DESTINATION Generic 219 Photosets
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| Hiking | 3.50 Miles |
540 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.50 Miles | | | |
| 540 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | Last year I had a short trip booked and ready to go for the same tour but the gov'ment shutdown the day before I was supposed to leave.
The weather on this day was looking bad. I packed up (in reality I threw all of my wet stuff in the car) in the rain at Morefield Campground and drove to Far View Terrace to meet with the ranger. I thought for sure they were going to cancel the hike, but since I was already there, I figured I'd give it a shot. He said he would see how many people show up and we'd go from there so I got my pack ready and grabbed a poncho at the store. I came outside to see that most of the people had showed up. We got in our cars and drove down to Far View Sites where we would start the hike.
The group started walking through Far View and crossed the main road near the ancient reservoir. The dirt road we followed here was super muddy and the rain was still coming down. In the back of my mind, I hoped that we'd have to turn around so I could make the drive home and call it a day. That didn't happen. We kept following the road, stopping frequently to look at all of the pottery sherds that littered the area. This gave even more perspective on why the vast majority of the backcountry in Mesa Verde is closed to the public.
The road turned into a trail and we began our descent into the canyon. I was happy to have my trekking poles with me as the trail was slippery and covered in mud. This tour doesn't have any massive cliff dwellings, only two smaller ones, one of which isn't even named. You don't go to them, you just look at them from across the canyon. The main draw, for me at least, was getting to see the canyon and another part of the park. Unfortunately, the rain had limited the visibility. You could see a lot, but not the whole picture.
The tour moved quicker than it normally would have, which is completely understandable. Our group hit the turn-around-point and took a few minutes to rest and ask questions before heading back up the even muddier trail. The amount of artifacts that were visible right off the trail was crazy. Every couple steps you'd see something.
Back at the reservoir, the ranger showed us a large piece of pottery that he had found right next to one of the walls. It had been there the whole time on that busy trail. We took some extra time to look at some of the ancient waterways that used to run in the area but have now become invisible unless you know what to look for. Despite the limited amount of things to do in the park, I gain perspective and see something new every time I'm there. |
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