Meadow Bliss Winter Trail on Snowshoes

The Meadow Bliss Trail is a new winter sports loop trail in the Morefield Campground area of Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado.

The trailhead for winter sports is the parking area for the Morefield Campground stores. The beginning of the Meadow Bliss Loop is near the trailhead for the Prater Ridge Trail. It is a 10 or 15 minute walk on the Campground Loop trails to get to the Meadow Bliss Loop.

During the 2012 winter season, Mesa Verde is trying to promote winter visiting by grooming the snow in several road areas for winter sports. In early February, the 2012 season hasn’t so far been a heavy snow year but in the Morefield area the depth is up to the bench level of the picnic tables. The day I hiked was one day after about 3 inches of new snow covered the existing groomed surface.
 

The Meadow Bliss Loop is listed as 2.7 miles and heads south from the Prater Ridge Trailhead along the east facing flank of Prater Ridge. It is a lasso type loop with something of a figure eight formation. I stayed to the right at the loop junction. There was new snow on the trail and the route was easier to see staying to the right.

The Meadow Bliss Loop is actually a trail rather than a road like the Campground loops. It passes though groves of Gamble Oak with views of the cliffs of Prater Ridge. I saw many tracks of what I thought were coyotes.

The far end of the western part of the loop passes close to the main road tunnel. In this area there are a few tall Ponderosa Pines. There aren’t many of these pines visible in Mesa Verde. Mostly we see the Pinon Pines and Douglas Firs.

There is a short segment of trail very close to the main park road, and then the route turns north back toward the trailhead. There is a point where the figure eight comes close together and I cut across, leaving off the more eastern part of the figure eight.

This east segment turns south again and makes another pass close to the main park road. It was difficult to see the east part of the trail in this area and I was ready to return to the trailhead. When I hiked, I think the snow depth was relatively thin in the east segment that I skipped.
 

My total hike took 1:50 hours. I didn’t hike the complete 2.7 mile loop, but probably made up the difference by starting at the main trailhead. It was 24 F degrees at my 9:30 AM start and about 34 F at 11:20 AM.