Florissant Fossil Beds

Florrisant Fossil Beds National Monument, Florrisant, CO
Visiting this place was quite a learning experience for both of us. As we know, fossils are found in many places. What makes this location unique is the vast variety of fossils found in a relatively small area. The Visitors Center had an excellent display of fossils. There were also 2 interpretive trails to walk which mainly showed petrified redwood stumps but also had an excavation site where the fossils are in the shale layers of rocks. There were a number of educational ranger talks that we thoroughly enjoyed listening to as well. It is one thing to look at a fossil in a display case and it is another to see one when a piece of shale is split open and a fossil is visible. We got to see a slice of the petrified redwood which still had some organic material present so that you could actually see the rings.
We attended Mass on Sunday at the Chapel located at the U.S. Air Force Academy. It is a lovely chapel and it is open to the public for services. We went to the Visitors Center at the academy and watched a video on the history of the academy and got to see what life is like for a cadet on this campus. First year students must attend a 6 week boot camp before being officially accepted in the 4 year program and it is quite rigorous. The campus itself is lovely, set in the valley surrounded by mountains. We enjoyed spending time there very much.

Great Sand Dunes NP 7/15

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
The sand originated in the San Juan Mountains over 65 miles to the west. The larger, rougher grains and pebbles originated in the nearby Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Wind and water are the primary movers of the sand. These mountains were volcanic mountains. The melting snow, from the mountains, moved most of the sand and the wind piled it up at the base of the mountains at the valley floor. The Sand Dunes’ age is estimated from 12,000 years to over a million years. The Sand Dunes reach heights of 750 feet. These are the tallest Sand Dunes in North America. The sand is coarser than the sand on Cape Cod beaches. The erosion from the mountains has reduced over time. Most of the sand deposits, outside of the dunefield, are stabilized by plants. It is quite impressive as you drive through the valley and come upon these Sand Dunes at the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
While in the area we visited Fort Garland which Kit Carson commanded New Mexico Volunteers from 1866-1867. Kit was instrumental in negotiating treaties with Chief Oury and the Utes. Sue got a kick out of reading about Kit Carson as he truly was an American Western hero.

Black Canyon NP 7/7 - 7/14

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
In just 48 miles in Black Canyon, the Gunnison River loses more elevation than the 1,500 mile Mississippi River does from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The power of vast falling enables the river to erode through tough rock. On average, the river drops 96 feet per mile in the National Park with the greatest drop being 480 feet in one 2 mile stretch. This has carved a very deep, narrow canyon. The gorge is 2,772 feet at one point. Very little sunshine reaches the bottom of the canyon and, therefore, it is named Black Canyon. The river first cut through soft volcanic rock cutting down to harder old crystallized rock of the dome shaped Gunnison uplift. The color in the almost vertical walls of the north rim made it look like an artist’s painting. Curecanti National Recreation Area is next tithe National Park. Three hydro electric dams are on the Gunnison River which are part of the Upper Colorado River Basin. Blue Mesa Reservoir is the largest body of water in Colorado. The colors from the rock formations with the sun shining on them were breath taking. We viewed the canyon from the South Rim and also from a boat tour we took part way up the Gunnison River. We stayed in Montrose, CO which had a museum dedicated to the Ute Indian Tribe. Since we have been visiting Native American museums from Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, CA and CO, it is now tying the Native American people together who occupied the Southwestern part of this country.

Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park
Ancestral Puebloans and their world have been defined as far as possible by the archeological finds in Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The ancestral Puebloans lived in this area for more than 700 years. They and their descendants lived and flourished here eventually building elaborate stone communities in the sheltered alcoves of canyon walls. In the late 1200’s, in the span of a generation or two, they left their homes and moved away. Since there were no written transcripts of these people, it is difficult for the archeologists to determine exactly why changes occurred in the 700 years and why they left this area. This has been quite a learning experience for Sue and me since we started in 2006 in New Mexico learning about the Native Americans and the Hopi Tribe. It did show us how little we know about the Native Americans’ lifestyle, culture and beliefs. Having the opportunity to meet some of the Native Americans whose ancestors who may have lived in this area, we have gained a greater appreciation for the hardships that they had faced just to exist on a day to day basis. It has become obvious that they did have spiritual beliefs that extend into today. Ceremonies are an important part of their culture. Mesa Verde National Park is definitely a good place to obtain an understanding of the ancestral Puebloans. The Museum in the park and the Anasazi Heritage Center in Cortez gave us a good understanding of the time line of events from 100 A.D. to 1300 A.D.

Hovenweep National Monument

Hovenweep Nat’l Monument
Archeological studies across the 4 corners region have produced vast information about past cultures inhabiting this part of the Southwest. These people eventually to be known as the ancestral Pueblo people were initially mobile, taking temporary shelter beneath canyon overhangs and in shallow alcoves as they traveled in search of food. About 200 A.D. they built pit houses and began to cultivate crops in valleys and on mesa tops. The Hovenweep area was still relatively uninhabited until the year 700 A.D.
There are 3 national monuments in the southwest corner of Colorado being the Hovenweep National Monument; Yucca House and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument which all contain the remains of the buildings and villages of the ancestral Puebloans. Hovenweep is the only one that has been where the archeologists have reclaimed the area of the ruins where they are visible. The other 2 have had sites identified but not yet reclaimed. There are thousands of sites in this area.