What do the snow-capped La Plata and San Juan mountains in Colorado, the high desert Chuska Mountains in Arizona, the isolated Abajo Mountains in Utah and the distinctive Shiprock Peak in New Mexico have in common?
Not only are these geologic formations all located within a 100-mile radius of the southwest’s Four Corners region, but they are also all available for unrestricted observation at 7,000 feet elevation from inside Mesa Verde National Park. Needless to say, it’s nearly impossible to adequately describe these panoramas at sunrise or sunset, and they must be grasped in person to truly appreciate their grandeur.
Food and lodging
On assignment, I was fortunate to experience these spectacles during an overnight stay at Mesa Verde National Park in late April, before the peak tourist season. About a half-hour drive from the park’s entrance, my king-size room at the Far View Lodge included all the modern-day amenities that one would expect at a hotel, except for a television. The accommodations, complete with a balcony, even comprised wi-fi. But when away from the lodge, I was unable to access Internet from any other locale inside the 52,000-acre World Heritage Site.
After checking in, I proceeded to dine at the adjacent Metate Room, which is named after the grinding tools that the area’s past inhabitants used to mill corn. In addition to the best views of any restaurant in Montezuma County, the Metate Room offers guests a world-class dining experience.
I started with a grilled and chilled shrimp appetizer, complete with charred farm tomato salsa rojo and fresh avocado relish. The seafood dish was surprisingly fresh, considering that the nearest coastline is hundreds of miles away.
For the main course, I chose the 8-ounce beef tenderloin with red chili butter, chipotle mashed potato and season vegetables. Other menu options included pan-seared wild salmon and grilled duck breast, vegetarian dishes, chicken soup, pork stew and several salad options.
To soothe my sweet tooth, I took a cue from my cheerful server with a light and fluffy French-style tres leches, or three milk, cake. Plated with caramel and topped with fresh berries and whip cream, I washed my high desert dessert down with a glass of Chardonnay direct from Guy Drew Vineyards, located nearby in McElmo Canyon.
Speaking of drinks, the restaurant offers full bar service, complete with a small but adequate selection of Colorado craft beers on tap, specialty cocktails such as a prickly pear margarita, and cocktails such as Colorado distilled rum, vodka and whiskey.
Bus tour
The next morning, along with a band of travelers from California to Massachusetts, I embarked on a four-hour guided bus tour through the first national park established to preserve man-made works. Billed as the “700 Year Tour,” the informative sightseeing trek made stops at multiple archaeological sites, ranging from pit house abodes to the more famous cliff dwellings. Some 5,000 ancient sites are located in the nation’s largest archaeological preserve.
Our first stop were the remains of a pit house atop a mesa where the ancestral Pueblo people grew crops and hunted game. Dated to 600 A.D., the pit house was dug into the ground and once featured four corner posts that supported a roof. Pit houses are the oldest known structures at Mesa Verde, which is Spanish for “green table.”
The tour continued with stops at similar but more advanced unearthed pit house structures that included ceremonial chambers known as kivas. Many kivas feature a sipapu, a small hole in the floor believed to have been a portal to the spirit world.
Then, we finally got our first glimpse of a cliff dwelling with an observational stop at Square Tower House. Dating to 1200 A.D., the site includes 60 rooms with eight kivas. We followed with a stop at Sun Point, which offered views of Sun Temple, Mummy House, Oak Tree House, New Fire House, Fire Temple and Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America.
The tour ended with a stop at Spruce Tree House, the best-preserved cliff dwelling inside the park. The self-guided site offered an opportunity to get up close and personal with 114 rooms and eight kivas.
Petroglyph Point Trail
After a quick bite at an eatery near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum, my visit to Mesa Verde ended with a moderate hike along the Petroglyph Point Trail.
About halfway through the 2.4-mile loop, I discovered a large cliff-side petroglyph panel containing dozens of rock art carvings.
The largest and best-known collection of petroglyphs at Mesa Verde, the drawings included an eagle, sheep, parrots, a horned toad, lizards, a mountain lion and several depictions of people.
Complete with spectacular canyon views, the trail also provided an opportunity to find some solace among 300-year-old Douglas firs, blooming Forget-Me-Nots, a tail-flashing chipmunk atop a charred log, bluebirds and hummingbirds, a rabbit that was licking and scratching like a house cat and even a mule deer.
Also among the rocks were ripple marks from an ancient sea and axe grooves from ancient times.
In summary, combining the impressive views of the landscape and natural beauty with a spectacular historical look into the Ancestral Pueblo people who once roamed the area for centuries, I give Mesa Verde National Park high marks.
The best part? It’s located in my backyard, so I can visit any time.
To plan your trip, log onto www.nps.gov/meve.
tbaker@cortezjournal.com