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Thread: The Maze and the Mesa (April 2011)

  1. #41
    Day 6: Moon House & Upper Johns Canyon

    Thursday, April 14, 2011

    After another very windy and cold night, Jared and I had some breakfast and headed over to the Kane Gulch Ranger station again. We wanted to make this an easy day since we had done a bunch of hiking all week, so we decided to go check out the Moon House Ruins. We had attempted this hike a few years ago (before the permit system was started) but we were unable to find the way down and across McLoyd Canyon to the ruins, so we wanted to finally reach the ruins this time. We arrived at the ranger station at 8:00am and quickly obtained our permit. Then we were soon on our way down the Snow Flat Road to the trailhead.

    This time we did end up reaching Moon House Ruins and spent about 2.5 hours exploring the area. We were lucky and had the place all to ourselves. On our way back across the canyon to the Jeep we did eventually meet two other groups of three who were hiking in to the ruins. I guess we got there at a good time :)


    Outer Wall by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The outer wall of the main Moon House ruins.


    Moon Snake by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    What looks like a snake pictograph located above the ruins.


    Behind the Wall by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A view from behind the outer wall. A very cool and unique place.


    Painted by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The very unique stripe painted on an interior wall that the Moon House Ruins is known for.


    Stripe by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A closer look at the paint on the interior wall.


    Spiked Snake by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Here’s a closer look at the snake-like pictograph from inside the outer wall.


    Three Rooms by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Three structures next to the main Moon House ruins.


    Moon House Rooms by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Many old structures make up the Moon House complex.


    Striped Roof by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    An interesting pattern and smoke-stained ceiling.


    Round Room by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A small round structure found a little ways down canyon from the Moon House Ruins, but on the same ledge.
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

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  3. #42

    Finger Impressions by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    I just love seeing the fingerprints of the builders still in the mortar. This section has a whole bunch of them if you look closely.


    Open Window by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    This long rectangular ruin was below a ceiling with a very cool pattern that was reflecting the light nicely with an orange glow. The next two photos are of the same area, just different perspectives/compositions.


    End of the Row by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    Golden Ceiling by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    McLoyd Ruin by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    Moon House Neighbor by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    Plastered Kiva by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    After heading up the canyon a little ways we came across a good sized kiva that still has some of the plaster on the interior.


    Kiva-T by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A T-shaped door in the kiva.


    McLoyd Anthropomorph by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Just beyond the kiva we climbed up to an alcove that had a few pictographs including this anthropomorphic figure.


    McLoyd Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    View inside McLoyd Canyon as we hike back across to my Jeep.
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  4. #43
    After we spent a while exploring the area we hiked back across the canyon to the Jeep and had some lunch while we decided where to go next. We decided to check out Upper Johns Canyon where we would search for some more ruins. It looked like this would be an easy hike, but apparently Jared and I have a hard time sticking to our plan for an
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  5. #44

  6. #45
    Day 7: Big Man Panel & Lower Comb Wash

    Friday, April 15, 2011

    When we woke up on Friday morning it was about 26 degrees out…the coldest morning so far on the trip! We had another quick breakfast and then took off for the Government Trailhead. Soon we were hiking across Pollys Pasture until we reached the Government Trail that drops down into Grand Gulch.


    Government Trail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The sign marking the descent into Grand Gulch.


    Grand Gulch View by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A view over Grand Gulch as we head down the Government Trail.

    Once we reached the bottom of Grand Gulch we headed upstream to the Big Man Panel. Along the way we passed a small and well preserved granary on a ledge above us.


    Small Granary by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Soon we reached the Big Man Panel. We spent some time exploring the area and taking plenty of photos.


    Big Man Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    Big Man Panel Straight On by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A closer look at the Big Man Panel.


    Big Man Alcove by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    An overview of the large alcove this panel is found in.


    Line of Hands by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    There were plenty of handprints next to the large anthropomorphs.


    Big Man #1 by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    Big Man #2 by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    It was a nice easy hike to reach the panel…..but the hike back out to the trailhead was a bit slower and more tiring…
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  7. #46

  8. #47

    Smaller Anthropomorph by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    One of the many, many, many petroglyphs found along the Butler Wash Panel.


    Faint but Detailed by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    I always enjoy visiting rock art sites multiple times (especially the larger sites like this one) because I’m always finding new things on each visit. This faint panel is one I missed the last time. If you look closely you will see a large anthropomorph with a headdress, a set of hands, another large figure that looks like it might be playing a flute and even a duck-headed figure…..among many others.


    Faint Butler Wash Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Here’s another of the many faint panels that are hard to see that I was able to bring out better in this photo.


    Curly Horns by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A bighorn sheep with very curly horns.

    After visiting the rock art panel we headed back to Mexican Hat and had some steaks for dinner from the Swingin’ Steak.

    There was still a little sunlight left after dinner, so we stopped at Goosenecks State Park to take some photos before heading back up to camp for the night.


    Burning Bush by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    Sunset at The Goosenecks by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Jared takes a photo of the goosenecks.


    Jareds Sunburst by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    I just love the sunbursts from my 16-35mm lens!


    Campfire by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Resting at the campfire after another long but exciting day.


    Day 8 to be continued…
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  9. #48
    So how is it that you went from shooting with an entry level SLR to having 10-15K in camera gear in less than a year?

  10. #49
    Quote Originally Posted by Summit View Post
    So how is it that you went from shooting with an entry level SLR to having 10-15K in camera gear in less than a year?
    Saved up and bought it.....but it's only like $7K in gear
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  11. #50
    Day 8: Mule Canyon

    Saturday, April 16, 2011

    On Saturday we woke up again to yet another cold morning, but thankfully not quite as cold as the previous day. Originally we were planning on staying in our current campsite for the last night, but at the last minute we changed our plans and decided to move to Comb Wash for the last night. We packed up camp and headed over to Comb Wash and then setup camp again. Once camp was set, we headed over to Mule Canyon and were hoping to take a nice leisurely stroll up the canyon for an easy day of exploring……but as I stated before, is seems Jared and I don’t quite know the meaning of an ‘easy day’ because by the time we reached the Jeep again we had hiked over 8.5 miles round trip with a lot of climbing up to ruins along the way.

    Of course we visited the House on Fire (Flaming Roof) ruins, and then we continued up the canyon a few more miles searching for other ruins and rock art as we went. I know we missed some of them, probably because we turned around too soon, so I’m sure I’ll be heading back again sometime in the future ;)


    Flaming Roof by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    Curved Flames by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr


    House on Fire Overview by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    An overview of the House on Fire ruins.


    Mule Canyon Wall by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The next set of ruins we found up the canyon from House on Fire.


    Mule Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Jared and the view up Mule Canyon.


    High Ruins Overview by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A well-preserved set of ruins further up.


    High Ruins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A closer look at the ruins since we didn’t even try to find a way up to them since there was no obvious route.


    Resting Tree by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    When we reached the spot in the canyon we turned around at, I stopped to rest in the shade of this tree and took this photo as I lay on the cool sandstone.
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  12. #51
    On our way back down Mule Canyon we stopped and climbed up to one more site we had skipped on the way up. I’m glad we did, since there turned out to be some cool rock art, too.


    Circles and Stripes by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The top of the alcove glows bright orange in the background with the large concentric circles in the foreground.


    Paint and Petroglyphs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Here we found another painted wall that used to be in the back of a structure. There are plenty of petroglyphs located above the paint, too.


    Overgrown by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    We were unable to climb up to these ruins located on a ledge above us.


    Jared and the Granary by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Jared checking out a small granary.


    Colorful Alcove by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The same granary as above, in the colorful alcove.

    There was still plenty of time left in the day when we reached the trailhead again so we headed up the Dog Tanks Road to visit the petroglyphs on Walnut Knob.


    Through the Comb by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Looking back at Comb Ridge from Walnut Knob where UT-95 cuts through.


    Walnut Knob Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    One of the two large panels of petroglyphs found on Walnut Knob.


    Hunting Shield by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A closer look at the panel. Probably a Ute panel since there are horseback riders in the scene.


    The Sheep and the Shield by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Here’s the other larger panel.
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  13. #52

    The Hunter and the Shield by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A closer look.


    Walnut Shield Figure by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Closeup of the shield figure.

    Afterwards we headed to Blanding for some dinner at the Homestead Steak House where I had a burger and some of their homemade biscuits. After our meal we headed to the Mule Canyon Towers to await the sunset and the stars that night. Before it got too dark out Jared showed me some petroglyphs he had found the last time he explored this site.


    Cave Towers Granary by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A small structure found near the Mule Canyon Towers.


    Moon Over the Rim by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The moon rising over the rim of Mule Canyon as we explore below.


    Mule Canyon Hunt by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The ‘Hunt Scene’ petroglyph panel that Jared showed me.


    Duck Head & Snakes by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    A closer look at some of the figures in the panel, including a duck-headed man.


    The Kill by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Looks like it was a successful hunt!


    Lower Mule Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Lower Mule Canyon as the sun sets.

    Once it was dark enough we both tried out some night shots.


    Mule Tower Star Trails by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    When I setup this shot, my original goal was to get some star trails to show up through the window as well as around the tower. Unfortunately, some clouds blew through the shot as I was taking it, so that didn’t work out as I had planned this time. I do like the way the clouds look in this shot, though. The lighting on the tower is from the almost-full moon behind the camera. I didn’t have to add any additional light.

    Mule Canyon Tower Timelapse Video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rlngstrt/5688394403/

    Follow the link above to a very short time-lapse video I made of the separate shots used to make the photo above. You can see the clouds blowing through the scene and also the moonlight on the tower changing.


    Big Dipper Tower by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Before we left, Jared had the idea for this shot and took one. I liked the idea and took a quick shot with the Big Dipper above the Mule Canyon Tower.

    When we were done, it was back to Comb Ridge for our last night of the trip.

    Day 9, the final day, to be continued…
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  14. #53
    wow, many thanks for the report and gorgeous photos

  15. #54
    Outdoorsman gnwatts's Avatar
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    Nice shots Randy. The last time I was at Big Man (actually it should be called big Woman as she is bigger than the man) maybe 10 years ago, there were no white "chalk" marks around parts of the pictograph. My guess is that people have outlined them? Bad news if that is true. There is also abundant rock art on both sides of the canyon between the Gov. trail and big man. It was hard NOT to see pictographs.
    BTW if you ever want to backpack up Mule Canyon, there is an awesome camp spot below the last ruin you were at. Tall ponderosa'a, plenty of places to pitch a tent. We used to camp here when our son was little (when he still thought we were sort of cool)
    And about 200 yards further up is another spectacular 3 story ruin. FYI.

  16. #55
    Quote Originally Posted by gnwatts View Post
    The last time I was at Big Man (actually it should be called big Woman as she is bigger than the man) maybe 10 years ago, there were no white "chalk" marks around parts of the pictograph. My guess is that people have outlined them? Bad news if that is true.
    Sure it wasn't longer than 10 years ago? I have a book published in 1996 that has the chalk outlines, so it's been there at least 15 years.
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  17. #56
    Day 9: Long Fingers Canyon

    Sunday, April 17, 2011

    The last day of our 9 day trip had finally arrived and I was looking forward to getting home and taking a real shower. We wanted to make this a shorter day so that we wouldn’t be getting home too late. We broke down camp, had a quick breakfast and then we crossed over Comb Ridge and headed south along Butler Wash. Then we hiked into Long Fingers Canyon and explored all of the alcoves, ruins and rock art that we could find. It was a nice and easy hike with a lot to see and explore. It’s amazing how many large alcoves this short canyon contains!


    To the Comb by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Hiking along the ‘now closed’ road towards Comb Ridge and Long Fingers Canyon.


    White Hands by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    The first large alcove we came to had a set of white handprints on the back wall.


    Red Figure by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    As we neared the Long Fingers Ruins we passed a number of faint petroglyphs and pictographs. I spotted this faint red anthropomorph high above.


    Flying Target by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    This is certainly one of the more unique petroglyphs I have come across. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It was hard to get a good shot of it, but I think this one turned out OK.


    Stick Figure by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Another of the faint petroglyphs on the way to the ruins.


    Pregnant Stick Figure by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Here’s another stick figure that has a round middle section….my guess would be representing pregnancy.


    Metate Designs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    This boulder has a few interesting petroglyphs and a couple of metate grooves.


    Jared in the Alcove by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    Jared exiting the deep alcove below the ruins.


    Spirals with Feet by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

    These spirals appear to have legs and feet with three toes.
    Randy Langstraat
    ADVENTR.CO | Anasazi Photography

  18. #57

  19. #58
    Killer report! This is the epic report of all epics. I have already spent about 30 minutes staring at these photos.


  20. #59
    Thanks again for the invitation Randy, I've been re-living it all in your photography!

  21. #60
    WOW!!!! I nominate you win the May TR contest as I am comment #60 (even though you started it in April) But then again you finished the TR in May so....

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