Photo courtesy of Todd Lochmoeller, 4cornershikers.blogspot.com

Mesa Verde National Park is offering several free winter ecology classes, and there's a 100% chance of snow on the ground for this next program thanks to a timely delivery from Mother Nature! The park entrance fee of $10 per vehicle is applicable, but there is no other registration fee to participate. The park offers a limited number of snowshoes available for free loans for the day from the Visitor Center or the Chapin Mesa Museum.

Plant and Animal Adaptations at Mesa Verde; Saturday, February 28, 9:00 am to noon. 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. Limited to 20 people, ages 7 to adult. Call 970-529-4631 for reservations.

Winter Plant Identification Hike at Mesa Verde; Saturday, March 7, 9:00 am to noon. 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. Limited to 15 people; recommended for high school age to adults. Call 970-882-4647 for reservations.

Oak Tree House

Mesa Verde National Park is again offering a series of unique ranger-guided educational experiences in 2015. Tickets for these special hikes are limited and must be purchased online at www.recreation.gov. These special programs often sell out, so sign up now to avoid disappointment.

Ranger-guided hikes and programs include a 2-hour hike to Oak Tree House offered weekly during the summer, a 2-hour hike to Square Tower House offered in spring and fall, and a half-day hike on Wetherill Mesa. In addition, tickets for Twilight Tours of Cliff Palace, which feature a historical figure from the past, and the Photography Tour at Cliff Palace will be offered on-line. Check the website for more detailed descriptions of each program.

Oak Tree House

This 60-room site built on two ledges is one of the largest cliff dwellings in the park. It is a well preserved but fragile site that features plastered walls and varied architectural styles. The 2-hour, 1-mile (1.6km) round-trip hike is moderately strenuous. Expect a narrow, unpaved, uneven trail, with steps carved into the sandstone, steep drop-offs, and two ladders (4-foot and 15-foot; 1.2m to 4.6m), and a total elevation change of 200 feet (61m). In addition to up close views of this site, you will have stunning views of Cliff Canyon, Cliff Palace, and Sun Temple. The Oak Tree House hike is available from May 26 to September 5 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Tickets cost $25 per person, and group size is limited to 10 people per hike.

Square Tower House

This stunning and surprisingly intimate cliff dwelling includes an original kiva roof and the Crow's Nest, both features that cannot be seen from the viewpoint on the canyon rim. The strenuous 2-hour, 1-mile (1.6km) round-trip hike follows an unpaved, uneven trail that descends 100 ft. (30 m), and includes steep drop-offs, switchbacks, scrambling up and down boulders, and climbing three ladders,  the longest of which is 20 feet (6.1m). The Square Tower House hike is offered on Saturdays and Sundays from May 3 - May 24, and on Sundays and Thursdays from September 10 - October 18, 2015. Tickets cost $25 per person, and group size is limited to 10 people per hike.

Wetherill Mesa Hike and Bike Adventure

Hikers and bicyclers: this is the trip for you! This ranger-guided, 4.5 hour trek on the quieter side of Mesa Verde includes about 5 miles of biking; 4 miles of hiking; expansive canyon views; spectacular overlooks of remote cliff dwellings; and a tour of magnificent Long House. A bicycle is required for this, so plan to bring your own bike or you may be able to rent one upon arrival at the Wetherill Mesa parking lot. Call 970-529-4465 to verify this before booking your ticket. With a ranger, you'll bike to several mesa top archeological sites, walk to others, and hike about 3 miles round trip through the pinyon-juniper woodlands for cliff edge views of Nordenskiold #12 and Double House. The tour concludes after the Long House tour, and participants are free to continue exploring Wetherill Mesa, or bike back to the parking lot with the ranger. The Adventure is offered Wednesdays and Sundays from Wednesday, May 27 - Sunday, September 6. Tickets cost $18 for adults, or $15 for children or holders of the Interagency Senior, Military, or Access lifetime passes. Group size is limited to 15 people.

Twilight Tours of Cliff Palace

Twilight Tours offer a historical perspective on Cliff Palace and Mesa Verde National Park.  Costumed interpreters introduce visitors to famous characters from the past. Twilight Tours are scheduled on Sunday through Thursday evenings from May 24 through September 6. Tickets cost $12 per person and group size is limited to 20 people.

Photography Tour in Cliff Palace

Photographers, here is an opportunity to spend 90 minutes in Cliff Palace with a park ranger in a small group setting. Dramatic sunset lighting will appeal to both amateur and professional photographers as well as those seeking a deeper connection with this extraordinary archeological treasure. The tours are offered on Friday and Saturday evenings from May 22 to September 5. Photographers must be able to carry all of your gear while keeping both hands free to climb ladders. Tickets cost $20 per person and group size is limited to 10 people.

Twilight Tour

The ancient dwellings of the Southwest are some of the best-preserved archeological sites in North America.  Intriguing stone architecture sculpted into the cliffs and canyons and rising up from arid plateaus offer a fascinating glimpse of ancient settlements that integrate beautifully with the surrounding environment.  This 12-month calendar features dramatic photos of some of the Colorado Plateau's most thought-provoking national parks and monuments.   MVA members at the Interpreter ($100) level and above should have received their Ancient Dwellings calendar in early December.