time with her power source. But I was full of spunk and excitement about heading into Colorado, because from this point forward my itinerary rocks!!