Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde National Park
Spruce Tree House Visitor Center
Inside Visitor Center
Looking at diorama
Overlooking Spruce Tree House Dwelling
Spruce Tree House Info
Spruce Tree House from above
Vance and Denise in dwelling
Multi-story cliff dwelling
Vance and Denise
Mark and Vance
Vance climbing down into Kiva
Visitor Center on canyon rim
Denise entering Kiva
One last look!
Stones for grinding maize
Ranger demonstrates
Vance gives it a try
Vance at Kiva
Dwelling
Walls and Kiva roof
Pictograph
Completing an activity
Learning about pictographs
Our new home!
Left side of Spruce Tree House
Getting Jr. Ranger signed
Congrats!
Neither rain.....
Nor snow can stop this Jr. Ranger!
Socked in
Clouds below the mesa
It snowed about 3-4 inches today
Our trusty steed in the snow
Snowcapped mtns below
Clear as a bell below the mesa! Snow on top!
Butte at the entrance to the park
Looking up at Mesa Verde ('Green Table')
View from the camper
View from campground of San Juan Mtns at sunset
Mesa behind campground
Vance makes a new friend
Square Tower House overlook
Square Tower House
Closer view from canyon rim above
Pithouses and Pueblos
Pitroom excavation
Normal vegatation
Typical mesa top vegatation
After a bad fire
More fire damage
Mesa Top sites
Kiva excavation
Small village walls
Cliff Palace from across the canyon
Other ruins
Overlooking cliff dwellings
Oak Tree House
Closer view of Oak Tree House
Overlook. Note the fire damage on top of the canyon rim
Fire Temple
Double level dwellings
Closeup of fire temple - not used for living space
Sun Temple
Sun Temple on top of canyon rim
Note thickness of the walls
Looks like a fort
More Sun Temple
Interior passageway
Looking down the canyon
Cliff Palace - took a ranger tour
Overlooking Cliff Palace
Vance makes a friend. She liked his sunglasses!
Waiting until the tour starts
Cliff Palace from above
Vance overlooking the scene
Narrow path down the cliff
Up close
Ranger Talk
Up close
From the side
Discussing kivas
Not terribly interested!
3 story tower
From the right side
Tower
Inside tower - note pictographs on walls
Narrow climb back out
Hemenway House
Hemenway House
Balcony House - Ranger Tour
Looking back at the ladders to get into Balcony House
Ranger Guide
Tight passageway!
Vance's friend and mom
Looking across Balcony House
Ranger Program
Don't fall off!
View across the valley from the mesa