"The Pyramid"...the signature panel at the Water Tank Site outside of Delta, Utah, Sunday, July 14, 2019.

Summer 2019 Solo Rock Art Trip  [Part 2:  Great Basin to Dry Wash]

Part 2 of this trip blog begins with my arrival in Delta, Utah, on Friday evening, July 12, 2019.  I had signed up for a Utah Rock Art Research Association (URARA) field trip which was to be focused on Great Basin rock art and based out of Delta.  The next morning I met with the members of our small group at the City Park in Delta at 8:00 a.m.  Our group leader was Oscar Olson of Salt Lake City, Utah, who was very knowledgeable about the Great Basin rock art and the sites located around Delta.  We had an ambitious itinerary and I do believe under Oscar’s guidance and prodding we were able to visit all of the sites listed in the field trip prospectus.  Over the course of the next three days, I was grateful to make a number of new friends and to see some wonderful examples of Great Basin rock art.  Please note that throughout this blog when you see the name of a rock art site highlighted in blue, clicking on the highlighted name will take you to the full gallery of photos for that site.  Hope you enjoy my modest account of what was a grand adventure for this old man!

Great Basin Rock Art Sites With URARA:  Delta Field Trip, Day One…

Saturday morning, July 13, 2019, we began by visiting a two sites Oscar generically called the Desert Mountain Sites.  For purposes of this blog and corresponding photo galleries, I refer to these sites as Desert Mountain One and Desert Mountain Two.  These two sites were basically clusters of rocks with no other discernible identifiers — without Oscar, there was no way we would have found them!  The next three sites that we visited that morning were The Cheerleader Site, The Cowpie Site, and The Lost Site.  That afternoon we visited the Judd Creek, Oak City, and Fool Creek sites.

The first couple of Desert Mountain sites were clusters of dark, glossy granite boulders on the basin floor. Saturday, July 13, 2019
This is the signature panel at "The Cheerleader Site".
This large Freemont Style anthropomorph is high on a rock at the Cowpie Site.
Our last two stops on Saturday were small pictograph sites. I took this selfie at the Oak City Site.
Our last stop of the day was Fool Creek. The locals call this small panel "The Devil and His Wife", located high above the creek.

Delta Field Trip, Day Two (Sunday, July 14, 2019)…

We met bright and early Sunday morning at the Delta City Park.  As we headed out, we stopped and visited a couple of historical sites just on the outskirts of town.  The first was an old schoolhouse built in 1894 —  it was a beautiful old structure and looks like it could still be used today.  Next stop was Fort Deseret, which was built of straw and adobe in just 18 days in 1865. 

After stopping at the two historical sites outside of Delta, we headed out to our first rock art sites for the day, located in the area of the Great Stone Face.  We visited two different sites at Great Stone Face — interesting but not particularly remarkable.  Next up was the Water Tank Site, home to the “Pyramid”, which was one of my favorite panels on this field trip.  We then drove to  the Paxton Corral Site, followed by a visit to the Hole In The Rock Site.  Our final site of the day was Devil’s Kitchen.  Each of these sites took a considerable amount of driving, and we took are time exploring at each.  It made for a very full day!

An interesting panel in the Great Stone Faces area.
There was lots of obsidian in the Great Stone Faces area...this type is known as Snowflake, because of the white areas contained in the black obsidian.
This triangular shaped boulder at the Water Tank Site is known as "The Pyramid".
One of several nice panels at the Paxton Corral site.
A selfie from The Devil's Kitchen.
A large anthropomorph at The Devil's Kitchen site.

Monday morning, July 15, 2019 our small group drove out to our last rock art site, the Miller Canyon Petroglyph Site.  It was a small site, with just one panel.  It was unique because it was discovered only a couple of years ago.  We said our goodbyes and headed our separate ways.  Before I left Delta, I stopped by the Topaz Museum, which was one of ten facilities where Americans of Japanese descent were interred during WWII.  It was an interesting visit related to a historical black eye for our country.

I left Delta after touring the Topaz Museum and headed for the Freemont Indian State Park and Museum near Richfield, Utah.  I had wanted to see this park for quite a long time, but it was never convenient.  I spent about six hours there, and, I believe, was able to enjoy most of the rock art in the park.  It is a unique park, and I would highly recommend stopping by if you find yourself in the area.  The park is well signed, and there are multiple areas to explore with a nice mix of petroglyphs and pictographs.  Please visit The Freemont Indian State Park Gallery, where I have posted many of the pictures I took that day.

A Wonderful Day Near Ferron, Utah…

I left Freemont Indian State Park and drove to Ferron, Utah, where I spent the night at the rustic Big Mountain Lodge.  I woke up early the next morning, excited to begin a day that I hoped would be full of unique rock art.  I had been to this area before, but, because I spent way too much time looking for, and not finding, the Ascending Sheep Panel, I did not make it to Ferron Box and several other sites in the area.  I drove out to Ferron Box and arrived at the trailhead on the canyon rim fairly early in the morning.  The drive was challenging, and I had to drive some rabbit trails before finding the right road to the trailhead — but it was fun, and exciting to find my way to this special place.  I hiked down into Ferron Box and enjoyed the Rainbow Panel and the Segregation Panel –what magnificent works of art!

At the canyon rim, about to hike down into Ferron Box.
The magnificent main panel at Ferron Box. Sometimes called the "Rainbow Panel".
High up on the canyon wall, the "Segregation Panel".

Driving out of Ferron Box I stopped at a unique petroglyph site about three quarters of a mile from the canyon.  This site is on flat rocks and contains dozens of petroglyphs depicting moccasins.  I decided to call it the Moccasin Site.  It was very interesting!  I also stopped at a petroglyph site among some large boulders before I began the final drive out.  I decided to call this small site The Boulder Site. 

A portion of the Mocasin Petroglyph Site near Ferron Box.
One of several small petroglyph panels I located in a boulder group on the drive out of Ferron Box.

I next drove to the Molen Seep Site, which is in the general neighborhood of Ferron Box.  The hike down into the canyon requires climbing down a narrow slot and is very cool!  Once down in the canyon, I enjoyed a nice mix of petroglyphs and pictographs — I am glad I took time to see this beautiful place!

One of several nice petroglyph panels at Molen Seep. The mocasin elements are very similar to those found at Ferron Box.
Some thought provoking pictographs in the Molen Seep....

I left Molen Seep around noon and headed over to the Moore Cut-Off Road in search of the Ascending Sheep Site.  Last time I looked for it, I tried hiking in from the paved road.  This time, with the help of Google Earth, I was able to drive to within a few hundred yards of the site.  It was not an easy drive, but Artifac negotiated the terrain like a champ.  This is a beautiful little pictograph site and I am so glad I finally was able to see it in person!

Approaching the alcove that contains the Ascending Sheep Panel.
The Ascending Sheep Alcove.
Detail of the Ascending Sheep element -- outstanding!

I drove down from the Ascending Sheep site and headed for my final destination of the day, The Short Canyon Sites.  The drive to the trailhead was not bad, but did take some time.  The hike to the panels was very enjoyable, passing some beautiful rock formations and scenery in the canyon.  There are several very nice pictograph panels in Short Canyon and I am grateful that I got to experience them in person.

This is the first major panel you encounter in Short Canyon, known as "Wavy Hands".
The main panels at Short Canyon. The upper portion is quite high on the canyon wall.
Yours truly, standing below an interesting duo in Short Canyon.

A Day Spent Hiking at Two Creeks…

I left Short Canyon during the early evening hours of Tuesday, July 16, 2019, and drove through the mountains to Torrey, Utah, where I spent the night.  It was a beautiful drive, with a full moon greeting me over the mountains.  I got an early start Wednesday morning and headed over to the Fish Creek Site, which was about 12 miles south of Torrey.  I had read that this site was “the best rock art site you have never heard of”, and that turned out to be the truth.  Although there is a considerable amount of graffiti, the main panel at the site is unique, and stunning.  I spent most of the morning there, hiking to a nearby waterfall and exploring the area around the site.

The left hand portion of the main panel at Fish Creek. The element on the right is about two feet high.
A portion of the right hand side of the main panel at Fish Creek consists of numerous very large zoomorphic figures.

After a wonderful hike and time spent contemplating the rock art at Fish Creek, I headed over to Capitol Reef National Park.  Billy and I had visited the park several years ago.  Since that time I learned of a remote site named The Pleasant Creek Site that I wanted to explore.  The trailhead was a pretty good drive from the main road through the park, but the roads were quite good and I made it with no problem.  I set out in the early afternoon, hiking along the robust Pleasant Creek.  I spent some time exploring the area between the trailhead and the site, but found only a surveyor’s signature.  The site contained a large petroglyph site with a few very faded pictographs.  There was also a large boulder in front of the panel that had multiple metates worn into the top surface.  It was an interesting site, and I am glad I had the opportunity to spend time there.  On the drive out of the park, I stopped and photographed the Roadside Petroglyph Panels, which are located on the main road near the visitor center.

The magnificent metate boulder in front of the Pleasant Creek Panel.
This beautiful zoomorph was found a short distance down the cliff from the main panel at Pleasant Creek.

My Final Day of Adventure…

After leaving Capitol Reef National Park late in the afternoon of Wednesday, July 17, 2019, I drove to Hanksville and checked into the Whispering Sands Motel, where I had stayed when I visited Horseshoe Canyon.  I had dinner, did some laundry and went to bed early.  I headed out early the next morning and just before sunrise was at the turn off to the road to the Poison Spring Canyon rock art sites.  I spent the morning and the first couple of hours of the afternoon driving, hiking, and exploring the canyon.  I found three panels of petroglyphs, but was unable to locate the Butch Cassidy signature I had heard about —  maybe next time!  I found the canyon challenging, beautiful, and sublime.  I am glad I spent the time and effort to explore there.  After leaving Poison Spring Canyon, I drove down the road to what I thought was the Sandthrax campsite, and hiked to Leprechaun Canyon, a beautiful slot canyon.  I was unable to find the Sandthrax panel and by the time I finished my hike it was extremely hot, so I decided to call it a trip.  I headed home and arrived at Lake McQueeney Friday evening after an uneventful drive.

I reached the turnoff to Poison Spring Canyon Road just after sunrise.
I found the road wetter than I expected, challenging, and a lot of fun to navigate!
A portion of the first panel I located in Poison Spring Canyon.
These "Fighting Men" are part of the first panel.
A portion of the panel found at the second site in Poison Spring Canyon.
This interesting zoomorph was high on the canyon wall at Walled Off Spring.

Epilogue and a Few Final Photos…

I enjoyed this trip — I enjoyed the landscapes, I enjoyed the solitude, I enjoyed the rock art, and I enjoyed the people I met along the way.  I felt great satisfaction in finally making it to the Ascending Sheep Site.  I am very grateful that I am still able to climb up to high sites, climb down into canyons, and hike along beautiful rivers and creeks.  As I look back on this trip, I am amazed at the ground I covered and the variety of archaeological sites I was able to enjoy.  If you want to see more of the rock art from this trip, please go to the Rock Art Gallery portion of this website and look for the individual site you are interested in.  Thank you for taking the time to read of my travels!  I leave you with a few final photos…

Leprechaun Canyon...this slot canyon was beautiful, amazing, and surreal. I am grateful I got to experience it!
Just before crossing the Colorado River near Hite's Crossing.
I passed by the Bears Ears on the way home...
I stopped and hiked over to the Butler Wash Ruins outside of Blanding, Utah, on the way home.
In the late 1950s I visited this New Mexico park with my family. It is outside of Roswell, New Mexico and I stopped by for a visit on the way home.
The largest of the lakes, Leah Lake, at the State Park. It was just as I remembered it from my childhood visit some 59 years ago!