[IntrepidXJ]

Saturday, November 6, 2010

If you haven't noticed, I've sort of been in a rock art mood lately. I figured I would keep in the rock art mood by heading over to the San Rafael Swell to check out a few of the rock art sites I have missed in the past.

Morning along Cottonwood Road
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182553-2/_MG_9588.jpg

Bottleneck Peak
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182556-2/_MG_9590.jpg

Even though I've stopped at the Buckhorn Wash Pictographs plenty of times before, I took a few drive-by photos as I passed them.

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182559-2/_MG_9596.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182562-2/_MG_9598.jpg

A little further up the Buckhorn Draw Road I parked off to the side of the road and hiked up to Ruin Arch.

Ruin Arch...if you look closely you can see two petroglyphs inside the arch
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182565-2/_MG_9603.jpg

Close-up of the petroglyphs
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182301-2/_MG_9666.jpg

It's a cool arch that is easy to miss when driving by on the road below unless you are looking for it
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182298-2/_MG_9640.jpg

This is the only thing nearby the arch that could resemble ruins, so I am assuming this is the ruin that gives the arch it's name
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182571-2/_MG_9631.jpg

There is another small arch next to the ruins
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182294-2/_MG_9636.jpg

There's a lot of interesting shapes in the sandstone up by the arch
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182574-2/_MG_9685bw.jpg

[IntrepidXJ]

After visiting Ruin Arch, I made a large loop through Fuller Bottom and over to Ferron before heading south so that I could visit the Rochester Petroglyph Panel.

The main panel
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182370-2/_MG_9847.jpg

The vertical line carved from the top of the panel to the bottom was interesting
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182316-2/_MG_9723.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182379-2/_MG_9871.jpg

Another panel around the corner
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182334-2/_MG_9758.jpg

I spent a while checking out the main panel and searching the area for other petroglyphs. After I hiked back to the Jeep I made my way over to the Moore Cutoff Road and took it back to I-70. I headed east and exited again so that I could check out the pictographs at Locomotive Point (Head of Sinbad).

The first panel was a bit faded
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182415-2/_MG_0013.jpg

A rockfall has taken it's toll on these pictographs
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182421-2/_MG_0037.jpg

The next panel contained some of the best preserved pictographs I have come across
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182454-2/_MG_0246.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182436-2/_MG_0116.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182457-2/_MG_0257.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182451-2/_MG_0236.jpg

[IntrepidXJ]

Since I was nearby, I stopped at Dutchman Arch
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182463-2/_MG_0301.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182466-2/_MG_0314.jpg

I headed east again through the San Rafael Reef before stopping again so that I could hike up Petroglyph Canyon and Arch Canyon.

The small, but well preserved panel in Petroglyph Canyon. I found the tracks behind each figure interesting on this one
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182472-2/_MG_0342.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182475-2/_MG_0345.jpg

Spirit Arch in Arch Canyon
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182496-2/_MG_0436.jpg

Since I was in the neighborhood, I figured that I'd make a quick stop at the pictographs in Black Dragon Canyon before heading home.

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182499-2/_MG_0439.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182517-2/_MG_0514.jpg

http://myxj.net/g2/d/182523-2/_MG_0532.jpg

The 'Black Dragon'
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182529-2/_MG_0539.jpg

On my way home I was treated to a very colorful sunset, so I had to pull over and take a quick picture over the Book Cliffs
http://myxj.net/g2/d/182547-2/_MG_0616.jpg

[Udink]

Great report! I love the stuff at Head of Sinbad.

How was the Fuller Bottom crossing? In past years it has been pretty rough for larger full-sized vehicles, but a few months ago there was a big washout that made the actual river crossing easier, though about 50' south of the river there was a narrow spot that wouldn't let something like my truck through easily. I would imagine that traffic has knocked the dirt ledge down a bit so that it's not too bad now.

[IntrepidXJ]

Fuller Bottom was easy....seemed about the same as the last time I was through there in the spring.

[oldno7]

excellent, Randy.
This would be a great day out.

[asdf]

That sunset Saturday night was pretty intense. :cool2:

[accadacca]

Awesome stuff!

[Win]

Another great trip for you, I really love these reports.

Win

[hike.higher]

I have really started looking forward to your TR's each week. You cover some ground. :clap:

[IntrepidXJ]

I have really started looking forward to your TR's each week. You cover some ground. :clap:

Thanks a lot!

[offpiste]

:2thumbs:

[dioscuriII]

Very cool.