It Begins!!! A Mule Deer Vacation 2015

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Good stuff Tim. Keep it up bud!

[maxwell]

Very nice Tim,enjoy your time with Cathy and friends.

[South MS Bowhunter]

Anybody find it curious that Tim hasn't posted much today    Is there a subplot brewing  

[Tim]

Sorry folks for the delay.  Today is Tuesday and we are back on "vacation" mode and giving the mule deer a break.

We headed out early this morning on our way to Mesa Verde.  We took one of the most beautiful and scenic roads I've had an opportunity to drive.  The road goes from Ouray to Durango and I believe is often referred to as the million dollar highway.   We took a few pictures along the way that will provide you with the shear beauty that the area provides.  For us, more incredible life long memories.  I hope you enjoy them.  

Oh yeah....back to hunting maybe tomorrow night definitely Thursday morning!    

 

[Tim]

One more of Silverton!  

 

The next 5 miles of road heading south to Durango was just incredible.
 
 

 

[Tater]

Nice pictures, have a great day at Mesa Verde..!

  Makes me a little homesick for Colorado.....  

[Matty]

Originally posted by Tater:
Nice pictures, have a great day at Mesa Verde..!

  Makes me a little homesick for Colorado.....      

And we do miss you!
Anyone notice the "things" parked on main street silverton!?
Keep it coming and good luck tomorrow

[Whip]

That is one of the most beautiful roads I have ever driven.  Also the scariest, since I did it alone and pulling a trailer.  No shoulder, and no guard rails!  

[Joe2Crow]

beautiful country. thanks for sharing

[Tim]

We got to Mesa Verde late yesterday just in time to sit through a 30 minute museum video.  It's nice having someone explain to you what you are about to see and it was well worth the time.  We scheduled a guide tour for tomorrow, so I hope to have some more photos for you.

Here's a little teaser......oh yeah!

All of the dwelling sites have been renovated in an attempt to maintain there original look but what really left me with an eerie feeling was the smoke stains on the ceiling of the caves.  That's the real thing!

   
           

[Homey88]

Wow!!!! Great pictures!!!!

[South MS Bowhunter]

Tim,

Has anyone ever told Mark he looks like the "Mr. Clean" character?  

[Huntrdfk]

Great trip Tim! As much as I like to hunt I look at that country and think about how good the fly fishing must be!


David

[Carcajou]

Tim
Just returned from that beautiful state..Mark and Donna are wonderful folks...tell him to smile...he's in heaven!!

[awbowman]

Yes, beautiful stretch of roadway it is.

[rastaman]

Awesome pictures and story telling! Thanks and good luck to you both...      

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Originally posted by Whip:
That is one of the most beautiful roads I have ever driven.  Also the scariest, since I did it alone and pulling a trailer.  No shoulder, and no guard rails!      

I drove that road at 2 am with tooth picks stuck in my eyelids trying to stay awake.  the deer elk and wildcats in the road would make me wake up every so often.

While in Mesa Verde while I was there, wildfires were burning the area up and much of the park was Chard.

Great Photos Tim, they bring back great Memories!

[Tim]

Another long and very enjoyable day for the group.  We got up early and had a great breakfast at Sundance Bear Bed and Breakfast in Mancos.  Afterwards we headed back to Mesa Verde for a guided tour at Balcony House.  This particular cliff dwelling is "guided only".  

Here are a few pictures.  The life these ancient folks lived was just incredible.  Most of the dwelling dated back to around 400 AD.

 

 

 

[Tim]

I received a private message from Knobby aka Gary that did a wonderful job summarizing the key hole pits.  Rather than me try to explain I just copied and pasted Gary's message.

Understand that "all" of the cliff dwellings and mesa dwellings used this circular hole.
 
   

Per Gary....

Dear Tim.....While enjoying your pics from Mesa Verde, I noticed the second pic has a circular enclosure, somewhat below ground level. It's known as a kiva, and since we toured Mesa Verde many years ago, I had assumed it was simply a place to get warm, with the fire and a roof over the top.
I wasn't even close to it's purpose. Our daughter has a Masters in Native American studies and when I asked her about it, she said the kivas served a religious purpose among the Anasazi. The hole in the floor(the sipapu) represents where their ancestors emerged from a previous world into the present. This is based on what the Pueblo tribe uses them for.

Thanks Gary....  

.

[Tim]

These "kivas", where not left open like shown in the picture.  The 6 blocks around the edges is where they would place log supports and than cover with a roof.  In the center of the roof there would be a hole with a ladder for entry in and out.  The hole would also be for the rising smoke.  In the floor you will see a fire deflector and in back of it a vent for air circulation.

I wish I could explain more but the whole experience is way too much to take in during one visit.  Hopefully someone else out there can chime in.  

Here are a few more pictures from the day.

   

   

   

Back to the tree stand in the morning!      

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