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Cheers
Give a Cheer
Give a Cheer
The Park Ranger gathered us on top of one of the cliffs to tell us what to expect. I have to admit, as she talked about the difficulty of the climb and how this is not suitable for anyone with breathing problems or anyone who had trouble walking or climbing, my confidence that I could do this began become a little questionable to me. But Bill kept encouraging me and promised to be right there if I needed help.
As he was encouraging me, the Park Ranger was explaining how it would take a rescue team 2 hours to get to the site with a helicopter to airlift anyone that became injured or couldn't make it back up the cliff so not to try it unless you knew you could do it.
My confidence did not build any stronger when she explained that even thought the hike was only about a quarter mile, it was a steep hike down and at some points you could look straight down cliff, but if you couldn't take heights like that, you would be able to grab a low tree branch on the edge of the cliffs.
Nor was I particularly reassured when she told us there were 5 sets of wooden ladder with no handrail to get you to your feet at the top of each them! The top handrail was very low!
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While the Park Ranger was talking I went to a place on top of the cliff where people were looking at something. WOW! Now I had to go on this hike to Cliff Palace. The picture above and the two on the opposite page were taken with a zoom lens, but the one to the right is taken with a normal lens. I had to see this place up close! Those little “ants” in the photo are people in the tour group before us! Now I was determined now to make the climb down the cliff!
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Cliff Palace is the largest cliff dwelling in North America. The structure, built by the Ancient Pueblo Indians, is located in Mesa Verde National Park in their former homeland region. The Cliff Palace contains 23 kivas (round sunken rooms of ceremonial importance), and 150 rooms and had a population of appropriately 100 people. It is thought that Cliff Palace was a social and administrative site with high ceremonial usage.
Tree ring dating indicates that construction and refurbishing of Cliff Palace was continuous from 1190 through 1260 although the major portion of the building was done within a twenty-year time span. Cliff Palace was abandoned by 1300, and while debate remains as to the causes of this, some believe a series of mega-droughts interrupting crop growth is the main cause.
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