Durango

Today I visited Mesa Verde , a National Park and World Heritage Site about a half hour west of Durango. For over 700 years, the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesas and in the cliffs of Mesa Verde and it is a very rich archeological site. It is also home to a large and active research center.

The park had received about 2 feet of snow, so there were many closures, both roads and trails and also the museum. The snow had melted and re-frozen in places, both on the road and on the few open paths and it was a bit treacherous in places. I followed the same rule as in South American rainforests with poisonous snakes: Always look where you are walking, shoot only when standing still. It was magical in the snow, and very empty - I saw only a few other people the entire day. Some of the interesting archeological sites were inaccessible, however, so I would definitely want to come back in another season to view the rest of the sites.

In 2002 Mesa Verde suffered yet another devastating wildfire . Initiated by a lightening strike and furthered by drought conditions, the fire burned about 2600 acres of Pinyon/Juniper woodlands . Over two decades later, large swaths of burned trees remain and it is unclear if the trees will ever grow back . Piñon and Juniper are very slow growing trees and, while they can withstand severe drought, they are ill-equipped to recover from fire. Piñon, for instance, don’t produce germinating seeds until they reach 75 years in age. And even then, the plants only produce seeds every seven to eight years, requiring non-drought conditions and proper dispersing by animals. Yet another blatant reminder of climate change.

On my way back I stopped at a pull-out and met Wayne, a fellow photographer. Wayne is a registered nurse (retired) and has worked extensively with Native American tribes. He lives at the base of the Mesa and knows the park well. We had a geeky conversation about cameras and lenses and he allowed me to take his photo for this blog.

This is my last day in Colorado. Tomorrow I travel to New Mexico.

Additional images can be found in the Gallery, along with black and white representations of the images of the burnt trees.