Cocoposts

“Camping and Forgeting Something” was the considered title here. As was, “What is it NOWWW?” But a glance in the rear view after sleeping in the car sealed it.

This time? Forgot the coffee pot and seriously weighed turning around and going back for it at the one hour mark. But I continued northward to Mesa Verde, imagining all the different ways to make coffee. Most mornings I use the stainless steel Bialetti “9 cup” mocha pot from Italy to make the near-espresso that I drink with date sugar, oat milk, and a big dash of mesquite powder. My heart sinks at the image of years-old tea bags in the bottom of the camp box.

I thought of Jerry again at Mesa Verde. He remembers going there as a kid with his family the first time and many times since. He recalled standing on the edge of the canyon across from the magnificent Cliff Palace on the 100th anniversary of the Weatherill brothers first seeing the ruin in 1888.

The Morefield campground is run by a concessionaire. So while Recreation.Gov does the tours of ruins, it doesn’t include the campground reservations. ::minor panic moment:: The great thing is that the check in enables you to pick your site on the given loop, and they serve coffee and breakfast beginning at 7AM.

The Mesa Verde morning tour of impressive Balcony House on Chapin Mesa begins with a lecture about safety. Late arrivals and rules thankfully thin the ranks.

After the tour I visited the picnic area that in the early time of Jerry’s first visits, was the campground. The little pull-outs are scaled for the era of much smaller vehicles and the remnants of the little stone restrooms are adorable. And there’s shade. It’s a perfect place to sit awhile.

At the campground the store manager tells me to take any space on Ute Loop and to secure my food. She also mentioned the morning breakfast and coffee so I didn’t remember anything else she said.

I parked at a shady space in the scrub-oaks I’d seen on google earth. After dinner I cleaned up thoroughly and put everything in a locking cooler. (Lesson learned.)

As evening progressed the dark spaces between trees grew blacker. The blackest of these was right by the tent pad. It looked like a portal to the world of night creatures. I made the decision to sleep in the car with no regrets.

During the tour of Longhouse on Weatherill Mesa the next day. I overheard the park ranger’s radio and an exchange about hazing a nuisance bear. On Ute Loop. I asked her about it and she responded very quietly. “I wish they’d haze the campers that feed them.”

No regrets.