BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 13, 2024 19:45:53 GMT -8
I knew it was early to visit Mesa Verde (despite temps well into the 70s), but I wasn't prepared for the nearly complete lack of access to signature features of the park.
The Wetherill Mesa section was closed in April '23 for infrastructure work, expected to be complete by July '23, but it remained closed for all of '23. They recently decided to keep it closed for all of '24. That's half the park, and the damage they're repairing was done 24 years ago, so it's not as if the damage was an insurmountable obstacle. Also, Wetherill Mesa has one of only three major ruins that can be visited in the off-season.
That leaves Chapin Mesa, which has the other two major sites available for self-guided visits in the off-season sites: Spruce House and the Far View sites. However, Spruce House has been closed since '15 due to a rock fall and they're still trying to come up with a remediation plan. The Far View sites normally would have been open by now, but they aren't yet and may not be open before May.
Balcony House and Cliff Palace should become available when seasonal rangers come back at the end of May, but they'll probably be overwhelmed with everything else closed. It's also not clear whether they'll have staff to support guided backcountry visitation this year (the only kind that's allowed).
In summary, with the exception of a petroglyph panel on a 2.4mi loop trail and one small ruin (really just a foundation outline), there is nothing you can get close to now, and at most three sites will be available for visitation in this calendar year. You can still view some of them at long distance from lookout points on the road.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 13, 2024 19:51:13 GMT -8
That’s kind of sad. I can recommend the tours at the Ute Mountain Tribal Park, or at least, can say they were very good some 15 years ago when we took one.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 13, 2024 19:58:12 GMT -8
Now is a great time to see Hovenweep, before it gets too hot, and also Wupatki, each of which has many structures. Keet Seel and Betatakin (both on the Navajo Reservation) are better than anything at Mesa Verde, but can inexplicably be seen only in the blistering summer.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 14, 2024 7:13:40 GMT -8
I had to look up Wupatki—out of the usual rounds for me. Making a note to check it out next time I go to the South Rim. I have a great photo of my dad at Hovenweep in 1999.
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balzaccom
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Post by balzaccom on Apr 14, 2024 11:39:59 GMT -8
Now is a great time to see Hovenweep, before it gets too hot, and also Wupatki, each of which has many structures. Keet Seel and Betatakin (both on the Navajo Reservation) are better than anything at Mesa Verde, but can inexplicably be seen only in the blistering summer. Yes to all of these, as well as Bandelier, Gila Cliffs, Chaco Canyon... Also interesting, but not as impressive, are Walnut Canyon, El Morro, and Montezuma's Castle. |
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 14, 2024 18:54:30 GMT -8
I had to look up Wupatki—out of the usual rounds for me. Making a note to check it out next time I go to the South Rim. I have a great photo of my dad at Hovenweep in 1999. Among other oddities, Wupatki has the northernmost known ball court. It must have been quite a melting pot, with immigrants from all the cultures of the larger region. |
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Post by bluefish on Apr 15, 2024 0:59:29 GMT -8
Now is a great time to see Hovenweep, before it gets too hot, and also Wupatki, each of which has many structures. Keet Seel and Betatakin (both on the Navajo Reservation) are better than anything at Mesa Verde, but can inexplicably be seen only in the blistering summer. Yes to all of these, as well as Bandelier, Gila Cliffs, Chaco Canyon... Also interesting, but not as impressive, are Walnut Canyon, El Morro, and Montezuma's Castle. Throw in Aztec Ruins (nothing to do with the Aztec) in Aztec, NM. The reconstructed large kiva is phenomenal, as is some of the stone work. Not far from Ch chchchchchchchaco, once you're off the washboard and back on asphalt. |
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 15, 2024 6:35:31 GMT -8
I visited Bandelier on Friday. The ambience was nice, although most popular ruin in Frijoles Canyon was overrun. While not much remains intact of the huge ground structure and there are merely hints of the long cliff-base structure, they give a good indication of how many people were here.
The hike up the canyon was very nice. Half a dozen beaver dams made the little creek seem like a river.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Apr 15, 2024 6:40:38 GMT -8
I visited Aztec with Mrs big_load in November, after getting rained out of Chaco. The scale is really impressive and there are some rare textiles on display in the visitor center. Only Wupatki has better textiles available for public viewing IMO.
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balzaccom
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Post by balzaccom on Apr 15, 2024 18:16:33 GMT -8
I visited Aztec with Mrs big_load in November, after getting rained out of Chaco. The scale is really impressive and there are some rare textiles on display in the visitor center. Only Wupatki has better textiles available for public viewing IMO. Check out Edge of the Cedars Museum in Bluff--it has astonishing textiles, too. And the Museum of Northern Arizona has some great stuff. |
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Apr 26, 2024 19:29:19 GMT -8
I visited Aztec with Mrs big_load in November, after getting rained out of Chaco. The scale is really impressive and there are some rare textiles on display in the visitor center. Only Wupatki has better textiles available for public viewing IMO. Check out Edge of the Cedars Museum in Bluff--it has astonishing textiles, too. And the Museum of Northern Arizona has some great stuff. Just stopped there a couple of days ago, but didn’t see many textiles. A few things. May have missed a section—we were pretty blitzed after our 7.5-mile hike that day 😁 |
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