Accessible only by a series wooden ladders and steep stone steps, the kiva at the Alcove House site graces the edge of a niche some 14 stories above the canyon floor. For those daring enough to make the climb, the views are breathtaking. That's why it was with much deliberation that park officials decided to close the site this week. Years of erosion and foot traffic by visitors have taken their toll and repairs are needed to preserve the site and make it safe again. Monument officials had been planning to make some repairs at Alcove House, but when members of the park's Vanishing Treasures team visited the site earlier this week as part of an assessment, they found the damage had become much worse. "The problem is that the expense of fixing it is going to be very high because getting the materials up to that site is a major task. It's 140 feet off the canyon floor," Torrez said. It could cost anywhere from $100,000 to $450,000 to repair Alcove House. Torrez said the goal is to find the funding, work out the technical challenges of working in such a location and get the work done so Alcove House can be opened as soon as possible...more
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