on top of the green mesa .... Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde is ( even more of )  an extreme reaction to something ( .... what ?!? .... ) then Betatakin , the ancient dwellings I visited at Navajo National Monument.  At Betatakin the residents  ( around 1200 c.e.) with great skill, built a large village, within an enormous alcove , at the end of a long long canyon . At Mesa Verde not only are we at the end of a long canyon …. but we are a thousand feet up a scary trail ! The construction techniques were "Chacoan" ( see my upcoming Chaco visit ) . What happened to fuel this migration to the edge of a cliff ???

I took a trail up to a smaller residence rather than take the ranger led tour of the main village ( entered from above ) .... I wanted to get a feel for what it took to actually have to travel here ! I couldn't run ANY of it ,  but I did run back to my car afterwards . Really . It was about a mile , some ups and downs .... not sure of the altitude but I couldn't breathe worth a dang

going up

tight squeeze

I haven't mentioned ...

.... my very real fear of heights

cant imagine living up here

It is something I have worked with , on numerous occasions . Its not so much fear of heights .... but fear of getting to close to the edge .... like on these trails . Its crazy, they warn people who aren't fit about blowing up and dehydrating but only occasionally do you see warnings for falling off the edge !

down into the canyon

rest stop

not sure what this 1000 yr old painting was about

view from the top ... Navajo Canyon

where we hiked

looking towards the main residence