Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes - 51. Chapter 51 S2

Chapter 51 – Mesa Verde

“Do you think there’s a reason we’ve seen a skinwalker three times so far?” Devin whispered. “Do you think there are multiple skinwalkers or just one that’s been stalking us?”

“I think it’s the same one. I just have a feeling it senses there’s something different about us that it can’t figure out.”

“Let’s hope we can shake it after we leave here and head to Mesa Verde.”

“Yeah, I hope so too.”

“What are you two whispering about?” Dad wanted to know. “You’ve been whispering since we left the museum and while we’ve been walking to the SUV.”

“We were just talking about some of the things that we saw at the museum,” I replied.

I wasn’t lying and what I said was basically true, but it just wasn’t something we saw IN the museum. It was something we saw before we got to the museum and after we left there. I must have made it sound reasonable though, because Dad didn’t ask any more questions about it.

“Ok, then here’s the plan,” Dad stated. “First of all, it’s a good thing that we all had a filling breakfast this morning, because it’s already well past lunchtime, so we’ll just head in the direction of the motel we’re going to stay at tonight. It will take an hour to get there, so we’ll stop in Durango to have a late lunch-early supper, since we have to go through there anyway and it’s roughly halfway to our destination. I hope no one has a problem with that.”

“No, it’s fine,” we all agreed, so Dad started driving.

Devin and I decided to use our phones to look for a good place to eat, and after scrolling through the list of the “10 Best Places to Eat in Durango”, we agreed on one location. “Dad, we’ve used our phones to look through the listings for the best places to eat in Durango and we’ve chosen the one we think will be best for us. The other two we would have chosen require reservations and the rest of the places are geared more toward drinking beer and wine, rather than eating – at least not eating supper.”

“Why do you say that?” Mom asked.

“Because they have limited menus that seem to be geared toward lunchtime foods, like burgers, sandwiches, chicken wings, and other things like that. The restaurant we’ve chosen offers items that you’ll probably find more appropriate for supper, so I’ll set my phone to direct you there.”

“And I’m paying,” Devin quickly added. “The place we’ve chosen seems a little pricey, but not nearly as expensive as the restaurants that need reservations that we would have recommended instead. I’m still paying, though, and I want each of you to order whatever you want, and don’t worry about the price.”

“You don’t have to do this, Devin,” Dad objected.

“I know, but I want to pay for it,” Devin confirmed as I handed Dad my phone to guide him there.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we all agreed that it looked like a really nice place, although the design of the building took a little while to get used to. That was because it had a curved, beige roof that rose high above the dining area, and it made us feel as if we were in a huge tent, like one you might find at a circus or a revival meeting. Anyway, we sat down and looked at the menu.

Once again, Devin insisted that I have what he was ordering, which was Surf and Turf, while my dad went with the Prime Rib and my mom ordered the Crab Stuffed Chicken Breast. No matter what we ordered, everyone agreed it was delicious.

During the meal, I made a comment. “We should probably take some bottled water with us to Mesa Verde, because I don’t know if they’ll have any for sale there. Even if they do, it will most likely be more expensive, so we should buy it here. That’s because we’ll need to stay hydrated while we’re checking out the cliff dwellings, because I’m sure it will be hot while we’re there, so we’ll all need two or three bottles each.”

“But where will be carry them?” Mom asked. “I don’t want to walk around carrying two or three bottles of water.”

“Devin and I brought our backpacks and we can put the water bottles in there and Devin and I will carry them while we’re checking out the various sites,” I replied.

“Ok, then I’ll ask the waiter where the best place to buy the quantity of water that we’ll need is located,” Dad added.

After we finished our entrees, Devin kept prodding us until we agreed to order dessert as well. Mom chose the Wild Blueberry Pie and Dad ordered the Chocolate Hazelnut Pyramid, and yes, it’s just as bizarre as it sounds. The description on the menu read: chocolate mousse, praline brownie, salted caramel sauce, and fresh raspberries. Of course, Mom wasn’t very happy with his choice and let him know about it, but she didn’t change his mind. Devin and I merely went with the Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, which had a caramel spiral and fresh fruit, which in our case turned out to be sliced peaches and strawberries.

As we were finishing up, Devin caught my dad trying to get the waiter to give him the check while he was asking about the best place to get the bottled water we needed. However, Devin managed to get the check instead, so while Dad was getting directions, Devin was paying the bill. Once they had taken care of those tasks, we all went outside and got into the SUV.

When we arrived at the store, Dad started to grab a 12-pack to put into the cart, but I stopped him. “Didn’t you say we were going to spend more than one day at Mesa Verde?” I asked.

“Yes, it will take us at least two days to see the sights there.”

“Then you’d better buy a 24-pack of water instead, because we might use the 12-pack up on the first day.”

“Good point,” he agreed as he set the 12-pack down and I picked up a 24-pack to put in the cart instead.

After we paid for the water, we continued our journey to get to Mancos, where we’d be spending the night. Dad informed us that Mancos was just a 20-minute drive to Mesa Verde and that we’d be staying at the Mesa Verde Motel. As we were checking in, the night clerk explained which rooms we’d be in.

“Welcome to the Mesa Verde Motel,” he greeted us after Dad told him his name. “You reserved room 12, the Deluxe King Room, for you and your wife, and the boys will be staying in room 13, the Galaxy Room, which also has a king size bed.”

“You reserved room 13 for us?” I asked my dad after I heard what the night clerk said.

“I wasn’t told the room numbers when I reserved the rooms. I was only told the room is designed to look like the captain’s quarters on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was also informed that the walls were painted to appear as if there was a huge window that you could look out and not only see the stars and planets, but you could also see part of the Enterprise as well. I thought you boys would get a kick out of staying in it, since you’ve told us that you’ll probably be getting jobs in the aerospace industry and dealing with space travel.”

“Yeah, it was a great idea and the room sounds neat, but did they have to make it room 13?”

“Come to think of it,” the night clerk chimed in, “maybe that’s why so many people don’t want to stay in that room. I probably should talk to the owner about changing the room number. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to do it. He could easily make it room 14 and it would only take some paint and rearranging the metal room numbers that are attached to that door and a couple of others so wouldn’t have a room 13 at all.”

“Yeah, that would probably be a good thing to do,” I agreed.

“I didn’t know you were superstitious,” Dad stated as we were heading to our rooms.

“I’m not, but think about it - space flight and room 13. Did you forget about the comment, “Houston, we have a problem”? It was Apollo 13 that had all of those problems and the astronauts on that mission nearly didn’t make it back to earth?”

“As I said, I wasn’t told the room numbers, so I never thought about that. So, will you be all right in that room?”

“Yeah, we’ll be fine, as long as we never go into space while we’re in there,” I agreed, and then I released a forced giggle.

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that, smartass,” Dad responded.

Once we went into the room, Devin asked a question. “What was that all about? Were you really having a problem with being in room 13?”

“Maybe a little. I guess I’m just a bit uneasy after spotting the skinwalker three times on the reservation. It’s just that I thought we didn’t need anything else that might make the situation worse.”

“Ok, I get it now, but we’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, I know, but I think we should have a plan, just in case we see it again, because next time it might try to attack us.”

“I don’t think it would do that in front of a lot of other people.”

“Maybe not, but there might be times when we’re not with a lot of other people while we’re at Mesa Verde.”

“Yeah, you might be right about that. We may be in a small group instead, but I still don’t think it would attack unless it was just us.”

“Maybe not, but I still want to plan for that possibility, just in case it happens. It’s a good thing I told my parents we’ll be carrying our backpacks to hold the water bottles, because now we’ll also have a change of clothes in case we end up destroying what we’re wearing if we have to transition. And if we do transition, make sure you kick off your Skechers first, drop your backpack, and then take off your shirt before you transition, if you have time. That way we’ll only ruin our shorts and underwear.”

“Ok, if you say so, but I don’t think we’ll see it again. We’ll be a long way from Ignacio and the reservation when we’re at Mesa Verde.”

“Maybe not as far as you think! Even though Ignacio is slightly east of center on the reservation, the skinwalker ran a long way after it first spotted us. I hope we don’t see it again and have to do those things, but it’s best if we’re prepared, just in case something like that does happen.”

We then took time to check out the room, and as Dad explained, it was pretty neat and we did kind of feel as if we were traveling on the Enterprise. After we finished examining everything, we took a shower and got ready for bed, since Mom had told us what time to set the alarm for and it was going to go off early again. As soon as we were ready, we got into bed, cuddled, and fell asleep.

When the alarm went off, we hurriedly got dressed, sloshed some mouthwash around in our mouths, and then met up with my parents to go somewhere for breakfast. It turned out that we went to the Moondog Café, which was next door to the motel. The menu was a little unusual, but we all found something to order and it was enough to fill us up.

Now that we’d finished eating, we got in the SUV and started out for Mesa Verde. We didn’t bother to check out of the motel first, because we knew we’d be staying there again tonight, and the 20-minute drive to the park wasn’t that bad. However, after we arrived at the park, we had to make another lengthy drive from the entrance to get to the site of our first tour, since Dad had reserved us spots to take a ranger guided tour of Cliff Palace.

Before we started the tour, the Park Ranger introduced herself first. “Good morning. I’m Kathleen and I’ll be your guide this morning, and I’ll start out by telling you a little bit about this place first. The people that lived in this area didn’t start out by living in cliff dwellings. They lived on the top of the Mesa at first, in stone structures that they built as they were planting, growing, and harvesting crops, and that was sometime between 500 and 550 in the Common Era.

“The main crop they grew was corn, since that made up a large part of their diet. Not only did they eat the corn directly, but they also ground it into corn meal so they could make other items that they ate, such as an early corn tortilla, breads, pancakes, corn soup, and corn porridge. They also used it to feed the turkeys that they raised for meat, as well as for their feathers. The people didn’t move down to the valley and begin construction on the cliff dwellings until the late 13th century.”

As soon as she finished explaining those things, she told us what we’d be doing next. “To begin with, we’ll have to walk down a very long and steep stairway, and then we’ll encounter a couple of shorter stone stairways that we’ll also have to navigate. There will also be some ladders that we’ll have to climb in order to move through the magnificent structure that consists of 150 rooms and 23 kivas. Of course, we won’t be going through all of the rooms or examining each of the 23 kivas, but you’ll view a good representation of what’s here at this site.

“In case you’re wondering, a kiva is a circular structure that’s been constructed partially below ground level, and although you can look down into the kivas now, they would have originally had a roof. It would have been wooden dome-like coverings that would have been coated with an adobe-like substance that would then harden to keep out the rain and some of the dust. The kivas were used for ceremonies, meetings, educational gatherings, storytelling, and weaving, along with other activities. A family might live in the kiva as well.”

She then gave us a tour of the various structures, and we had to do a lot of walking, and we climbed a few ladders before it ended. As soon as the tour had concluded, Mom made a comment. “Whew, that was a lot of walking and climbing.”

“Yes, it was,” Dad concurred. “It was a lot more strenuous than I thought it would be, even after all the research I’d done when planning this trip.”

“It might have been a lot of walking and climbing, but it was good for you to do those things,” Mom quipped. “In fact, you could use more exercise like that.”

“Trust me, we’ll get a lot more exercise like that before we’re done here,” Dad responded. “It’s just that I didn’t realize it would be quite so strenuous.” He almost sounded as if he was sorry that he’d planned this trip. “And now we’ll have to drive to the next location, because the sites are quite spread out.”

“What’s the next tour?” Devin asked as Dad was driving us there.

“I’ve reserved spots on the Square Tower House tour,” Dad replied.

“Yeah, I read up about that place and the house is like 4 stories high. I didn’t even know they were capable of building houses that tall back then.”

‘Yes, that is kind of surprising,” Dad agreed.

When we arrived there, Dad parked the SUV near the location where he’d been told we should meet up with our ranger guide. We were standing near the sign waiting when an older yellow car pulled up and a ranger got out of the vehicle. It was an older man and right away one of the others waiting for the tour asked him about the car.

“What year is that?”

“It’s a 1977 Datsun 280z that I bought at a junk yard for $300. It was a little rusty, but I fixed it up and got quite a bargain in the process.”

After saying this, he led us to the spot where the tour would actually begin, and once we were all there, he began by giving us a quick geology lesson about the Mesa Verde area. After he explained the important facts, he advised us that we’d have to walk down a steep path to get to a steeper set of rocky steps. As we starteddown the steps, he yelled out a cryptic warning.

“Rope, grab it, hold it,” he said as he demonstrated what he meant as he held onto the rope handrail that ran beside the stairway.

“Mom, let me go first, and then you can follow behind me. That way if you have a problem and start to lose your balance, just grab ahold of me and I’ll help you.”

“That’s a good idea, since you know how I hate heights, and it looks like it’s a long way to the bottom.”

“Yes, it is, and Devin can go ahead of Dad and help him out if he needs any assistance.”

I thought Dad would complain and say that he didn’t need any help, but he didn’t say a thing as we started down the rocky steps. When we got to the bottom, there was a short flat area, and then we had to climb down a wooden ladder. I just went a couple of rungs ahead of Mom, and it was a good thing too, because at one point her foot slipped off the next rung and she panicked. I saw this happen and had time to support her until she regained her footing, and then we went the rest of the way down the ladder. When we got to the bottom, she made a comment.

“I didn’t know you were so strong, but I’m glad you were able to support my weight until I got my footing again, otherwise they might be calling for a helicopter to airlift me out of here.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

We then had to navigate our way down another set of steep steps that had been cut into the rocky area, followed by another wooden ladder. Then we had to follow a short winding pathway until we reached the next lengthy set of stairs, and about halfway down the stairway it took an almost ninety-degree turn to the left.

At this point, the top portion of each step was only about half as wide as the stairs we’d just walked down and too narrow to walk down normally. The ranger informed us that we’d have to go down these steps backward, like we were climbing down a ladder, and we’d have to hold onto the rope handrail as we did this.

“Mom, just take your time and make sure that you hold onto the rope handrail. I’ll be behind you in case you have any problems. Just go slowly and don’t panic.”

I was surprised that she was doing so well, since I knew she has a tremendous fear of heights. And going down all of these steep, narrow steps backward and knowing how far she would fall if she didn’t do it correctly must have been very difficult for her. She was doing quite well, though, even if she was shaking like a leaf as she proceeded down the rocky stairway.

When we got to the bottom of that obstacle, there was another wooden ladder that we had to descend, and then a short walk along a narrow trail until we reached the site. As soon as we were all together again, the ranger gave us a quick overview about the site and warned us about some things we shouldn’t do.

“Don’t touch any of the walls of the buildings, because the oils from your skin will leave black stains when they dry, and you’d never be able to react quickly enough to wipe the oils off to prevent it. In fact, you may see black stains like that where others before you have touched the walls or openings.”

He also told us about some of the features at this site. “You may notice that the doorways look small, at least when compared to the doorways you’re accustomed to. That’s because the average height of a Puebloan women was around 5’ 0” to 5’ 1” (152-155 cm) and an average Puebloan man was 5’ 4” to 5’ 5” (162-165 cm) tall. You will also notice that the floors in the square tower are made of wood and they’re still there – yes, they are the original floors. That’s because the ancient Puebloans used wood from Juniper trees, and Juniper wood is very durable. It's the reason those floors have lasted for centuries.”

After we’d all had a chance to check the structure out, he removed a strap from his shoulder that was attached to a long, slender bag that he’d been carrying behind his back. He then held it up and asked a question.

“Does anyone want to know what’s in here?” We did, so he explained what was inside as he pulled it out. “I’ve been making these objects since I was seven years old,” he stated as he removed a long, slender, finely worked piece of wood. “It’s made from cherry wood from western Pennsylvania, which is some of the finest cherry wood in the world. And similar to thanking your host when you’ve visited their house, I brought this to thank those who once lived here for allowing us to visit their home. That’s because native peoples believe that the spirits of their ancestors remain at the place where they once lived, even long after they’ve died, so when I visit a site like this one, I do this to thank them for allowing us to visit there.”

It was then that we learned the finely worked piece of wood was a wind instrument that he’d made. He put his mouth at the very top and his fingers over the holes along its length and began to play a lovely melody. The instrument sounded similar to a modern recorder, and I knew the people who’d once lived here would appreciate the tune he was playing, and maybe their spirits were enjoying it now.

After he finished playing, he explained that his grandfather was a Native American and a very important medicine man, and that’s why he ended up back at Mesa Verde guiding tours. When he finished, he told us it was time that we started heading back up the path.

“That’s right!” Mom sighed. “Now we’ve got to climb up all those steps and ladders as we leave this place.”

“Of course,” Dad stated. “You didn’t think there’d be an elevator that you could use to ride out of here, did you?”

“No, but it was hard enough getting down here to this location, and now it will be even harder getting out of here.”

“Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll be right behind you and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

It was a struggle and more than a little exhausting for all of us, but I knew Mom wouldn’t give up, so Dad would keep going as well. She’d do it just to spite him, because he would do whatever was needed so he didn’t give her more ammunition to use against him about his weight and physical condition.

Once we all made it safely back to the top, I’ll admit that I had one arm ready to reach up and support Mom as she was climbing the ladders. I was also ready to catch her if she tripped or slipped on the steps, but luckily nothing like that happened. Once we were all back where we started, Dad made a comment.

“I’m going to drive us to a place where we can have lunch, because then we’ll all be able to sit down and rest up while we’re eating before we go on the next tour.”

We all had to admit that just sitting down and relaxing was almost as good as filling our stomachs with food, so no one talked during the entire time. Well, at least not until after we’d finished eating, and then Dad announced it was time to head to the next site.

“Where are we going this time?” Devin wanted to know.

“I made reservations for us to tour the Balcony House.”

“That means we’ll have to do a lot more climbing and walking,” Mom stated, and then she sighed, but immediately she caught herself and took on a stoic appearance.

“Yes, we’ll have to walk down some stairs to start, and then there’s going to be a ladder that’s 32 feet (9.75 m) high that we’ll have to climb,” Dad replied. “It’s a double-wide ladder, though, so I’ll be able to climb it beside you.”

“And Devin and I will be right behind you two,” I confirmed.

“Ok, but I’ll be fine,” Mom stated, but I knew her statement was mostly bravado for Dad’s benefit, not fact.

“I hope so, but I’ll admit that I was tired after we left the first site and I was exhausted after we left the second site,” Dad stated, “so I hope I’ve got enough strength left for this. I’m praying the rest and the food has given us all more than enough strength to do this, because if an old fat man like me can do it, then I know the rest of you can as well. Oh, and Cindy, if you can’t keep up with me then you’re going to have to stop complaining about what I eat and how much exercise I get.”

It was obvious that each of them wanted to prove something to the other one, so this tour should be interesting. They both have an incentive to do their best, so now I’ll watch and see what happens.

It was a great incentive to get both of them to try their best to do this, just to make sure that the other one did it as well. I just hope it’s not a case where their bluster is greater than their ability.

When we arrived at the site, I had to do a double take when I saw who the park ranger was going to be. “What are you doing here?” I asked. He looked up at me and smiled.

“I only volunteer at the museum, but this is my full-time job,” he replied. It was Tom Ouray, the guide I had asked questions when we were at the Southern Ute Museum. “Is this your first tour?”

“No, we’ve done two other tours today.”

“Which ones.”

“We did the Cliff Palace first, and then the Square Tower House, and now we’re here.”

“Damn, I’m impressed. And your parents did this with you?”

“Yes, we all did it together.”

“I’m really impressed! Hell, I’m impressed when people tell me they’re doing their second tour of the day, but I think you’re the first that has ever told me that you’re on your third tour. Your parents must be in really good shape.”

“Not really. They claim they’re doing this to get in shape and to prove a point with the other one, and neither is willing to be the one that quits and can’t go any farther in order to maintain the upper hand.”

“I’m not sure what you’re getting at.”

“Ok, then let me put it this way. My mom doesn’t feel that she can give up first, otherwise she’ll have to stop complaining about Dad’s eating habits and lack of exercise. My dad can’t quit first or else he’ll have to admit that Mom’s right and he’ll have to stop eating some things that he really likes and he’ll have to get out and exercise more, rather than watching sports on TV.”

“In that case, I hope they’re up for this and not over doing it. I wouldn’t want them to have an accident while they’re here.”

“Nah, Devin and I are keeping an eye on them, and we’ll be right by their side if they need help.”

“I’m surprised that you two aren’t tired out as well. There’s a lot of walking and climbing at those other locations and there’s even more here. You should have left one of the tours until tomorrow.”

“We were hoping we could do the Wetherill sites tomorrow, but that whole area is closed down due to construction. We were also hoping the Spruce Tree House would be open again, since it’s been closed for several years while the engineers have been trying to reinforce the ledge above the site.”

“Yes, the arch above the Spruce Tree House has been developing cracks, so the engineers are worried it might collapse onto the structures, so they’re doing everything they can to shore up that area. I’m afraid I can’t talk any longer, though, because I’ve got to get this tour started, but I’ll talk with you again after we finish the tour, if you still want to do that.”

“Yes, I do, because there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Ok, then I’ll make time for you when this tour is over.”

To begin with, Tom got everyone’s attention and then led us down a long dirt ramp to reach a 60 foot (18 m) descent, or more specifically 132 metal stairs that we’d have to climb down. When we reached the bottom, we had to follow another long path to reach the Balcony House, but this one was paved. After we arrived there, we had to climb a short flight of metal stairs to get to a small landing that formed the base on which a huge ladder that went 32 feet (9.75 m) up the side of the cliff.

“As you can see,” Tom began, “this is a double-wide ladder and it’s very sturdy, so two of you will be able to climb it at the same time. Just don’t crowd the person ahead of you.”

I looked at the ladder to see how it was built, and I noticed there were three huge wooden poles that were about the same diameter as a volleyball. They were spaced apart a little farther than the width of a normal ladder, and the wood that was used to form the rungs went across all three poles. Each of the rungs were about the same diameter as a baseball and the gaps between the rungs were further apart than the rungs on a typical ladder.

“I’m glad we’re doing this early,” Mom stated, “because I have a little more energy after having a chance to rest up while eating lunch.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” I confirmed, and then Mom and Dad started up the ladder together, and Devin and I followed closely behind.

The ladder took us up to another landing at the top of the cliff, and then we had to walk through a narrow passageway between two rocky surfaces. After that, we climbed a smaller ladder that was approximately 6 feet (slightly under two meters) high, and we had to duck under a ledge in order to reach the next level.

There was an interior window opening off to our right that we were able to check out before we reached the largest balcony area with a stone railing. We were able to explore the ancient structures that were there, as well as viewing the sprawling landscape. We also had a chance to check out a kiva and peer down into it to see how deep it was, since the wooden roof that once covered it was no longer there.

Tom then led us up another short ladder that brought us to a short set of stone steps that we walked down before following him along a pathway with an overhanging slanted stone roof. This led us to some other abandoned buildings and two stone kivas, as well as another balcony area, except this one didn’t have a railing, so we had to be careful if we walked close to the edge. When we were ready to leave that area, we had to crawl through a narrow opening (18 inches or 46 cm) for about 12 feet (3.7 m).

“That was rough on the knees,” Mom said when we reached the end of the tunnel. “And I was worried that your father wouldn’t fit through that small opening.” This caused Devin and I to chuckle, but Dad didn’t find it amusing.

“I didn’t have any trouble going through there,” he snapped back. “I’m not nearly as big as you think or keep suggesting.”

Now that we had navigated our way through those obstacles, the tunnel and Mom’s comment, there was another ladder for us to climb, and this one was 17 feet (5 m) tall. Once we reached the top of that ladder, we had to navigate our way up a series of roughly hewn rock steps cut out of the side of a cliff, and then we followed a narrow stone ledge to the base of another ladder that was also 17 feet (5 m) tall. When we got to the top of that ladder, we reached another stone ledge, and this one led to six more stone steps. Once we climbed them, we found ourselves on a large stone plateau that offered a spectacular view of the canyon below. It also allowed me to spot something else, so I nudged Devin in the side and pointed it out to him. It was the evil skinwalker again!

The other side of this open area led us out to the parking lot so we could leave, so we encouraged my parents to head in that direction.

“Whew, I’m glad hat’s over,” Mom said while gasping for air. “I’ll certainly sleep well tonight.”

“I might fall asleep while eating supper,” Dad added.

“Fat chance that will happen, no matter how tired you are,” Mom quipped while staring at Dad.

“I mean it. I’m totally exhausted. Today was more exercise than I’ve had in the past three years combined.”

“And that should let you know that you should exercise more often, so you’re not so out of shape.”

This all took place while Tom was answering questions from others who’d been on the tour with us, and I offered Mom and Dad a suggestion. “Why don’t you two head back to the SUV and Devin and I will join you shortly. We have a few questions to ask our guide, and I know you won’t want to stand around waiting for us.”

“You’re right about that,” Dad said, “so we’ll start back to the SUV.”

Once the others on the tour had walked away, Tom came over to speak with Devin and me. “I’m surprised your parents made it through this tour, after having gone through two other tours earlier.”

“Yes, we were too, but they were trying to prove something to each other, but we still had to help them a few times.”

“Even so, they did far better than I expected. So, what have you got planned for tomorrow.”

“Nothing yet, since the Wetherill sites and the Spruce Tree House are all off the table for now, so I’m not sure what we’ll do, but we have something to ask you. We’ve taken a couple of videos of something, and we’d like you to look at them and tell us what you think. We think it’s a skinwalker.”

“Don’t even say that word and I don’t want to see your video! My people will never talk about those creatures, and if they happen upon one, they will never make eye contact with it or look at one directly, even on a video. They will only keep track of it using their peripheral vision, because if you look at one, make eye contact with it, or speak its name you will give it an opportunity to control your mind.”

“We think this one is stalking us,” Devin added, “because we’ve seen it three times already. Either that or there’s more than one following us.”

“I doubt there would be more than one, because they’re not exactly social creatures, either in its human or animal form, but I’ve said too much about it already.”

“Ok, we just wanted to ask you about those things, so now we’ll catch up with Mom and Dad and try to figure out what we’re going to do tomorrow.”

“Did you know that there are other cliff dwellings on the Ute Mountain Reservation?”

“No, we had no idea,” I replied.

“Are you a guide there as well?” Devin asked.

“No, but I have contacts there. The dwellings aren’t in as good shape as the ones here at Mesa Verde, but if you’re interested in seeing them, I might be able to arrange a tour for you there.”

“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea.”

“Ok, let me give my contact a call. His name is Trevor Turtle and he’s on the Tribal Council there.”

“Is Turtle really his last name?” Devin asked.

“Yes, it is,” Tom replied as he searched through his contact list and made a call. After a few seconds he frowned. “He didn’t answer and it went to his voicemail, so I’ll call him back later. Give me your cell number and I’ll call you after I make contact with him to let you know what he says.”

“Ok, that sounds great,” I agreed, and then Devin and I thanked him before leaving to catch up with my parents. On the way there we chatted.

“Did Ma really have problems during that last tour?” Devin asked.

“Yes, as we were walking up that last long stretch on the rough-hewn steps, she lost her balance and was headed toward the flimsy barrier when I grabbed her arm. She might have gone right over the side, if I hadn’t done that. What about Dad? Did he have any problems?”

“Yes, he did. Do you remember where that large boulder stuck out as we were walking along that narrow ledge?” I nodded. “Well, as he was ducking to the side to avoid walking into it, he kind of lost his balance and just about fell over the side, but I grabbed him in time, so it didn’t happen.”

“Well, they were pretty tired when those things happened, so it doesn’t really surprise me. I’m just glad that we were there to keep those things from happening.”

“Yeah, me too.”

We’d finished our chat by the time we reached the SUV, and after we climbed into our seats, I asked Dad a question. “Are you ok to drive, because I could tell you’re pretty tired. I can drive instead, if you’d prefer. I just don’t want you falling asleep before we get back to the motel to freshen up.”

“I’ll be ok, and when we get back, I want to take a nice long hot shower.”

“Not too long,” Mom objected, “because I want to take a nice hot shower before we go out for supper as well. I also think we should eat supper early so we can get plenty of sleep tonight.”

“Ok, we’ll figure out how long our showers can last when we get back to the motel.”

We hadn’t even reached the entrance to the park yet when my phone rang. “Hello,” I said, since I didn’t recognize the phone number showing on the screen.

“This is Trevor Turtle. Tom Ouray gave me your phone number and said you’d like to visit the cliff dwellings on the reservation, but unfortunately there’s no tours scheduled for tomorrow. However, I’d be happy to meet you at the tribal headquarters in Towaoc at 7:00 tomorrow morning and take you there, if that’s agreeable. What kind of vehicle do you have?”

“My dad is driving an SUV,” I replied.

“Ok, that will be fine, because it’s quite a rugged and lengthy drive to get to the place where the cliff dwellings are located. Just make sure the SUV has a full tank of gas, because there aren’t any gas stations out there. Just give me a call when you arrive at the tribal headquarters. I’ll be inside the building and will come out to greet you, and then I’ll lead you there.”

“Thank you, and we’ll see you tomorrow morning.”

“Who was that?” Mom asked when the call ended.

“It was a guy from the Ute Mountain Reservation. Tom, our guide at the last site today, arranged for us to go see the cliff dwellings there tomorrow, since we can’t get to any other sites at Mesa Verdi.”

“That was nice of him, but I didn’t know there were other cliff dwelling besides the ones at Mesa Verdi.”

“There are, and Trevor has agreed to take us there tomorrow.”

“That was nice of both of them,” Dad confirmed.

“Yeah, Tom’s a great guy and he hooked me up with Trevor.”

“If you just met Tom today, how do you know he’s a nice guy?”

“He’s really a park ranger, but he’s also a guide at the Southern Ute Museum. Devin and I asked him a couple of questions while we were there. He was also one of the dancers that was doing the Bear Dance that we saw when we first arrived there, and once the dance ended, he changed out of his ceremonial clothing and worked as a guide.”

“I guess I didn’t recognize him then. You boys are obviously more observant than we are,” Dad confessed.

“It’s probably because we asked him questions,” I replied.

Once we got back to the motel, we all took a nice hot shower before we changed and went to a restaurant for supper. As soon as we finished eating, we hurried back to the motel so we could get some much-needed rest after the workout we had earlier.