Sunset House
Mesa Verde National Park
The ruins blend so well into the cliffs that it's easy to miss the upper tier of ruins. Several of the sites at Mesa Verde have an upper tier such as can be seen here at Sunset House. I can't help but wonder how the inhabitants gained access. At this site it was probably from the ledge on the left margin of the picture. It looks like they fortified the entrance to the ledge under the overhang probably to restrict access but not prevent it. Nevertheless, how did they get to the ruins on the right side of the ledge? There is almost no ledge left at all out in the middle. A crawl across there looks death defying to me. Also the ledge looks like it is probably too high for ladders.
Sunset House
Mesa Verde National Park
The ruins blend so well into the cliffs that it's easy to miss the upper tier of ruins. Several of the sites at Mesa Verde have an upper tier such as can be seen here at Sunset House. I can't help but wonder how the inhabitants gained access. At this site it was probably from the ledge on the left margin of the picture. It looks like they fortified the entrance to the ledge under the overhang probably to restrict access but not prevent it. Nevertheless, how did they get to the ruins on the right side of the ledge? There is almost no ledge left at all out in the middle. A crawl across there looks death defying to me. Also the ledge looks like it is probably too high for ladders.