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Dragonfly Canyon
For our second incursion of the weekend into the Canyonlands region, the group did a shorter ride and longer hike than we'd done the previous day to the Harvest Scene. The objective this time was Dragonfly Canyon, where we visited several caves/alcoves and the fabulous Dragonfly pictograph panel. We parked the bikes and hiked quite a distance before actually dropping into the canyon. Once in the watercourse it was fairly easy hiking, though we encountered many full pools of water along the way.
Parking spot
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IM...QgbXi_E4g=s800
Hiking into the canyon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/7s...Qa2v4XURQ=s800
Sundog
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3o...tT5pONAMA=s800
Wild burros
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/hx...P5TP3TEdQ=s800
Dragonfly Canyon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2u...eOqyRCYyw=s800
One of many pools in the canyon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/EL...vhImocrKg=s800
The first point of interest that we visited was a pair of alcoves that held some granaries and rock art. The alcove on the left contained many slab-lined granaries, along with some inscriptions and grinding stones. The right alcove revealed a small incised glyph on a ground-smooth surface on the ceiling. There were a few other similar prepared surfaces but with no glyphs on them. A couple more grinding stones were present in the second alcove.
Two alcoves that each hold something special
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rN...4bhc5KuSQ=s800
Ooh, a pretty rock!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/U3...lzbbfrC9Q=s800
E. Musselman, 10-24-??
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Tj...GZYbaXm-A=s800
Grinding stone
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/3p...vJl4lAFWA=s800
Slab-lined granary
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Vh...IgMfkvyyg=s800
Fingerprint details in the mortar
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/GB...z-fiajkXA=s800
Slab-lined granary
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/i-...AwdNe6V9w=s800
Alan in the second alcove
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/D3...bNrIxZ87A=s800
Grinding stone
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pi...JyhpoRHVg=s800
View out the alcove
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pJ...0rLSo5Pfw=s800
Incised figure
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/50...obQ6XZ4Hw=s800
After leaving the twin alcoves, we stayed high and contoured above the bottom of the canyon, which allowed us to spot another cave/alcove. We wouldn't have seen it from the main watercourse of Dragonfly Canyon. This one required some climbing to access it, made easier by earlier sheepherders who had stacked dead trees against the cliff. Both inside and outside the alcove were inscriptions from early sheepherders, along with yet more grinding stones left by the Fremont or perhaps earlier cultures. Quite unusual was, among signed and dated inscriptions, the words "LOOK OUT" inscribed faintly among the other writings.
Another alcove in the distance
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/K_...6aomOciew=s800
Climbing into the alcove
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/uZ...cDAdLKgoA=s800
P. Moynier 1904
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vH..._sEQsZFaw=s800
Climbing into the alcove
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/sl...s6DHZrHcg=s800
Grinding stone
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/jf...m29-iUnxA=s800
H. Moynier 1937
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/1R...1pD2DV9zA=s800
Joe Lavigne 1910 (with "LOOK OUT" above)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/md...nkB5h6Fdw=s800
A. Carnier 1910
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0X...4myd_Ytew=s800
Eddyjo Ekker 1941 28 August
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F...BwTcrRIxA=s800
J. Garnier 1910
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Cy...9PQjnApbQ=s800
Along the way to our final planned stop I spotted an unusual petroglyph on a boulder in the bottom of the canyon. It consisted of a long horizontal line with two curving diagonal lines, one of which had a couple of small bisecting lines. A map, perhaps? On the final stretch toward the Dragonfly panel I found a Canon polarizer and a fairly large four-point deer antler, both of which I packed out of the canyon. I thoroughly enjoyed my second visit to the Dragonfly panel. Once again, I spent more time admiring the rock art than just taking photos of it. The tiny details still amazed me, however.
Unusual petroglyph on a boulder in the watercourse
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5w...2VAqPSCzw=s800
Dragonfly panel
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/FK...gfoxFQ3WA=s800
Dragonflies
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8p...IfCeBDTAA=s800
Dragonfly and another figure
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RD...YstsPfbBg=s800
Holding a tiny animal figure
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Gj...aeBFSWWxA=s800
Whispering weiner dog
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/Ml...Z3mDPL--w=s800
Antennae figure
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8w...EXJyIERHw=s800
Insect
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/V7...H2iWWSUkg=s800
Rabbit
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rW...g0hlgzjRw=s800
Dragonfly and another tiny figure
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/BC...-uwk4AK9w=s800
Slab-lined granaries
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PT...jpv_9BTHw=s800
During the long hike out of the canyon the group spotted at least a couple of other spots that would be worthy of exploration. We didn't have time to check them out on this trip, but they're on my to-do list for future explorations.
Hiking out of the canyon
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/co...qmvgKf4Xw=s800
Another alcove that we had to pass up
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/wN...B0S7Dl9eQ=s800
Seep below a large overhang
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/qw...byBpcwryg=s800
My shadow on the exit hike
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/rL...vHEdS3vJw=s800
Photo Gallery: Dragonfly Canyon