Semi Weekly Herald

TRIP THROUGH THE MESA VERDE PARK

(Contributed).

Starting from the beautiful little city of Mancos, between the hours of 6 and 7 in the morning, going west two miles, then south ascending the mesa under the point of Point Lookout and after a detour of miles, to avoid a very narrow portion of the old road, came back to the ledge of Mesa.

Such wonderful and beautiful views one sees going through the park.

An eight per cent grade from one telephone station to the other. The highest point on the mesa is 8,574 feet above sea level, the gradual slope is south and from the highest point looking over the beautiful Montezuma valley is 2,000 feet. Looking north can be seen the Rico mountains with the Montezuma valley, first below the observer, covered with fertile fields. To the west are the La Salle and Blue mountains in Utah, with the mountains in the immediate foreground in Colorado. To the south can be seen the Tunitche range in Arizona and Shiprock in New Mexico and can be seen the canyon of the Mancos river and where the La Plata enters the San Juan. Looking through the different canyons can be seen miles of ledges of sandstone in which were built the homes of the Ancient Cliff Dwellers, that is something wonderful.

Starting down Michigan avenue, a road cut through five miles of cedars looks as if it might have been the farming land and leads down to the Spruce Tree house which is located in Spruce Tree canyon. The first we came to and we were glad to get there for we were a hungry set of sight seeing people by the way. We were late on the account of an accident but we sure did justice to the bountiful, well cooked dinner that was waiting us at the little tent town, kept by Mrs. Peep, a pleasant lady to meet.

The tents are placed right on the ledge of Spruce Tree house. You go down under a ledge of sandstone and winding your way under the hill of stone, one comes to a pump, which pumps water to the camp. Go back under the wall. you come to the most beautiful spring. Oh! such good, cold clear water. I will never forget it. And to think it is where those people of the past got their water to drink, so many years ago. Then we went up to the ruins, just a little walk from the spring.

One enters from the left rooms, some of which are large and some small. One room after another, most all in good preservation and the ceiling is of cedar and is perfect, there are Kivas, the council chambers. place of worship are built round supposed to have been 135 rooms built in between cliff ledges of small stones chinked with mortar and broken pottery supposed to have housed 350 inhabitants from Spruce house to Balcony house, we did not go through this house but stopped on a big table rock from which the view was perfect. The sun shone so we could see in the ruins, the location was safe and grand, time was limited, from there went to the Cliff Palace house located about two miles from Spruce house. Cliff Palace is built just about half way from the top to the bottom of the ledge, bottom of the canyon go down a ladder 10 feet but 200 feet around one goes up another ladder you first enter the court into rooms back from the rooms is another beautiful spring the view right straight across is one mile.

Four hundred feet from bottom of canyon.

Other houses are to be seen. and one to see them surely will never forgotten.

This trip was given me by Arthur McLeran, my son.

MRS. L. V. BERNARD.