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Snow Coming
I stopped long enough to take a picture of the snow clouds coming before I drove through them down the mountain. October 20--Cali and I woke up early and saw some heavy, dark clouds coming over the mountains. I was concerned because I had two more passes to cross before getting on down the mountains to Durango. Molas Pass and Coal Bank Pass are both over 10,000 feet in elevation. You know the saying that God watches over fools and drunks. Well, he certainly watched over this fool who was traveling late in the year to be in the mountains like that. I had just made it over the passes when the snow came. Fortunately, it was a dry snow and not so heavy I couldn't see. The road, which was steep and full of curves, etc., never got slick. It was a steep, winding road down 4000 more feet to Durango. Believe me I was praying all the way down! When I got down to the bottom, I stopped and took pictures of the weather I had been through. I was very glad to see Durango, but didn't stop there. I drove on through it to Cortez, where I thanked God for getting down safely and spent the night at an RV park there to rest up and get ready to
Safe at the Bottom!
Looking back at the mountains and weather I had just driven through. visit Mesa Verde.
By the way, I was told by a reliable source that the “million dollar” highway I just drove over didn't just cost a million dollars. It was a million dollars a foot! Thanks, Larry for that info.
October 21—Mesa Verde was one of my Mother's favorite places. She always liked history and talked of her visit to that park for years after she went. It is very impressive. For one thing it is huge. I don't know how big in miles or acres, but know I drove a lot. That is one thing I didn't care for. The visitor center is 26 miles from the park entrance. Doesn't sound like much, but due to the winding road, it took an hour to get there. Then, most of the cliff dwellings are far apart, so one has to drive to each one. It seems to me I spent the whole day driving and saw about four dwellings! When I looked at my pictures, though, I really saw a lot more than that. I didn't go to the one that required a hike and climbing several ladders. I got lazy and used my zoom lens instead!
Cliff Dwelling
This is one of the smaller cliff dwellings. Notice the flat ground on top and where the trees are. The people grew their crops up there. These dwellings are awesome! How the natives found the semi-caves to build in, is incredible of itself! Most are located high off the canyon bottom. Some of dwelling had to be accessed by climbing down from the cliff tops! Of course the people grew crops on the flat tops so they were used to climbing up and down. These communities were sheltered from the worst weather and were easy to defend from intruders. Quite innovative and creative homes.
History's mystery is what happened to these cliff-dwellers. They seemed to just disappear, almost suddenly. There have been several theories, the most popular one being a severe drought in the Southwest. That accounts for them abandoning their homes, but doesn't explain where they went. Some historians believe they evolved in the the tribes of the Southwest, such as the Hopi, Utes and the Navajo. Whatever happened to them, they certainly were a creative, industrious people who left their own mark on history.
On the way out of the park, I took a picture of Shiprock in the distance. One of my favorite mystery authors, Tony Hillerman, sets most of his stories in this Four Corner area (where four states come
Cliff House
A closer view of one of the "apartments" in a cliff community. together). Most of the area is Hopi, Navajo and Ute Reservations. Shiprock is one of their sacred areas. I will have to come back here, as there are a lot of places I want to explore some more.
October 22—I slept in this morning. Tired after climbing and driving at Mesa Verde. I started the “bottom” loop of this trip back toward Pueblo. Highway 160 is mainly on a high plateau with mountains in the background. It parallels the Southern Ute Indian Reservation for awhile, then turns up toward the San Juan Mountains. I stopped at Pagosa Springs, another town I really like. It had lots of art galleries and shops that I love to prowl. I found a bakery/coffee shop that had the best lunch rolls I have ever eaten. There was a combination of several vegetables, including artichokes inside this fresh baked yeast roll. I wish I knew what all was in there, I would try to make some!!!
Cali---Yeah, the stuff she brought back after that stop sure smelled good! Selfish Mommy wouldn't share any of it with me, though. She told me I didn't like artichokes. How does she know anyway? I like Wheat Grinding Place
More ingenuity from the cliff dwellers. The women would grind the wheat or corn with the rocks and collect the grain at the bottom of the slant. most of the stuff she eats, if she bothers to give me some. Will somebody please tell me what artichokes are?
I am pushing along now, as I hear more weather is coming and I still have at least one more pass to get over before getting back to Pueblo. I would like to spend more time in Pagosa Springs. It is named after the hot springs there and I understand one can bathe in different springs of various temperatures. I guess I will have to come back here someday. Since my daughters and grandkids live in Colorado, I think the chances are good I be able to explore more of the state another time!
Driving on, I went over Wolf Creek Pass, which is one of the ones that seems to close often due to the weather. This area is another popular ski area. The pass itself is 10,850 feet in elevation. Sure enough, as I got nearer, I saw lots of evidence of snow. Apparently the storm I drove through two days ago, dumped a lot here. There was still piles of snow along the road sides where the snow plows had been through. Seems like
Uncovered Kiva
This kiva had lost its roof. The kivas were usually somewhere near the center of the dwellings. I made it just ahead or just behind the snow on this trip!
The fir trees still had their white blankets on and some of the shallower ponds were frozen. It was a winter wonderland.
I passed through Alamosa which I remembered from my college days. I attended a summer session my university held at a mountain camp near there. I took geology and art. What a beautiful area to take those two subjects!! Ah, memories.!
I bedded down in a very small town called Blanca, named for Blanca Peak which reigns over the town. It, of course, was snow covered and is another one over 14,000 feet. I was very content to look at it through one of the RV windows and snapped some photos of it as the clouds gathered on it that evening.
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Leslie Feret
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Thank You
Marti...Thank you so much for your tour of Colorado. I took my son camping there when he was 15...he is now 28. We had the most wonderful time and fell in love with that state. We alternately camped and stayed in motels. I remember staying in Ouray and the smell of Marijuanna drifting in the window. It was a wondrful little artists nook. I loved Teluride too. My son went rock climing there. And adored Mesa Verda...What a wonderful section of the country. I also have read almost all of Tony Hillerman's mysterys and am strongly drawn to that area. Thank you so much for your pictures and words. Hope all is well. Where are you now? Leslie