Central Ohio NatureA Journey Back In Time, Mesa Verde NP
Posted on September 20, 2019
One comes to Mesa Verde National Park not for dramatic scenery, although it is spectacular when compared to many places in Ohio, but instead to take a journey back in time and in doing so to be caught up in the wonder of how an ancient people lived.
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The ancient Puebloans called the area home for almost 1000 years and during the last approximately 100 years, before mysteriously leaving around 1300 AD, they built elaborate cliff dwellings. They were hunter gatherers and practiced dry land farming. The ingenuity employed to capture the scarce rainfall for crops as well as other uses was truly amazing. Their pit houses and cliff dwellings, which provided an amazing degree of protection from the area’s mid-day heat, are marvels of engineering. One wonders why such an intelligent culture never saw the need to develop a written language. One answer would appear to do with the fact that written language was developed in “old world” cultures when the complexity of farming and trade practices necessitated the keeping of records. This soon led to language being further developed and employed in other areas of human endeavor. The ancient Puebloans apparently had no such need.
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As early as about 500 AD, before there were cliff dwelling, pit houses on the mesa tops were primarily where people lived. These structures evolved over hundreds of years into the adobe houses we see in the American southwest today.
Cutaway of a pit house. A ladder positioned in the rectangular hole in the center of the roof provided access. The mud roof kept the interior cool.
This particular pit house was incorporated into a cliff dwelling. A common practice.
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This photo, typical of the landscape, shows the mesa tops, cliffs, and canyons that comprise Mesa Verde. Hundreds of cliff dwellings and food storage areas have been found along the canyon walls. There are other cliff dwellings in the west but none this extensive.
Mesa Verde landscape.
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Cliff Palace on Chapin Mesa, the largest of the cliff dwellings.
Cliff Palace.
From the other end.
Cliff Palace window.
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The following photos illustrate how well concealed some of the cliff dwellings were.
Note white arrow,
Enlarged section.
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The mesa edge can be precipitous so perhaps the cliff dwellings were for protection. But from whom? No archeological evidence of violence has been found.
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At it’s peak, 7000 to 15,000 inhabitants may have lived in the area. If that was the case any number of factors, forgetting about an external threat by other indigenous people, may have led to their seemingly abrupt departure.
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Balcony House on the Chapin Mesa:
Balcony House
Balcony House
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Long House on the Wetherill Mesa:
Long House
Long House
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Canyon edge:
In places, Rabbit Bush in bloom and long since dead juniper frame the canyon.
Large rocks often create an interesting counterpoint to the canyon below.
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Fire caused by lightening strikes has shaped the landscape of the mesa tops. Many generations are required for the trees to come back.
The mesa top still shows the effects of a fire that may have burned the area 20 or 30 years ago.
Ute Peak looms in the distance through branches laid bare by a long ago fire.
With little to cause their deterioration fire damaged tree remain lonely sentinels on the landscape.
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But in this dry environment, so vulnerable to fire, life goes on.
Tailcup lupine.
Prairie Sunflower
Rabbit Bush.
This flower, perhaps Munro’s Globemallow, was seen in only one isolated location.
Sulphurflower Buckwheat.
A White Breasted Nuthatch near our campsite.
Raven.
Other butterflies eluded us but we did manage to get a picture of this tiny Western Branded Skipper.
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Barbed wire fence study. One can only wonder at it’s age.
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So after almost four weeks we bid farewell to Utah and Colorado. Now, over a week after our return, the trip is still fresh on our minds and energizes us to think about what might be next. Perhaps the American northwest? Other adventures always await.
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Thanks for stopping by.
The rig, GMC Yukon/Lance 1995.
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A Little to The West – Black Canyon of The Gunnison
Posted on August 28, 2019
We were heading west to the mountains and deserts of Colorado and Utah. Our new to us Lance 1995 travel trailer and GMC Yukon tow vehicle were acquired primarily, or so we thought, to explore and photograph the natural wonders of Florida for two months each winter. But now in the high plains of eastern Colorado where interstate 70 finds little reason to alter it’s course we were to encounter the first bit of “exciting” western scenery. In a place where the all encompassing sky and the land meet at an uninterrupted horizon, a wall of black clouds as far a the eye could see presented a seemingly impenetrable barrier between us and the small half ghost town of Siebert which was to be the day’s destination. Crawling along into the “wall”, with heavy rain and some hail pounding the car and fragile plastic vents and other pieces on the trailer’s roof, we passed cars stopped by the side of the road and even one or two that had found the ditch. Then almost as quickly as it began it was over, fortunately having sounded much worse than it turned out to be.
As we left Siebert the next morning what appeared to be relatively new grain elevators attested to the fact that someone in the town, who’s center is now comprised largely of abandoned sun bleached weathered storefronts, must be making some money. About seven hours later, after crossing the continental divide at Monarch Pass, a task that severely tested our until now very competent tow vehicle, we arrived in Montrose, Colorado about six miles from the entrance to The Black Canyon of The Gunnison NP.
Since no one in our party was in shape for extended hikes into the interior of the park or a 2000 foot near vertical descent into the canyon our exploring would be done by driving to trailheads and doing less ambitious day hikes to points of interest. Even so the trails ranged from easy to moderate in difficulty with the 8000 feet elevation contributing to the difficulty for us usually near sea level hikers.
Below are some pictures that we felt in a very limited way captured the essence of the park. To really do such a place justice would take many more years than we have.
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The canyon rim:
In places flowing 2000 feet below the canyon rim the distant roar of the cascading river is all that betrays it’s presence.
The two sides of the canyon are often much different due the accumulation of snow on the shaded side and subsequent growth of trees and erosion.
Most but not all overlooks have guardrails.
Along the rim trees struggle for existence in the hot dry climate. Some pinyon pines in the park are over 2000 years old.
The Werner Point trail, probably our favorite, offered many outstanding views.
In the early afternoon before one side of the canyon is completely shaded the Painted Rock Overlook offers a dramatic view.
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Along the river:
Outside the park boundary, and close to Cimarron, the Mesa Creek trail offers a great way to experience the Gunnison River.
Along the trail.
East Portal is within the park at river level. This small lake, created by a diversion dam, allows a reliable water supply to flow through the mountains via the Gunnison Tunnel to Montrose, CO and surrounding area.
At one time providing transportation when other options weren’t available this restored Denver and Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotive and cars sit on display near Cimarron. The railroad ran regularly through the upper Black Canyon of the Gunnison until 1940.
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There were an interesting variety of critters as well as wild flowers along the park trails. While we saw birds they were much more dispersed than what we are used to in central Ohio.
A Townsend’s Solitaire perches along the trail.
A Mule Deer fawn is curious as we pass by.
Probably the most striking reptile seen while hiking in the park was this Collared Lazard, (Donna).
Another view, (Donna).
A type western aster was often seen along shady parts of the tail.
While visiting an arboretum in Montrose we saw this beautiful Sphinx Moth.
Along the trail this entertaining and noisy Clark’s Nutcracker made it’s presence known.
This not found in Ohio fly caught my wife’s attention.
A number of very interesting butterflies eluded the camera lens but not this Little Wood Satyr, (Donna).
Eastern Fence Lazard, (Donna).
A Orange Meadowhawk poses, arboretum in Montrose.
Western Tiger Swallowtail, arboretum in Montrose.
Great Spangled Fritillary, (Donna).
Western Branded Skippers, (Donna).
As we eat lunch a Scrub Jay waited, (Donna).
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As we left western Colorado and headed for Arches NP we couldn’t help but wish for just a few more days to explore the canyon and surrounding area but have the suspicion that no matter how long our stay we would always want just a few days more. Thanks for stopping by.
Central Ohio Nature 