Mesa Verde Ruins

This trip was sort of a surreal experience for me. I went with my family several times to this park as a child/teenager. It is also the same trip where my father had the beginnings of his heart troubles that landed him in the hospital in Cortez, CO for a week before he was stable enough to go back to UT. He was very sick for months after this trip and he almost dies. This place doesn't have the most comforting thoughts associated with it for me. It never crossed my mind that 15+ years later I would be here with my children and husband.

I have to say things look about the same as they did that many years ago. Although, it was interesting to hear all the new information they have and what things they think they were wrong about before. I am still amazed that people actually lived here. What a crazy place to build your house.

Cliff Palace

This particular dwelling is called Balcony House. You climb down 130+ stairs from the top of the mesa and then up a 32 foot ladder with the huge canyon below you. Katie didn't even think twice about climbing the huge ladder. She thought it was the "coolest" thing ever. (She's at the very top of the ladder.)
People couldn't believe that we were bringing a baby on such a "dangerous" hike. Ohhh, if they only knew we took him skiing at 7 weeks what would they say!
Really, it was not that dangerous, or they never would have allowed us to take him.

To get out of the house you had to climb through an 18 inch hole and scale a cliff wall with ladders and tiny steps cut out of the rock. I wonder every time I crawl through that hole how many people get stuck and have to go back the other way to get out. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would be? I remember one time when we did this tour the ranger told a couple waiting in line that they would not be able to participate due to their "size". Now if that isn't motivation for weight loss who knows what is!



Long House
This was Todd's and my favorite house. Not sure why, we just liked it. The ranger guiding this tour was super in to it. With each stop along the way he would leave us with a teaser line. You could tell he just loved his job.

Below is a Kiva. I guess it's some sort of religious room. They used to have tops on them. The picture next to it is Katie coming out of a restored Kiva. I think she made Todd go down with her 3 times because she thought it was so "cool."

























And here is a mug shot of the newest Jr. Ranger in Mesa Verde. Note the badge, she has been wearing it everyday since the trip. She accidentally left it in grandma's car yesterday and truly the world has some to an end. She is so worried she will see a ranger and they won't know that she is one. Definitely the cutest little ranger I've ever seen!!