Horseshoe Canyon Pictographs

[IntrepidXJ]

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Saturday, October 30, 2010

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On Saturday morning my friend Jackson and I headed to Green River and then south through the San Rafael Desert to the trailhead for Horseshoe Canyon. I have wanted to hike this canyon for a while to check out all of the pictographs, so I was excited to finally be there. The hike turned out to be just under 8 miles long after all of the side trips we took, and the weather was just about perfect. Here's some photos of the pictographs we checked out along the way.

Our first stop was at the High Gallery

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182105-2/_MG_8838.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182102-2/_MG_8818.jpg

Then we stopped at the Horseshoe Gallery

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182129-2/_MG_8883.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182114-2/_MG_8851.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182120-2/_MG_8853.jpg

Up next was the Alcove Gallery which was in a huge alcove. Unfortunately these pictographs were either worn off pretty good or vandalized.

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182078-2/_MG_9220.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182081-2/_MG_9243.jpg

[IntrepidXJ]

Lastly we stopped and spent quite a bit of time at the Great Gallery

Man & Dog?
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182135-2/_MG_8906.jpg

The Holy Ghost
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http://myxj.net/g2/d/182150-2/_MG_8923.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182159-2/_MG_8946.jpg

An impressive panel
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182171-2/_MG_8967.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182174-2/_MG_8986.jpg

Some fall colors framing the Holy Ghost
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182032-2/_MG_9076.jpg

Nice details still visible
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http://myxj.net/g2/d/182063-2/_MG_9159.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182066-2/_MG_9164.jpg

[IntrepidXJ]

...and here's a few non-pictograph photos I took along the way.

Back-lit Cottonwood
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182069-2/_MG_9180.jpg

Visitor
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182072-2/_MG_9181.jpg

Along the canyon bottom
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182084-2/_MG_9257.jpg

Jackson playing with his new lens
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Colorful cottonwoods
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View back down into Horseshoe Canyon as we climbed back out and made our way to the Jeep again.
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182096-2/_MG_9265.jpg

After a nice hike we headed back to Green River for some dinner at Ray's Tavern before heading home. As we reached Green River some storms started rolling it. It was perfect timing!

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182156-2/_MG_8941.jpg

[ibenick]

Nice trip report! :nod:

[Cirrus2000]

Very nice - a beautiful, unforgettable place, that. :2thumbs:

[Win]

Nice TR, I've been there twice and it is a beautiful place. :2thumbs:

Win

[canyonphile]

Excellent, Randy! :2thumbs: Thanks for posting the photos; I've been wanting to go to Horseshoe ever since I read a bit about it on a Canyonlands map, as I love rock art. Now, I definitely need to go.

It's awesome how the cottonwoods in the lower canyons are in their full-on-disco color now, isn't it? Saw lots of that around Moab last week. Nice to spread the fall color out over a couple of months before "stick season" begins.

[Scott Card]

Excellent, Randy! :2thumbs: Thanks for posting the photos; I've been wanting to go to Horseshoe ever since I read a bit about it on a Canyonlands map, as I love rock art. Now, I definitely need to go.

It's awesome how the cottonwoods in the lower canyons are in their full-on-disco color now, isn't it? Saw lots of that around Moab last week. Nice to spread the fall color out over a couple of months before "stick season" begins.This is a must see. the sheer size of the pictos is stunning.

Nice TR and great photos. It is hard to get the real flavor of the pictos or the size (as stated above) in a photos. Gotta see these in person.

[Iceaxe]

This is a must see. the sheer size of the pictos is stunning.

Here is a picture that will give you some scale as to the size of the pictographs.


38859

[canyonphile]

Here is a picture that will give you some scale as to the size of the pictographs.


38859

Oh, that is TOTALLY cool! :2thumbs: I'd read that they were life-sized, but you really can't tell from photos unless there's an actual peep there for scale.

What treasures - I'm glad no one has defaced these. I get so pissed when I see that or other vandalism/theft to archeological sites. People who do that sort of thing totally suck :angryfire:.

[Cirrus2000]

Here's another, more panoramic, view of the Great Panel. Keep in mind the photo of Ice in front of the Holy Ghost picto, and that's the small group on the left side. The place is huge:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/SQ4EIWfFrhI/AAAAAAAAZFo/Pu89xG2Ifvs/s912/IMGP3516a.JPG

[denaliguide]

thought everyone would find this interesting. this is about the archeology of horseshoe canyon.

http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/horseshoebook.pdf

btw, those figures are larger than life size. shane is well in front so it makes them look smaller.

[ibenick]

thought everyone would find this interesting. this is about the archeology of horseshoe canyon.

http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/horseshoebook.pdf


Very interesting read. Thanks for posting it.

[canyonphile]

Very interesting read. Thanks for posting it.

+1

I always assumed most prehistoric rock art was either Fremont or Anasazi in this region; how fascinating to find out it was done by Archaic peoples thousands of years earlier. I'll have to read the article about the canine figures later...

Thanks everyone for the pics and info, and of course Randy, who started the thread :nod:

[Win]

I was watching a show on History Channel last night on early visitors from other worlds and at least twice they showed the panels in Horseshoe Canyon. The show is "Ancient Aliens", as you'd expect a lot of speculation and very few facts.

Thanks for the link.:2thumbs:

Win

[Iceaxe]

I was watching a show on History Channel last night on early visitors from other worlds and at least twice they showed the panels in Horseshoe Canyon. The show is "Ancient Aliens", as you'd expect a lot of speculation and very few facts.


That's a fun show to watch if you want to start thinking outside the box. It helps if you have read the book Chariots of the Gods (http://www.amazon.com/Chariots-Gods-Erich-von-Daniken/dp/0425166805) by Erich von Daniken.

[Win]

Geez, I think I read that book about 40 years ago! There is also the counter to it called "Crash Go the Chariots" by Wilson. I have a customer who is really into the alien thing, he even went to Mexico to meet with a Mayan priest concerning 2012. He loves all the pictures I send him of the ancient art.

One of my favorites from Horseshoe has the "ghost" figure.

Win

http://www.fototime.com/F11EB3A49E8C8B1/standard.jpg

[pixie1339]

Awesome! I have yet to make this hike, but it looks amazing. It's nice to see a couple pics of the canyon itself, too.