Mesa Verde National Park: Camping & Cliff Dwellings

Morefield Campground

We traveled from Stoner, Colorado (with a Veterinary stop in Durango) to Mesa Verde National Park. Although we have tried to visit Mesa Verde in the past this was our first visit. We were able to get a camp site in the Park which I highly suggest. The travel time in and out of the park would be high due to many elevation changes and windy roads. The campground is large with a small amount of full hookup RV sites. Sites that are not full hookup are abundant with water and dump services close. The campground had deer consistently visiting, it was nice to see them even when they would impede our path. Donna and I enjoyed the walking paths/connections between campground loops.

Cliff Dwellings

The preservation of the cliff dwellings is impressive. Amazing to think that 700+ years ago people were thriving in these locations. Dry farming the mesa was the primary food source. We visited the Cliff Palace and the Balcony House. Walking the ruins with the rangers is treat. Thinking about the resources required to build, it’s easy to observe that much of the material is local (as you would expect) however thinking about sandstone as a building material you would expect to see substantial break down and erosion. The dwelling’s protection via the cliff clearly helps preserve. Much of sandstone erosion is caused by water seepage, causing the rock to cleave away from itself where the water escapes. Many places inside the Cliff palace you can observe the walls butted up to the sandstone. In my opinion this shows that the sandstone was not able to erode in the places they built. Observing the level of engineering expertise that was required to build is fun.

Cycling

I like the cycling inside the park. The entry road climb is a fun ride with many amazing vistas. The shoulder is also plentiful. Other routes in the park for road cycling are challenging as the shoulder is narrow and corners sharp. The limited visibility and undulating terrain kept me from riding some roads.

Airestreaming

I consistently say hi and interact with other Airstream owners. I get excited when I see that they have bikes. My thought is, “you like bikes, I like bikes, you like Airstreams, I like Airstreams, let’s see if we can be friends”. I get to talk to many other Airstreamers and I always enjoy the conversations. Sometimes, through these interactions I get to ride bikes with new friends.

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Minny and Doowee

Minny and Doowee are both doing well. Doowee is starting to feel better after his vet visit, he is not 100% but we are seeing improvements. Doowee’s spirit has not been affected by his sickness, he is always in a good mood, wagging his tail and wanting to interact. Minny is happy and although we can see her aging, she is feisty and full of zeal when playing with her brother.

Old timers trying to have a laugh

An old timer was trying to convince me I should put red diesel in my truck because it was cheaper. For those that don’t know, red diesel is diesel that is dyed to show road taxes have not been assessd on it. Usually red diesel is used in tractors, refer units, equipment not using roads where a tax is required (farms, trails, stationary machines, etc..). Red diesel is not different then regular diesel. The fines for using red diesel on the road are steep.

The old timer

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