Greg the guide.

Did you know that the Knife Edge Trail used to be Knife Edge Road?

Knife Edge Road was one of the original roads into Mesa Verde National Park, and it certainly lived up to its name! While the Civilian Conservation Corps worked in the park from 1933-1942, several enrollees voiced their frustration at having to maintain Knife Edge Road. The road was in a constant state of repair, with landslides and car accidents occurring on a regular basis. Knife Edge Road closed in 1957 with the opening of the Morefield-Prater Tunnel in 1957, the tunnel park visitors drive through today.

You can still traverse the scenic beauty of the old park road by hiking the Knife Edge Trail. Although it is no longer a major thoroughfare, the steep cliff edges still give the NPS some trouble every now and then. In May 2025, a large rockslide blocked off the last quarter mile of the hike. Some things never change!

Image credit: NPS

Image description:
1 - In a black-and-white photograph, two men stand along a dirt cliffside road, a shiny car on one side, and another damaged and nearly driven off the cliff on the other, a team of horses approaching in the background, ca.1920.
2 - A large landslide of rocks and wood piled along a cliffside trail.

I skied 57 days that season . I know some folks ski a ton more then that, but that year was my highest . I'm gonna try to beat it this year . Also , This is my Greg the Guide youtube page , check it out.

Ski season 2023 #ski #skicolorado #telluride #Purgatoryskiresort. #arizonasnowbowl #grandcanyon Great ski season ! I'm over the snow but I'll miss these days till next season.

In case anyone forgot this banger of a review. I'm more handsome then Josh Grobin. Remember when giving me a review, we like words like
Handsome
Wise
More knowledgeable then the rangers.
Accommodating
Handsome
Glorious
Humorous
Witty
Handsome
Clever
Passionate
Strapping
And finally Handsome.

The museum @ Mesa Verde is old-school, built in the 1920s and has that rustic, homie feel. I love going into the museum as much as the ruins.

Desert flowers are popping. This is Sand Canyon in Canyon of the Ancients NationalMonument outside Cortez Co and right across the way from Mesa Verde. I come here alot.

Somehow this page got deactivated . Were back up just in time for my 2024 tour season .

Beautiful day in the park.

Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archaeological heritage of the Ancestral Puebloan people who called it home for over 700 years from 600 to 1300 CE. The park protects nearly 5,000 known archaeological sites including 600 cliff dwellings. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1978 – one of the first World Heritage locations in the United States. The exceptional archeological sites of the Mesa Verde landscape provide eloquent testimony to the ancient cultural traditions of Native American tribes.Mesa Verde has also been selected the No. 1 historic monument in the world by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, and was chosen by National Geographic Traveler as one of the 50 Places of a Lifetime — The World's Greatest Destinations.In 2021, Mesa Verde was certified as the world's 100th International Dark Sky Park, so you're guaranteed to get gorgeous views of the heavens in this sacred place. In summer, keep an eye out for ranger-led stargazing programs.

One topic that comes up alot on my Mesa Verde tours is what other activities and cool things my guests are doing in the Durango area. One attractive that almost everyone does when they visit, is drive the Million dollar highway. Highway 550 between Durango and Ouray . And stopping in the small mountain town of Silverton. It's a white knuckle drive especially between Silverton and Ouray. 800 ft drops , no guard rails and certain times a year ice and heavy snow. Avalanche plagued and it's not uncommon for it to be closed multiple times in between October and March. But.. probably the most scenic drive in North America. I've always say. " if you don't have a history of flying off the road, you will probably be OK " if you do have a history of flying off the road ....... maybe stay home.