Aztec, New Mexico, Library
Because I was too tight-fisted to pay the $3 fee to enter the Navajo Nation's Four Corners Monument I took a couple of photos outside of their gate and from US160 just past Four Corners.
This photo looks to the southwest into Arizona
And this photo is along US160 into Colorado.
About a mile up US160 from Four Corners I stopped and shot this view into Utah to the northwest.
A shot to the southeast into New Mexico; note the large rock in the center of the photo. It's called Shiprock, and is visible for a long distance from every direction except from the west in Arizona, where the Chuska Mountains block the view.
An interesting rock formation just west of the junction of US160 and US491.
A photo to the northeast from the junction of US160 & US491.
From a corner near the Cortez Library, a photo of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The previous photos were taken on the way to Cortez, CO. The remainder were taken within Mesa Verdi National Park, which is about 9 miles from Cortez.
A plaque at Park Point, the highest point in Mesa Verdi at 8,572 ft, explains the importance of the lookout atop Park Point, which was built in 1939 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and can help spot smoke from a fire at distances up to 100 miles.
From Park Point a look to the southwest at the Chuska Mountains, which lie across the New Mexico/Arizona border.
Now it's clear why many of the U.S. Forest Service Colorado campgrounds don't open until April or May -- after the snow melts.
Agricultural land north of Cortez, including Totten Lake, and mountains in the southeast corner of Utah in the the distance.
Mountains in the southwestern corner of Colorado, with the tallest being Sleeping Ute Mountain (elev: 9964') on the Ute Mountain Indian Reservation.
A plaque outlining the "grand view" to the SSE -- including the major landmark of NW New Mexico, Shiprock (elev:7178').
Unfortunately, the clouds obscure a view of Shiprock in the center of this photo.
Unfortunately, one can no longer enlarge these photos by clicking on them once or twice because of a change at Blogger about two months ago; this plaque is beneficial in that it gives the elevations of many of the mountains visible from Park Point.
Another shot of the Cortez to Dolores area with a complete view of McPhee Reservoir -- which explains why many of the Cortez residents have boats.
A look back up to the Park Point Lookout.
A plaque on the best-preserved cliff dwelling at Mesa Verdi: the Spruce Tree House. Here's the text.
"These people [Puebloan, apparent ancestors of the Pueblo and Hopi Indians] lived on Mesa Verdi for 700 years. They built large cliff dwelling only during their last 100 years; then they gradually left.
The pit house may have gradually evolved into the kiva or ceremonial chamber.
Spruce Tree House was discovered in 1888. It has 114 rooms and 8 kivas. About 100 to 150 people lived here at its height."
Spruce Tree House. Because of poor "map recon" on my part (it was a 40-mile round-trip from the entrance kiosk to the Spruce Tree Museum), I was unable to take more photos. [Just made it out to the only gas station in Mancos with the fuel level almost to the left of "E."]
Plan to return the Mesa Verdi next year.
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Links:
- National Park Service web pages on Mesa Verdi National Park
- Wikipedia article on Shiprock
- Flickr Photo of Shiprock
Sa 24 Mar Actual Route: c8 mi east of Red Mesa (boon-dock) - Four Corners - Towaoc, CO - Cortez Lib - Towaoc (Ute Mtn Casino RV Pk)
Su 25 Mar Actual Route: Towaoc - Cortez - Mesa Verdi Natl Park - Mancos - Durango RV Park
M 26 Mar Actual Route: Durango RV Pk - Cedar Hill - Aztec Runins Natl Mon - Aztec Library - Ruins RV Park
T 27 Mar Route: Ruins RV Park - Farmington - Mom & Pop RV Park
W 28 Mar Route: Mom & Pop RV Park - Shiprock - Ute Mtn Casino RV Pk, CO
Finding Campgrounds:
- RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
- Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
- Free campsites website
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