August 13, 2010
August 13, 2010
From Montrose CO we drove southwest over another high mountain road, passing the ski resort of Telluride. One more gorgeous drive. This time the exposed rocks are red which tell me we are now on the Colorado plateau. The red rocks are a great contrast with the green pine and aspen trees.
From Telluride we descended steadily coming out in Colorado’s high-desert southwest corner. Our first stop is the Anasazi Heritage Center. It is the Visitor Center for the BLM’s Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. A short hike up a ridge is Escalante Pueblo. Now these ancient Indians knew how to live. This small condo-like ruin sits on top of a hill and has fantastic 360-degree views. But I sure hope they had servants to schlep water up this hill. This pueblo was discovered by the Spanish explorers Escalante and Dominguez in 1776 while looking for a better route from Santa Fe to California.
We also went through the exhibits in the museum. While nearby Mesa Verde was thought to be a center of government, scientists believe most of the people lived in the scrub desert extending to the northwest.
From Canyon of the Ancients we drove a short distance south to Yucca House National Monument. This visit makes me think I am just checking off National Park sites. It was a big waste. Yucca House is a totally unexcavated site. It is believed to contain a large Anasazi settlement but right now all I can see is two rock-strewn hills. Odd that it is administered by the Park Service. This is a monument better suited to the BLM.
From Yucca House we slipped over the border to New Mexico and headed east. The terrain with its many buttes reminds me of a spread out Monument Valley. Our destination is Aztec Ruins National Monument. We arrive late in the day so we only have time to go thru the ruins. While Mesa Verde was a cluster of cliff dwellings, this complex is very similar to a modern pueblo. It looks like the stone-age version of a condominium; a large three story structure divided into many rooms. Scattered throughout the rectangular structure are numerous round family-sized kivas. In the center of the courtyard is a monster kiva big enough for the whole village. This kiva has been reconstructed and is very impressive and reminds me of an Egyptian tomb.
Even though this place has several hundred rooms, the ranger says few fire pits have been found. Scientists believe only a handful of people actually lived here. They think the rooms were mostly used for storage. If so, the Anasazi were the world’s biggest pack rats.
From Montrose CO we drove southwest over another high mountain road, passing the ski resort of Telluride. One more gorgeous drive. This time the exposed rocks are red which tell me we are now on the Colorado plateau. The red rocks are a great contrast with the green pine and aspen trees.
From Telluride we descended steadily coming out in Colorado’s high-desert southwest corner. Our first stop is the Anasazi Heritage Center. It is the Visitor Center for the BLM’s Canyon of the Ancients National Monument. A short hike up a ridge is Escalante Pueblo. Now these ancient Indians knew how to live. This small condo-like ruin sits on top of a hill and has fantastic 360-degree views. But I sure hope they had servants to schlep water up this hill. This pueblo was discovered by the Spanish explorers Escalante and Dominguez in 1776 while looking for a better route from Santa Fe to California.We also went through the exhibits in the museum. While nearby Mesa Verde was thought to be a center of government, scientists believe most of the people lived in the scrub desert extending to the northwest.
From Canyon of the Ancients we drove a short distance south to Yucca House National Monument. This visit makes me think I am just checking off National Park sites. It was a big waste. Yucca House is a totally unexcavated site. It is believed to contain a large Anasazi settlement but right now all I can see is two rock-strewn hills. Odd that it is administered by the Park Service. This is a monument better suited to the BLM.
From Yucca House we slipped over the border to New Mexico and headed east. The terrain with its many buttes reminds me of a spread out Monument Valley. Our destination is Aztec Ruins National Monument. We arrive late in the day so we only have time to go thru the ruins. While Mesa Verde was a cluster of cliff dwellings, this complex is very similar to a modern pueblo. It looks like the stone-age version of a condominium; a large three story structure divided into many rooms. Scattered throughout the rectangular structure are numerous round family-sized kivas. In the center of the courtyard is a monster kiva big enough for the whole village. This kiva has been reconstructed and is very impressive and reminds me of an Egyptian tomb.Even though this place has several hundred rooms, the ranger says few fire pits have been found. Scientists believe only a handful of people actually lived here. They think the rooms were mostly used for storage. If so, the Anasazi were the world’s biggest pack rats.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 4:39 PM
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