The snow can teach us a lot at Mesa Verde National Park, according to Paul Morey, wildlife program manager at Mesa Verde National Park.
And again, the park will offer classes that give participants a chance to learn something and to enjoy the park in winter.
A snowshoe hike will be Saturday, Jan. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon at the park.
Those who attend will learn how to identify animal tracks and determine their direction.
“This class is usually pretty popular – people want to be able to identify tracks in the snow,” Morey said.
Mesa Verde has been offering the class for four years.
A few new educational hikes have been added this year. Participants in the new class will learn how ancestral Puebloans survived the winters.
“A lot of times, ancestral Puebloans needed to know what we are teaching,” Morey said. “They needed to know what plants and animals were out there.”
In addition, trails are being groomed at the campground for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. There were a few bare spots on Sunday, Morey said, but the tracks still are holding up.
“Our hope was to give an opportunity for people to come into the park who don’t normally go into the park in the winter,” Morey said.
The park has snowshoes available to loan out to people for the day for free.
Winter classes
Animal Tracks and Signs at Mesa Verde
When: Saturday, Jan. 10, 9 a.m. to noon
What: Learn how to look for and identify animal tracks and sign around Morefield Campground.
Details: Limited to 20 people, ages 7 to adult. Call 970-529-4631 for reservations. Park entrance fee of $10 per vehicle.
Weathering Winter
Ancestral Pueblo Adaptations to Winter at Mesa Verde
When: Saturday, Jan. 17, 2 to 4 p.m.
What: Discover some of the winter survival strategies used by Puebloans who lived at Mesa Verde. Meet at Chapin Mesa Museum.
Details: Limited to 20 people, ages 7 to adult. Call 970-529-4631 for reservations. Park entrance fee of $10 per vehicle.
Plant and Animal Adaptations at Mesa Verde
What: Saturday, Feb. 28, 9 a.m. to noon
What: Join park staff as they explore the amazing ways animals and plants survive in the cold winter environment. The hike will tour the winter habitats of plants and animals in the Morefield Campground.
Details: Limited to 20 people, ages 7 to adult. Call 970-529-4631 for reservations. Park entrance fee of $10 per vehicle.
Winter Plant Identification Hike at Mesa Verde
What: Saturday, March 7, 9 a.m. to noon
What: Winter months strip many plants of their foliage and make winter identification of these plants difficult. Join the San Juan/Four Corners Native Plant Society on a winter plant identification hike in Mesa Verde National Park to learn how to identify plants in the winter.
Details: Limited to 15 people. Recommended for high school age to adult. Call 970-882-4647 for reservations. Park entrance fee of $10 per vehicle.
