Itinerary

TRIP DAY 1

After meeting in Durango, we will head west to the Anasazi Heritage Center in Delores, Colorado. The Center is the perfect introduction to the ancestral puebloan culture. In addition to two 12th century archaeological sites, there are interactive exhibits on weaving and food preparation; there are also many displays of pots, jewelry and architecture. After lunch at the Center we will shuttle over to the northern boundary of the Canyons of the Ancients National monument. From here we will take a ride that begins with a pavement warm up and ends on a dirt road with lots of bumps and wiggles. Our ride brings us to a short hiking trail which leads right to Cutthroat Castle. After exploring here, we continue pedaling on an old 4WD road that leads to the head of Hovenweep Canyon. After taking in the lay of the land, we will begin to understand why these ancient people chose this place. Once back at our camp, a short hike takes us to the Painted Hand site. TOTAL MILEAGE - 16 miles

TRIP DAY 2

Today we ride right out of camp along a smooth dirt road that brings us out to Pedro Point and its fascinating ruin. The main Pedro Point Road is double track with a few bumpy, loose sections to keep us on our toes and has beautiful views in all directions. We will ride out to the end of the point before turning back to find the ruin. It is nestled in the Pinyon Pine and Juniper forest on the edge of yet another lovely canyon. After lunch we will head south to the Hovenweep National Monument Visitor Center. Here we will find the famous Square Tower group and Circle Tower Point. We will hike the trail that circles the canyon before heading over to the campground, our home for the next two nights. TOTAL MILEAGE - 14 miles riding, 4 mile hike

TRIP DAY 3

We ride from camp this morning north towards the Holly Hackberry Road. We will take the long way to the ruin on an old route with lots of ups, downs and whoop dee doos. After lunch along the way, we will arrive at three beautiful ruins. The Horseshoe Unit is composed of four masonry structures that blend beautifully into the landscape. Each stone was shaped and fitted into place with a clay, sand, and ash mortar that still holds them in place some 800 years later. At the Hackberry Unit, archeologists speculate that over 300 people lived in this area at its height. The seep at the head of this canyon provides one of the more reliable water sources in the region. From here we go on to the Holly group and the famous Tilted Tower. The Tower was built on a large sandstone boulder that shifted some time after the canyon was abandoned around 1300 A.D. After visiting the ruin, we can either hike the 4 mile trail back to camp or ride. TOTAL MILEAGE - 20-24 miles riding, 1-5mile hike

TRIP DAY 4

Today we leave our Hovenweep camp and shuttle east to Cannonball Mesa. From our camp just below the mesa top we will head out to find the Cannonball Ruin. A steep and loose climb will bring us to the top of the mesa. Most of us will do a bit of a hike-a-bike to get to the top, but from there it is smooth sailing along the top of the mesa. Again the views are 360 degrees, with Sleeping Ute Mountain watching over us and the mighty La Plata Mountains in the distance. We will have lunch at the ruin before looping around the canyon back to our camp for the night. TOTAL MILEAGE - 22 miles riding

TRIP DAY 5

Before we return to the 21st century, we will make our way over to Mesa Verde National Park. We will start with the impressive museum and visitor center where we will have the chance to further our knowledge about these fascinating ancient people. We will do a self guided tour of the Spruce Tree House; Mesa Verde's best preserved cliff dwelling. The vegetation we will encounter along the way is the same used by the ancestral puebloans for food, soap and many of the needs and activities of daily living. After lunch we will do a guided tour of the famous Balcony House. This dwelling includes 35 rooms and was occupied for over 100 years - a great finale for our tour.

More information from Western Spirit Cycling Adventures:

• View trip on provider's website
  westernspirit.com/…
• Company profile, experience, and history
• View all of their trips