Rock formations south of Shiprock, NM
Shiprock, NM
More formations
Shiprock 1,583 ft above the surrounding area (also 7,177 ft above sea level) in northwest New Mexico. Shiprock is arguably the most sacred rock formation in the Navajo tradition. Climbing is strictly forbidden.
Almost into Colorado
Chimney Rock, CO
Our campsite!
From the drive to cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde
Below Mesa Verde near Cortez, CO from Montezuma Valley Overlook (?)
Tons of sunflowers in area
Ute Mountain, CO in the distance; 9,979 ft above sea level
View from Park Point Overlook towards The Knife Edge (8290 ft). This point is the highest portion of the park at 8572 ft.
San Juan Mountains in the Durango region
More Mesa Verde from Park Point. Believe it or not, but Shiprock is visible 50 miles away past the mesa.
Drive towards Chapin Mesa
Balcony House! A small cliff dwelling and the most difficult to access. Naturally, we visited this first.
Water spring that flows through rock. It takes years for rain water to filter
The 30-foot climb into Balcony House!
Various views of and from Balcony House. This is a view of Soda Canyon.
Kiva, a ceremonial room and winter housing unit. A wooden boards covered these underground dwellings. There was a hole in the middle with a ladder leading into the kiva. The large hole in the middle was the fireplace, while the little hole on the left (the sipapu) represented a symbolic entrance to the underworld.
Balcony House
Rabbitbrush. This stuff was everywhere in the park!
Cliff Palace, the largest and most famous part of Mesa Verde. The Ancient Puebloans lived in this whole area from 600 AD until 1300 AD. For most of their time here, the Puebloans lived on top of the mesas. From the late 1100s until the early 1300s, they created these cliff dwellings to free farming space and to provide better defense. About 125 people lived in this 100-room and 23-kiva dwelling. The Puebloans built Cliff Palace from about 1190 AD until 1360 AD. One can also note that people used to refer to the Puebloans as the Anasazi. The Navajo used this word to describe to Europeans the tribe that lived here. In reality, "Anasazi" means "Ancient Enemies" or "Ancient Ones" depending on the translation. Modern Pueblo tribes include the Hopi and the Zuni of Arizona and New Mexico.
Not sure how this tree grows.
The walk down to Cliff Palace. This is the easiest hike in the park.
The rocks on the bottom left originate from 600 AD, and were used in a previous dwelling here. This tower functioned as a watch tower. You can also see a door to storage rooms on the top right. Also note the original red plaster on this building.
Inside Cliff Palace
3-story house, one of the tallest structures in the park
Large kiva
Piece of corn stuck in mortar!
Several of many lizards at Mesa Verde, known as Leroy to family members
Views from Navajo Canyon
Square Tower House, containing the tallest structure at the park (4 floors, about 30 ft tall)
Navajo Canyon from Square Tower House
Pithouses throughout Mesa Top Loop. Pithouses essentially operated as a precursor to kivas. These pithouses date from 600 AD.
Sun House from Mesa Top Loop looking across Cliff Canyon
Cliff Canyon from same vantage point
Mummy House at lower fight and Sun Temple on top of mesa
Oak Tree House on lower fight and Fire House and Fire Temple on far left
At Sun Temple. This set of kivas was never completed and abandoned in the 1300s.
Looking into Cliff Canyon. Cliff Palace sits on the left outside of the range of this picture.
I really love these pictures of Sun Temple for some reason.
Cliff Palace from Sun Temple
Looking into Cliff Canyon again
And at Cliff Palace
You can see fire damage on the mesa here on the left.
Spruce Tree House. The best preserved cliff dwelling.
Inside an original kiva!
Grinding stones
Spruce Tree House
Starting on the Petroglyph Trail!
Jay Leno
I climbed off trail a bit and found this old ruin.
Cool balanced rock and shots of Spruce Canyon
Pueblo Petroglyph that tells the story of how the tribe came to this region
Finally back on top of the mesa!
Mountain in distance, possible Sleeping Ute (?)
600 ft to bottom!
Burned forest and deer on Petroglyph Trail
Great sunset on the way back to campsite
Even better!
More sunsent
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