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Balcony House - MVNP - 6 members in 10 triplogs have rated this an average 3.3 ( 1 to 5 best )
10 triplogs
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May 03 2024
avatar

 Guides 42
 Routes 1,676
 Photos 15,238
 Triplogs 2,804

69 male
 Joined Jan 20 2009
 Far NE Phoenix,
700 year tour - MVNP, CO 
700 year tour - MVNP, CO
 
Walk / Tour avatar May 03 2024
The_Eagle • Triplogs 2,804
Walk / Tour1.00 Miles 75 AEG
Walk / Tour1.00 Miles   4 Hrs      0.25 mph
75 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   linked  
Cliff Palace Loop - MVNP
Balcony House - MVNP
Partners partners
Ladyeagle
For the morning of day 2, we opted to take what they call the 700 year tour. This is a guided tour that takes you on a 4 hour bus tour around the park hitting the highlights. Our guide Holly was very knowledgeable.

Stops included:
Pit House
Square Tower House - Very interesting
More Pit Houses
Sun Temple
Cliff Palace - Usually a walk through which is only on the tour, but was closed while we were there until the following week. :(
Hemingway House
Balcony House

Cliff Palace House Video: [ youtube video ]

Please note that the Wetherhill Mesa (western mesa) is closed, probably through 2024 for maintenance.
_____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry 🦅
 
Oct 09 2015
avatar

 Guides 7
 Routes 80
 Photos 2,459
 Triplogs 654

male
 Joined Jan 10 2010
 Pomona, CA
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar Oct 09 2015
PatrickL • Triplogs 654
Hiking0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.50 Miles
100 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Sep 22 2014
avatar

 Guides 27
 Routes 61
 Photos 2,620
 Triplogs 700

69 male
 Joined Jan 23 2008
 Phoenix, AZ
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar Sep 22 2014
AZWanderingBear • Triplogs 700
Hiking0.65 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.65 Miles
100 ft AEG
 no routes
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Took the ranger lead hike to Balcony House. Never get enough of these ruins,especially the well preserved ones. Great info from Ranger Wendi on our present understanding of the lives of the inhabitants. And climbing the 32 foot ladder and crawling thru the 2 tunnels was fun too.
_____________________
All you have is your fire...
And the place you need to reach
 
Jul 14 2014
avatar

 Guides 16
 Routes 81
 Photos 1,269
 Triplogs 1,150

52 male
 Joined Apr 30 2008
 Tucson, AZ
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar Jul 14 2014
azdesertfather • Triplogs 1,150
Hiking0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.50 Miles
100 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Great little tour. Fascinating to see their culture, and hear the story from the forest ranger.

If you ever go to Mesa Verde, keep in mind that you are going to need more time than you think. Drive times from the park entrance to the various sites can be significant, because of distance and the number of visitors. Buying tickets at the visitor's center also can take a long time. And the tours, when they start, they start promptly and are unforgiving. I accidentally left my ticket for Cliff Palace a few yards away in the car when the tour started, and rather than waiting 1 minute, she told me I had to miss it and closed the gate.

:wrt:
_____________________
"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." — Henry David Thoreau
 
Jul 06 2014
avatar

 Guides 27
 Routes 681
 Photos 12,245
 Triplogs 865

56 male
 Joined Jul 05 2006
 Mesa, AZ
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar Jul 06 2014
DarthStiller • Triplogs 865
Hiking0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.50 Miles
100 ft AEG
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
For our vacation this year, I decided to take the family up to Mesa Verde for 2 days and check out as much of the ruins there as we could. The first one we did was Balcony House, which is listed as the "most adventurous" by the Park Service. After a steep walk down the paved trail and steps, you immediately start up a 32' ladder. I was kind of worried if the kids would be able to handle the big ladder, but they both handled it very well.

I was kind of surprised and disappointed to find out that quite alot of these and most other ruins have had a degree of reconstruction done to them. Mostly it's been in the front parts and for the purpose of preventing the ruins from sliding out of their alcoves and down into the canyons. Still, all the kivas you see are pretty much redone. At the top of the first ladder, there is a little loose rock pen that the ranger said was most likely used to keep domesticated turkeys, as sign of that was discovered by archaeologists.

We were all able to make it thru the tunnel to exit. The ranger said that while you can see daylight looking out, you can't see it outside looking in. This was done for defensive purposes. I had to take off my Camelbak and camera to squeeze thru. The camera got bumped or something on the way thru and wouln't take pictures for the nearly vertical ascent out up the side of the cliff using the footholds and the 2 more ladders. Fortunately it worked again before the end of the day. After this one, the rest of the visits were pieces of cake. they also got both kids really excited to climb ever ladder they encountered for the next day and a half.
_____________________
 
Jul 25 2013
avatar

 Routes 1
 Triplogs 172

55 male
 Joined Apr 25 2008
 Peoria, AZ.
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Walk / Tour avatar Jul 25 2013
RangerTRX • Triplogs 172
Walk / Tour0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Walk / Tour0.50 Miles      30 Mns   1.00 mph
100 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Jul 23 2013
avatar

 Guides 7
 Routes 80
 Photos 2,459
 Triplogs 654

male
 Joined Jan 10 2010
 Pomona, CA
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar Jul 23 2013
PatrickL • Triplogs 654
Hiking0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.50 Miles
100 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Felt good to see Balcony House again. I can't remember his name, but the ranger on this one provided what was probably the best tour I've been on in the park.
_____________________
 
May 29 2012
avatar

 Guides 7
 Routes 80
 Photos 2,459
 Triplogs 654

male
 Joined Jan 10 2010
 Pomona, CA
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar May 29 2012
PatrickL • Triplogs 654
Hiking0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.50 Miles
100 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
I was really looking forward to visiting this one. With the 30ft ladder and the exit that crawls up the cliff face, it's a whole lot of fun! Had a very small group, too.
 Culture
 Culture [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Inscriptions
_____________________
 
Jul 30 2009
avatar

 Guides 7
 Routes 80
 Photos 2,459
 Triplogs 654

male
 Joined Jan 10 2010
 Pomona, CA
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar Jul 30 2009
PatrickL • Triplogs 654
Hiking0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.50 Miles
100 ft AEG
 no routes
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
_____________________
 
Apr 24 2004
avatar

 Guides 171
 Routes 253
 Photos 6,100
 Triplogs 1,135

male
 Joined Apr 03 2006
 Pocatello, ID
Balcony House - MVNPSouthwest, CO
Balcony House - MVNP
Southwest, CO
Hiking avatar Apr 24 2004
PaleoRob • Triplogs 1,135
Hiking0.50 Miles 100 AEG
Hiking0.50 Miles
100 ft AEG
 no routesno photosets
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
Partners none no partners
Ran over to Mesa Verde when moving up to Page and did this "trail".
_____________________
"The only thing we did was wrong was staying in the wilderness to long...the only thing we did was right was the day we started to fight..."
-Old Spiritual
My book, The Marauders on Lulu and Amazon
 
average hiking speed 1 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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