First day in Mesa Verde National Park, on the Point Lookout Trail.

The park road, from the Point Lookout Trail.

The park road, from the Point Lookout Trail.

Along the Point Lookout Trail.

A ranger-led visit to Balcony House in Mesa Verde. We were warned that there was climbing.

Balcony House. The cliff dwellings were built by the Anasazi in the first half of the 13th Century.

Balcony House.

The view north from Park Point Overlook.

On the second day in Mesa Verde, a view of Balcony House, into which I had climbed on day one.

Cliff Palace, the largest surviving cliff dwelling in North America.

Cliff Palace.

Even seemingly empty rocky clefts contain structures. Here, House of Many Windows.

Petroglyphs, one of the few such panels in the park.

Typical Mesa Verde landscape.

Square Tower House.

Square Tower House.

Oak Tree House.

New Fire House. There are dozens of cliff dwellings along the park's canyons.

Day three at Mesa Verde, and a prominent butte near the park entrance.

Near Geologic Overlook.

Near Geologic Overlook. Tough terrain.

On this last day I headed for Wetherill Mesa, on the less-visited western side of the park.

Long House, the second-largest cliff dwelling in the park.

In this dry territory wildfires are common, and leave their marks for decades afterwards.

Kodak House, a considerable hike from the road. I had the place to myself.

Kodak House.

Montezuma Valley.

Looking north over the Montezuma Valley.

Montezuma Valley.

A storm over Mancos Valley.