A Morning on the Sandstone Spine

November Cedar Mesa & Comb Ridge Trip 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011

The Original Trip Report on ADVENTR.CO

After spending an awesome weekend in Natural Bridges, Jackson and I spent a morning exploring Comb Ridge before heading back home. Monarchs Cave was one of the first ruins I ever visited on Comb Ridge and I was looking forward to revisiting them again on this trip, so that was our first stop.

An overview of the ruins in Monarchs Cave.

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Monarch B&W by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

They were built right up to the edge

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Monarch Fortress by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

This Monarch's Cave 1892 inscription was placed by the Illustrated America Exploring Expedition in 1892. Warren K. Moorehead was the leader of the Illustrated America Exploring Expedition which was sent to explore, survey, map, photograph and secure specimens from southeastern Utah. Although the IAEE collected few artifacts, the members of the expedition wrote enthusiastically and romantically about their adventures and discoveries in a series of articles for American Illustrated Magazine.

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Monarchs Cave by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

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Monarch Cave Ruins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Half of a metate and mano with a few potsherds that some misguided people have added.

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Metate & Mano by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A moderate-sized anthropomorphic pictograph found near the ruins.

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Monarch Anthropomorph by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A few different colored handprints.

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Colorful Hands by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

After our visit to Monarchs Cave we explored another canyon in Comb Ridge in search of a large ladder petroglyph. Once we crossed Butler Wash again and found the entrance into the proper canyon it was a short hike to the Ladder Panel.

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The Ladder Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

[i]Looking up the large ladder petroglyph. It looks like the ladder and some of the other figures were carved over some much older petroglyphs. I can

You get out a lot- I enjoy your TR's even if I don't always comment. :2thumbs:

Thanks! I try to get out every weekend if I can. I feel like I wasted a weekend if I don't go anywhere!

a good and interesting story
btw, B & W is great for such ruins

:2thumbs:

Nice shots Randy. I am planning a backpack to Comb Ridge in January, kind of zig-zag my away up and down, exploring the various canyons. This reminded me to get off my ass!
Greg