Mesa Verde, Day 2
Hello to all.
We saw several wild critters on this trip. More than eight lizards, deer, a wild turkey, huge stink bugs, cicada, and an animal called a "Feral Trespassing Horse" as mentioned in this sign.
We learned that some time ago several horses escaped the neighboring reservation and started living in the park. They bred to about 500 animals and are now threatening the deer population.
We saw several of these animals on our travels. I think the most interesting thing about them was how they were referred to: feral trespassing horses.
The park department apparently has plans to round them up and move them out of the park. This is one we came across just outside our lodge.
Our day began not as early as yesterday. We packed up, checked out and headed for breakfast. We timed ourselves to arrive at the Step House trail head at 9:00, right when it opened.
As we started down the trail, Xavier put on his hat and his styling sunglasses.
The hike down was about a mile, some of it on staircases along the cliff side.
Xavier commented on some of the brickwork along the hike, pointing out how it was like the cliff dwelling brick, but not built by the Ancient Puebloans. (He listened and remembered what the guide told us yesterday about how modern building around the sites tries to blend in with the environment).
We reached the path along the side of the cliff that led to the ruin and followed it to Step House. There, we asked the park ranger there to take a "helpie" of our family.
The ruin was a smaller one, but still worth the one mile hike along the goat trail and stairs down the cliff.
Xavier and Rebecca climbed the ladder into the dwelling, then posed for the "proof we were there shot."
We explored the site, looking into the kiva and other rooms. Xavier ran ahead with enthusiasm to see all the site at eight-year-old speed.
We did get him to slow down long enough to take a picture with Dad before we started our ascent back to the mesa top.
On the way out, Xavier took the ladder down to the pathway. Rebecca, after overseeing Xavier's climb down, decided to take Dad's way down: a small stone staircase.
The path up to the mesa top was far less arduous, the biggest concern was all the large yucca plant along the switchbacks waiting to skewer a foot or leg.
Half way up, we came across a coyote. It skirted us and we watched it go around and continue its way down the goat path.
All in all, a successful trip and Xavier was a trooper the whole way. He mentioned on the way out that he liked the Step House the best because we saw the coyote. "If we didn't have to come back today," he told Rebecca, "we would not have seen the coyote."