Mesa Verde and Boulder

Crossing the state line back to Colorado bought us in to cowboy country.  Lots of cattle farms, with real cowboys on horses herding cattle down the roads.  There was even a horse-driven plough.

Our destination, Durango, was close to the Mesa Verde National Park.  As a change from hiking, the attraction was the remarkable and historic cliff dwellings, inhabited by the Pueblo Indians from about 1100AD until 1300AD.

This area is very popular in the summer, but fortunately when we visited it was closing down for winter, and very quiet.  Our ranger-led tour of the Cliff Palace had only three people in it, in contrast to the height of the season when there would be 60.  The cave dwellings themselves are fascinating, well built out of local stone, carefully set out and in reasonably good repair considering their age.  Cliff Palace had around 100 rooms.  Just getting to some of the ledges would have involved either rock-climbing or ladders.  Now there are steps cut and steel railings.  No-one knows why the whole area was abandoned just after the construction was completed.

Driving back to Durango later in day we stopped to view two coyotes wandering through the dry scrub land.  Durango has a great little historic downtown area complete with western bar and hotel.  We had dinner there, entertained by a yodelling cowboy, typically attired in check shirt, jeans, pointy boots, and cowboy hat.  Our waitress had on a saloon girl outfit.

The road to Denver led up through the Rocky’s, crossing Wolf Creek Pass in a blizzard. The highway  passed through Del Norte on the to Salida, where we booked a night in the  Gateway Inn.  For $57 you get a room with 2 queen beds, wifi, ensuite, fridge, coffee maker and self-service continental breakfast.  We are getting used to these typical breakfast arrangements.  Usually there are a selection of coffee, juices, fruits, yogurt, cereals, pastries, eggs and even waffle makers.  It seems OK to take a bit of everything and wrap the left-overs for lunch later.

Salida is a funky seasonal resort town with the kayak-friendly Arkansas River running through it.  There are skiing, hiking and mountain-biking trails in the surrounding hills. The Mexican food and local beer in the Boatman Cafe are superb.

The road to Boulder and Denver continues up through vast dry plains watered by many pivot irrigators.  The scene is very much like that in the Mackenzie Country at home, except the elevations are 7000 feet higher. Light snow squalls swept across in front of the car as we crossed the Rocky’s one last time, at a steady 65mph on wide empty roads.

Waiting for us in Boulder were Steve and Jayne Miller, and their two boys Jeffery and Aidan. They kindly put us up for 3 nights, and organised a dinner with many fellow skiers from ski touring trips to Canada a few years back. It was fantastic, after a 5 year gap, to catch up with Kim Ryder, Dave Meldrum, Bruce Plodkin, and Emily Rothman (wife of Dave who was away skiing at Monarch near Salida).  They organised a short hike in the Eldorado canyon the following day, where we saw plenty of rock climbers, and later deer in the meadows above. Dara and I did some further exploring a day later, in the Gregory Canyon, on Flagstaff peak, and on the Mesa Trail below the Flatirons.  These distinctive flat slabs of red rock rise directly behind Boulder and provide a playground for climbers, hikers and bikers. Bears and coyotes are abundant and frequently get in to peoples gardens in town.

We helped Kim walk her delightful springer spaniel Katie around the neighbourhood.  Katie has a to wear a little brace to support a deformed front leg, and happily trots along with a distinctive tapping noise on the footpaths.  Katie narrowly avoided getting her owner a $50 ticket from the patrolling dog rangers, for not wearing her lead on the park.

We were sad to leave the busy Miller household and wished the kids well for their weekend events, Jeffery in a swimming competition that might get him a place in the Nationals, and Aidan in a violin recital. Having been treated to a special performance at home, we know he will be amazing.  In return, I had to perform a very rusty rendition of my old school haka for them. 

California and Napa valley here we come ....

Click here for photos of Mesa Verde and Boulder