The One That Got Away: Mesa Verde Nat'l Park 5/27/10

If there is a passport Waterloo for the Cales, it is Mesa Verde National Park in the Southwestern corner of Colorado. The park itself (more later) is peerless as a romp among the ruins, but as we drove away - no small task, as the drive to the overlooks is neverending - we lacked an essential stamp that can only be found here: Yucca House National Monument. We banked on the stamp being at the Anasazi Heritage Center in nearby Dolores, but were crushed with disappointment the next morning when it was nowhere to be found. Oh, the center had a map to Yucca House, but kindly informed us - as if we didn't know - that the stamp was back at Mesa Verde. Really? Where? The visitor center had but one stamp, and even that one was a bit smeared. Were they playing games? Was some sassy ranger hiding it under lock and key, waiting for some obscure password to release the riches? Didn't they realize that we'd obsess over its absence in our passport book for months on end? Not that we wouldn't drive all the way down here for a a single stamp, but there's a principle at stake, one that threatens the very fabric of our collective sanity.

Before I move on, let it be said that there's nothing to see at Yucca House, and it boggles the imagination that they'd grind the boot heel of obsession into our chest for what amounts to a mound of dirt. Yucca House, unexcavated and lacking any dramatic vistas, is a weed or two on some poor sap's private lot, which can only be found by channeling one's inner Zelda. It's proof that anything and everything Indian is cause for celebration, even if its loss (did I mention everything of value is buried beneath the earth?) would not be noticed by anyone, especially in light of the fact that it's next door to one of America's most striking examples of Ancestral Pueblo architecture. So where is the stamp? While I was exploring the Cliff Palace, Brooke went to get a souvenir at the Chapin Mesa Museum. Or did she? She claims not to have found anything, even though the NPS says it's located at the front desk. Was it there, or actually buried behind a secret door at the Long House? Available for one hour per year, and only after a full moon? We've seen it on other web pages, so we know it exists, but until it's secured, it might as well be Bigfoot. Life is beyond cruel.

The SOBs who conceived of Yucca House aside, Mesa Verde is, at least for me, the end of a lifetime's journey. Had I really lived in Colorado my entire life and not visited? Brooke says she almost came here as a girl, but the long drive in was too much for her parents and they turned back before reaching the Far View Visitor Center. But me! A native! And yet I had gone putt-putt golfing 677 times before I was twelve. No one ever accused my family of giving a damn. But now, better late than never, I was here: the granddaddy of Indian ruins, and one of the most iconic sites in the country. Sure, the drive in (as Brooke's parents know) is a test of anyone's endurance, but unlike Chaco, this road is paved, sparing one's tires, if not one's sanity. Still, it keeps everything nice and tucked away, much like it would have been for Richard Wetherill and Charles Mason that fateful day in 1888 as they searched for stray cattle. Well, not exactly. Today, Mesa Verde is as glorious as ever - beautiful and noble, all at once - but it's pretty damn crowded, even in May. The sweaty flock doesn't detract, of course, but it's a bit different in spirit from the quieter Chaco.

There are two distinct areas at Mesa Verde (Wetherill and Chapin Mesas), but it's more than sufficent to hit Chapin alone and the Spruce Tree House, follow it up with the Cliff Palace, and take leave of the park. Heresy? Maybe, but the former is the park's best preserved cliff dwelling, while the latter is the largest, so you're getting the best of all worlds. Spruce Tree House is at the bottom of a long (but not overlong) walk, but it's a challenge to make your way back to the top. That said, you'll be down at the site for a long enough time to prepare your fragile lungs. The trail is well-kept and teeming with stunning sights, but pay attention.

And then there's the Cliff Palace. The views from above can't be beat, and then you stand face to face and take it all back. This is the park's true highlight, and there's no shortage of thrills as you stand in awe of this ancient marvel. A ticket is required to take this tour, if only to keep crowds to a minimum, and it's not the easiest stroll. Thin passages and steep stairs abound, but it's not enough to keep away the curious. The ranger-led discussion was passionate and hearty, and she even hung around at the end to answer a question I had about Chaco. The Mesa Verde staff have this down to a science, and their timing was impeccable, without a moment wasted. Sure, the ranger talk is scripted, but it never seemed so, which is a testament to genuine historical interest (unlike, say, Mount Vernon, where the minimum wage kids running the show had all the joy of a cancer patient). As the ranger reminded us again and again, life under the cliffs was not an easy one, but they left no shortage of beauty and culture for posterity. And maybe some clues about the stamp for Yucca House.

FINAL RATING

10/10