MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK (11/09)

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

It is a beautiful 20-mile drive up the

mountain to get to the cliff dwellings

(and a little challenging in the snow!)

There are a lot of stairs and ladders

to climb to and from the dwellings.

CLIFF PALACE

Above the wooden sticks is some rock art (in red).

SPRUCE TREE

Those sticks coming up out of the ground are

ladders that lead down into underground rooms.

Ladder leading down into a room

Inside the room

Another cliff dwelling