We hired a private guide to go to the Anasazi ruins in Ute Mountain Park.  This was spectacular.  The drive out (on dirt roads about 50 miles or so) was amazing and worth it by itself.  You must have a Ute with you to go back in the canyons and mesas.  I have never been as far away from “civilization” as when we were these canyons and on the mesas.  You cannot hear anything except the wind and birds.  The silence was spectacular along with the views.  When you are at the top of the mesa you do not even realize (and cannot tell) that just over the trees is a drop of 1,000+ feet.

The Anasazi ruins here are very different than in Mesa Verde.  They may have been stabilized in some areas, but not rebuilt.  There are also not the restrictions on getting close.  These ruins are 800 years old and sometimes you can almost feel the Anasazi still there.  The Utes always said the Anasazi medicine was strong and they did not go back in the canyons for years because they were afraid of that medicine.

We saw what is called 45 Degree House and She House first.  45 Degree House was supposedly a storage facility and She House was a ceremonial location.  She House got its name from some bones that were found when the Utes were cutting a trail between the two houses.

At the end of dirt road we went to 4 sites.  The first site had a “tower” which the Anasazi used to communicate.  Tower after tower are in line of site down through the canyons to warn of danger (think Lord of the Rings warning system).  The ruins are just that, ruins; however, there is still a lot of structure left.  You can tell how the Anasazi cooked and lived.  There were also kivas so you can tell how they worshiped.  The last of the ruins had a 38-foot ladder.  I must admit my legs got a little queasy going up the ladder.  After the ladder though it got worse.  One part of the ledge was slopped (probably a 15 degree angle so not huge) and the slope went right off into a 70-100 foot fall straight down.  I was hugging the side.  The Anasazi went up and down on what had to have been 70-foot ladders.  I cannot imagine doing that with water on your back.

As we were leaving the park we passed some petroglyphs and the largest kiva I have ever seen.  I believe it is bigger than any of the ones in Mesa Verde.  It was really just a circular depression and there is no plan to excavate.  The path to the kiva had literally thousands of pieces of broken pottery.  You can just go off the trail and pick it up.  You cannot take it however.  I would guess we picked up 20 pieces (and left them for others to see).  You do not want to take the pottery pieces with you because it brings bad luck and I’m not so sure the Anasazi wouldn’t follow you home.  No one knows for sure why there are some many broken pieces in that area.  The guide thought it was because it was a large gathering place and no one wanted to carry the pottery home.  My dad had a better thought (in my mind) and said he thought it was part of a ceremony.  I think that makes a lot more sense, kind of like the breaking of plates/glasses in some cultures.

If anyone is in the Southwest Colorado area and is looking for something to do without hundreds of people, check this out.  You have to make reservations in advance and I would recommend not going in summer because I would bet the heat would be unbearable (our guide said 120 degrees in the canyons in the middle of summer).  Late September was perfect though.

I am certainly going to pick up more of these books when I find them.

Books

Mission Code: Symbol #1

- Jonas Salk

- Art Williams

- John C. Maxwell

- Eddie Cantor

- John C. Maxwell

- Whit Hobbs

- Stephen Leacock

- Thomas Edison

- John C. Maxwell

- John C. Maxwell

- Unknown

- Unknown