2004 Canyon Country Tour

We were on a 17 day tour of the national parks and monuments of canyon country, hosting our friends from the Czech Republic. After visiting the Moab, Utah area we headed south to Mesa Verde.

Cortez, Colorado

6:30 a.m.
We packed up the Trooper, then had a continental breakfast provided by the motel.

7:24 a.m.
We left the motel in Cortez, Colorado for Mesa Verde National Park. The morning was cool, with only light clouds.

Route In

7:33 a.m.
We entered Mesa Verde National Park and drove past Morefield Village and the Far View Visitor Center without stopping, heading for the Spruce Tree House area. We will then work our way back.

Spruce Tree House

8:11 a.m.
We spotted a small female mule deer near the Spruce Tree House parking area. There is quite a bit of construction going on in the area, and it seems that the museum there is getting a new heating and air conditioning system. But we could still observe most of the displays in the museum. We then walked down the asphalt path to the ruins. For a while we were the only tourists there, with a Park Ranger and a Park Worker. We were able to go down into a kiva, and visited with the Ranger for a short while. On our return to the parking area we used the restrooms there.

Mesa Top Loop

9:45 a.m.
We left the Spruce Tree House area and drove the Mesa Top Loop and stopped at a pit house where there was a tour listening to a guide speak about the ruins.

Square Tower House Overlook

We then drove to the Square Tower House Overlook. There we walked back along the road a short ways to the Navajo Canyon View where we could see the heavily vegetated canyon cutting back into the mesa. We were able to spot a couple of small cliff dwellings. Then we walked back past where we had parked and down a .25 mile asphalt path to the Square Tower House Overlook. This was a nice walk, and we were the only ones out there.

Sun Point, Oak Tree House, Fire Temple, and New Fire House Overlooks

10:30 a.m.
We stopped at the Sun Point View, the Oak Tree House Overlook, and the Fire Temple and New Fire House Overlook. We could also see Cliff Palace across the canyon, with the hordes of tourists waiting for their scheduled tour. You can only visit Cliff Palace with a Park Ranger as a guide.

Sun Temple

10:40 a.m.
We stopped at the Sun Temple and walked around there for a short while, getting a better view of Cliff Palace across the canyon.

Far View Ruins

11:00 a.m.
We then continued on, back to the north, and visited the Far View ruins (elevation 8,040 feet, or 2,452 meters) and walked around and in them for a while. There was only one other couple in the area while we were there. Very quiet and peaceful, sunny, with a slight occasional breeze that kept the air comfortable. We toured around the Far View House, the Pipe Shrine House, and Coyote Village.

Park Point

11:50 a.m.
We headed toward Park Point (elevation 8,571 feet, or 2,621 meters) to have a picnic lunch. On the way up the road to the point we spotted a single grouse along the side of the road.

12:05 p.m.
We stopped at Park Point for a picnic lunch. We had the area mostly to ourselves, as most people stopped only to walk up to the high point and look around. There are clean restrooms near the picnic area, but only a few tables under shady junipers and pinyons. But they all have great views of the surrounding valley. After we ate we walked up to Park Point where there is a fire lookout building, and a Park Ranger on duty. From up there you can see for many miles in all directions. On the walk up Mirek noticed the flying grasshoppers and was fascinated, saying their Czech grasshoppers only hop.

Route Out

From there we continued north and out of the Park. We took 160 back to Cortez, where we bought gas.

1:58 p.m.
We left Cortez, Colorado. The temperature was 85 degrees F. We headed southwest on Highway 160/666 (491), and then took Highway 160 in a more westerly direction. This part of the drive, through the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation, is pretty desolate and dry.