Return to petroglyphs

Return to petroglyphs.

This stuff never gets old. (well...)

One of the wonderful things is that we don't know exactly what they mean, and we don't pretend to, which is certainly refreshing in this day and age.

There are some interesting guesses though. including that this is a map and is much older than the other figures.

And then, Montezuma's Castle - so impossibly, incorrectly named.

So wrong, I actually take some pleasure in the degree of error.

Trail side flowers

In any case, kind of amazing and photogenic

Potpourri

A variety of various...

 it gets cool at night this ice formed in a puddle on top of the obviously well insulated hot tub.

A Columbia silk moth

Shelley on the trail

  

 

 not quite a waterfall, more like a wide trickle.

Its those little one the innocent looking "hairs" that are actually sharper than needles, go through pants and barb themselves into a leg faster than you can say "oh shit"

The hike that could be a coffee table book by its-self.

 While Shelley gallivanted, Harley and I went for a hike up Bear Mountain.  the days started cloudy but as we climbed the sun broke through and there were enough clouds to make the skies more interesting

 How many picture postcard photos can one take? Lots.

We did not do the complete hike, because Harley is still undergoing trail training. but enough of it to get to some impressive vistas and close ups of interesting textures in rocks and elsewhere.

 On this hike you do not see rocks so much as pass among them

Harley and the gulch

cactus too.

 

The dog needed to run. On weekends there are too many people on the trail to allow for off leash romps in the areas we usually go to, so we headed out of town turned down a forest road until we ran into a washout and then headed up the gulch / arroyo /wash.  This was outside the red rock district and an area of much gravel, unconsolidated rocks.  And plants with an attitude.

We did not make it to the top learning in the process that all plants have thorns, stickers or something sharp.  It seemed not to bother Harley but some grass left almost invisible needle like little quills that passed through my jeans.

 lots a gravel. 

Still we got some exercise and I learned lessons about why it is good to stay on the trail. And for Harley much to snarffle.

This was a mystery - up the gulch a way - but definitely something which would be flooded several times a year,  I have no answers.

History and scenery combined.

Palatki

sorta off the grid, but so worth the trip.

 The setting is at the edge of the rim with enormous cliffs of red rock.

 For the most part the art in this site was painted 'pictograph' as opposed to the chipped/chiseled petroglyphs - Still wonderful if not always comprehensible.

I have learned to photograph signs; it keeps things simpler later.

 a piece of what was once above.

 Most work here was around 1100, but this one was at least 500 years later when horses were here.

 perhaps a calendar of some sort.

Remains of one of the structures

and the part I like the most.

Considered by the Hopi to be an entrance to another world, it really speaks to me,

Note how you can see light coming through.

And almost finally, Archaeologists, or some of them attribute this to the Clovis people who were in this area a very long time ago. 

Finally, spring.  

Coming to you, hopefully soon.