With the legendary Vaughn Hadenfeldt in front of Far Out Expeditions in Bluff Utah. Wednesday, October 23, 2013.

My Maiden Voyage Into Achaeology

Part 2– Backpacking In Slickhorn Canyon

Intro…

Part 1 of this blog covers how it came to be that I found myself in Bluff Utah fixing to spend five days in the remote confines of Slickhorn Canyon on Cedar Mesa with a gentleman named Vaughn Hadenfeldt.  Part 1 also covers the days I spent on the way up to Bluff and the time I spent exploring in the area on my own.  So here we go with Part 2!

Preparing For Our Backpack…

I first met Vaughn Hadenfeldt in person on the early evening of Wednesday, October 23, 2013.  Vaughn had asked me to stop by his office/home so we could meet and so that he could take a look at my gear and make sure I was properly prepared for our adventure.  He also had me pick out some of the food and beverages I preferred from his large stockpile.  When he looked at my pack, he gave me a bemused look and a hearty chuckle, then good naturedly began to help me discard items that he didn’t think I would need.  He reminded me that he expected me to carry half of the food and half of the cooking gear in addition to the personal items I had squeezed into my pack.  It was a humbling experience, but most importantly, a learning experience.  It was obvious from the get-go that this man knew what he was doing.  I immediately took a liking to Vaughn’s humble and calm demeanor, and his understated humor.  As we worked at putting my pack together, he explained why he decided to take me into Slickhorn Canyon.  I had originally inquired about a backpack into Grand Gulch.  Vaughn explained that the Wetherill Expeditions did not make it into Slickhorn, and that Slickhorn saw far fewer visitors than Grand Gulch.  As a result Slickhorn has not been “picked over” like Grand Gulch and we would probably have the canyon all to ourselves.  At the end of the evening I was feeling excited and cautiously optimistic as we said our goodbyes and agreed to meet early the next morning. 

Our Backpack Into Slickhorn Canyon

A little candid disclaimer:  I am writing this blog in July of 2021, a few months shy of being 8 years since I made this backpack with Vaughn.  Why the delay?  Well, I didn’t start this website until several years after this trip, and, I worked on the experiences with my grandchildren and my most recent trips first.  And I guess that subconsciously I was avoiding writing this blog– I knew it would be a bear to organize and to convey the details of the essence of this trip.  I had almost non-existent photography skills when I took this trip.  I did not have a GPS, indeed, I didn’t really have a clue where we were most of the time!  Nor was my camera capable of storing GPS coordinates in the file data for each photo.  So instead of a day by day and blow by blow account of our backpack, I decided to give you the chronological basics (we entered the canyon on the morning of Thursday, October 24, 2013 and emerged on the morning of Monday, October 28, 2013) and attempt to paint a picture of the experience by organizing the material into groups.  (To see a map of Slickhorn Canyon that is marked with the locations of some archaeological sites, look here.)  I decided on the following groups, in this order:

  • The Ruins of Slickhorn Canyon
  • Rock Art of Slickhorn Canyon
  • The Outdoor Museum in Slickhorn Canyon
  • Vaughn Hadenfeldt: Friend, Guide, Storyteller, Cook, Cairn Kicker, and Curator of the Outdoor Museum
  • Our Camps and Kitchens in Slickhorn Canyon, and
  • Shameless Selfies From Slickhorn Canyon

So here we go, into the wild and beautiful Slickhorn Canyon…

The Ruins of Slickhorn Canyon

During my time in Slickhorn Canyon I saw literally dozens of ruins.  My two favorite were Perfect Kiva and Double Stack Pictographs (my name for the site), so I will concentrate on them for this blog.  If you would like to see a gallery that includes many more of ruins photos from Slickhorn, look here. I will start with a little information about and some photos of, Perfect Kiva. 

Perfect Kiva…

The Perfect Kiva ruins are located high in an alcove below the north rim of Slickhorn Canyon, round the first corner from the trail in the 1st fork of the canyon as it descends back to the streambed. A granary is found on the right side of the ruins complex and is the only part of the site that is visible from below as the rest is well hidden. The ruins site is about 100 feet up from the canyon bottom.  The kiva is the most spectacular part of the site, complete with an intact, undamaged roof. There is also a perfect sipapu in the center of the floor, as well as a deflector stone and both large and small niches.  A small amount of rock art (painted) is also present in the kiva.  The only thing that is not original in the kiva is the ladder (the original ladder is in the museum in Blanding).  It is amazing that they still allow you to climb down into the kiva.  There are several rooms close to the kiva, one blackened by soot and also retaining its original timbers, plus the well preserved granary that is visible from  the canyon below.  This is a very special place and I enjoyed the time I spent there, especially the time I spent alone in the kiva!

The Perfect Kiva in Slickhorn Canyon. The granary is in the foreground and you can see the ladder sticking up out of the kiva.
In this photo the opening to the kiva is blocked by the granary. To the right of the granary is an intact room.
The granary is remarkably well preserved and is the only structure visible from the canyon below.
Heading down into Perfect Kiva. October 25, 2013.
Inside the Perfect Kiva at Slickhorn.
In this shot you can see the sipapu in the floor of the kiva.
This photo shows a little bit of everything- ladder, large niches, soot blackened upper walls and ceiling timbers.
A little better look at the deflector stone and the entrance to the ventilator shaft.
See the plug from the dendrochronolgy testing?
There is an amazing amount of wood used in the ceiling-- every but of it blackened by soot.
See the white circle between and below the two large niches? A moon perhaps?
One medium sized niche above, a small one below, almost at floor level.
A closer shot of the small niche near the floor.
You can see Vaughn's legs as he is looking down into the ventilator shaft in from of the ladder opening at Perfect Kiva.

The Double Stack Pictograph Site…

The Double Stack Pictograph site is located down low on the north side of the Third Fork of Slickhorn.  The site is not far from where the Third Fork meets the main Slickhorn Canyon.  This site had a number of very nice components.  Front and center was a unique ruin that had one area (with door) stacked directly on top of a lower area (also with a door).   Directly to the left of this structure is a “ghost”-  the outlines of an adjacent structure on the canyon wall with rubble (stone and wood) from the structure that is no more.  Not sure if the original stacked structure was a granary or just storage– definitely too small for a habitation.  The structure’s walls contained some large flat stones as opposed the the traditional layered courses.  Above and to the right of the structure are two large red pictographs– both are anthropomorphs.  The site also has another structure about 25 yards to the right of the stacked structure that most people call “Log Kiva”.  The walls of this structure appear to be timber, with rocks stacked on the outside.  Some believe that this structure was done by the Navajo.  The site also had a large boulder with many, many grinding slicks and incised marks– it was beautiful in its own right!

The Double Stack Pictograph Site. October 24, 2013.
The two large red pictographs above and to the right of the stacked structure.
Closer inspection of the structure makes me think the upper part was done mostly with waddle and daub-- perhaps because it was lighter?
From this angle you can see that this side of the stacked ruin is open. Due to the rubble, and "ghost" markings on the canyon wall, was this structure maybe part of a larger structure?
Vaughn, in front of the unusual structure called "Log Kiva" near the Double Stack Pictograph ruin.
This shot gives you a better idea of how the Log Kiva ruin was constructed-- timber on end, rock stacked on the outside.
Yours truly in front of the Log Kiva, a timber/stacked rock ruin at the Double Stack Pictograph Site.
In front of the large grinding slick boulder at Double Stack. Over my left shoulder you can see the Log Kiva.

The Rock Art of Slickhorn Canyon

The rock art of Slickhorn Canyon is abundant and varied.  It contains petroglyphs and pictographs.  Some of the art is very, very old, while some appears to be much more recent.  But it is all interesting, and it was a joy to experience.  I owe much thanks to Vaughn–  he knew every nook and cranny of those canyons!  Look here to see a complete gallery of the rock art I photographed in Slickhorn.  Below, I hope you enjoy a few of my favorites!

This pictograph panel featuring ducks was stunning, and located high up on a canyon wall. Had to climb up to a narrow ledge to photograph.
When Vaughn and I first visited this panel, my camera ran out of juice after just a few photos. We hiked back to camp and I went back alone to take more photos. I made it back just before dark (Vaughn was afraid I would get lost!).
Detail of one of the stunning Duck elements.
Some petroglyphs, like this interesting anthropomorph, looked very old.
The main pictographs at the Double Stack Alcove (situated above of the Double Stack Ruins). The crown jewels of the canyon!
This unique anthropomorph was also in the Double Stack alcove. I called him "Head-dress Man".
There was one area that had large boulders in the canyon bottom with petroglyphs on top.
So much to like about this panel! Top two elements on the right remind me of the Wolfman Panel. Dots on top of each finger... Ihave never seen that before! The "chasing figures" on the left look identical to the ones at Ruin Rock in Natural Bridges.
I saw several of these unusually colored (blue) elements in Slickhorn Canyon.

The Outdoor Museum in Slickhorn Canyon

As best I can tell, the concept of “the outdoor museum” was introduced to the general public in Fred Blackburn’s 1997 book entitled Cowboys and Cave Dwellers.  But my experience in Slickhorn canyon also tells me that men like Fred Blackburn and Vaughn Hadenfeldt have been contributing to this concept for many decades.  At one site we visited (which had some magnificent tools, sandals, etc), Vaughn showed me a note which he took from a sealed jar which read:

“We left these in the outdoor museum.  Photograph and enjoy but leave.  Fred Blackburn October 9, 1981”

The concept that artifacts should be left, and enjoyed, in situ instead of being locked away in a museum is the essence of the outdoor museum.  While I enjoyed the outdoor museum in Slickhorn immensely, I fear that when oldtimers like Fred and Vaughn are gone, much will be lost.  For a more complete gallery of the artifacts I enjoyed in the outdoor museum in Slickhorn Canyon, look here.  Below are are a few of my favorites.

The glass jar that contained the Fred Blackburn note.
Fred Blackburn's "outdoor museum" note in Slickhorn Canyon.
Some of the artifacts we saw near the Fred Blackburn note.
Amazing preservation!
Part of a sandal, or something else?
We saw many, many pottery sherds in Slickhorn. These were two of the largest.
A very small metate and another sandal.
A nice projectile point in Slickhorn.
I can't remember what Vaughn said about these. Any ideas?
Amazing that this pot remains mostly buried!

Vaughn Hadenfeldt:  Friend, Guide, Storyteller, Cook, Cairn Kicker, and Curator of the Outdoor Museum


What can I say about Vaughn Hadenfeldt?  A lot, as it turns out.  I met Vaughn in 2013 as I searched for a guide to take me on a backpacking trip into Cedar Mesa.  I  believe I first ran across his name while reading David Roberts 2006 entitled Sandstone Spine:  Seeking the Anasazi on the First Traverse of the Comb Ridge.  This book tells the story of three men who backpacked the entire length of Comb Ridge.  In it, Roberts not only calls Vaughn the best guide on the planet, but tells stories of Vaughn’s amazing ability to remember and locate archaeological sites and artifacts without the use of a GPS.  As a result of this book I felt like I new Vaughn before I ever met him in person on the trip the subject of this blog.  Anyway, my experience with Vaughn on our trip into Slickhorn Canyon was outstanding.  Vaughn has a real passion for the landscape and the archaeology it contains.  (He is one of the founders of The Friends of Cedar Mesa and has chaired and/or served on the board since its inception.)  He is humble, funny, kind, and a great storyteller.  At night we would sit and talk and I never tired of his stories, some of which he read to me.  He is a great “cook”, no, lets call it a great provider of sustenance while backpacking.  Some of the items he introduced me to I still use today (Pack-it Gourmet Broth, Jiffy Peanut Butter in a single portion sized container, Starbucks Instant Coffee, etc., etc.).   Like David Roberts, I was amazed at his ability to navigate without a map or GPS.  I was also amazed at the artifacts he showed me in the outdoor museum.  Often he could tell me when and how he initially found them.

Vaughn’s understated humor was a pleasure.  I laughed often while I was backpacking with him. During our time together he mentioned that he had been having a problem with his feet that was causing him great pain.  He also said that there was a doctor in Denver who claimed to be able to cure the problem with a surgical procedure, but that that is was quite expensive.  I asked how much it cost, and he told me.  At the end of our trip, as we were saying our goodbyes, I gave Vaughn a check for the amount of the surgeries as a token of my thanks.  He adamantly refused to accept it.  I explained to him that it made ME feel good to be able to do this for him.  And I reminded him that it was a character defect to refuse a gift that is given in love and for the proper reasons.  He finally relented and said he would think about it.  I watched and waited to see if my check would clear.  Finally, after many weeks, I kind of forgot about it.  But one day I received a note of thanks from Vaughn in the mail.  At the conclusion of the note, he told me that he signed the check over to the Friends of Cedar Mesa and then wrote “My feet feel better already!”. 

Vaughn never saw a cairn he didn’t kick over, while muttering under his breath.  He was a great teacher to me.  Often we would be hiking and would stop and he would say “What do you see”?  At the beginning of the trip the answer was almost always “Nothing but beautiful landscape”.  By the end of the trip, thanks to his guidance and willingness to teach me some of what he knew, I could often answer– for example “Up on that shelf I think there might be ruins hidden from our view…I see random daubs on the ceiling”.  Vaughn had taught me this, theorizing that children would throw small clumps of mortar material around while the adults were building structures.  He taught me to pay special attention at canyon intersections, there is often rock art there, or around springs.  He was constantly scanning cliff sides with his binoculars, always looking for anything he might have overlooked in past visits.  To this day I carry the exact pair of binoculars that Vaughn used, and I try my best to put them to good use, just like he did.

I could go on and on about Vaughn.  He is certainly one of those unforgettable characters that occasionally enter, and enrich, our lives.  I wanted my friend Billy Ward to meet Vaughn, and I arranged for Vaughn to take use on a little day trip in March of 2014.   Below are a few pictures of my friend Vaughn, working his magic in Slickhorn Canyon.  Thank you Vaughn for a trip I will never forget!

Vaughn, at home in the canyons.
Always on the lookout for something new!
Vaughn the watcher...
Vaughn the curious...
Vaughn the patient teacher...
I learned so much on this trip-- Vaughn was a great teacher!
Many of the things Vaughn pointed out to me I would have never seen on my own.
So willing to share his experience and knowledge.
Vaughn the climber. He helped me get to places I would not even attempt on my own!
A penny for your thoughts Vaughn!
Vaughn the photographer.
Vaughn taught me how to properly purify water for cooking and drinking.
Vaughn the chef, in his kitchen.
Vaughn, relaxing in our living room.
Vaughn surprised me with a nice lunch after we exited Slickhorn and hiked back to his truck.
Here I am, with my friend Vaughn Hadenfeldt.

Our Camps and Kitchens…

Vaughn picked out our campsites, all of which were strategically located on low shelves.  I know that at least one of the sites we stayed two nights, as we explored nearby areas using small day packs.  I enjoyed the evenings, surrounded by canyon cliffs and crystal clear dark sky nights.  Vaughn was a master storyteller…some were funny, some very serious.  Of course, I told a few tall tales myself.  Here are a few photos from our camps and kitchens. 

Getting started setting up my tent at camp.
Half way there!
Home sweet home...
I was quite comfortable and cozy in my little tent.
Hanging up our perishables so the night time critters were less likely to help themselves. Vaughn was so organized-- see the tag on the blue bag, "dinner #3"?
At night the canyon walls drew closer...
My Slickhorn palace...
Sitting in the kitchen enjoying breakfast. As you can tell from my wardrobe, it got pretty cold at night and in the early morning.
Our permit...evidence that the government gave us permission to be there!

Shameless Selfies From Slickhorn Canyon

Since I am selfish and self-centered, I can’t resist the tempation to post some selfies.  In reality, Vaughn took most of the photos.  Hopefully they will give you a little context to the beautiful places and things I experienced on this trip. 

Lunch on the trail in Slickhorn Canyon.
Inside Perfect Kiva in Slickhorn Canyon.
At an unamed ruin in Slickhorn Canyon.
Double Stack ruins in Slickhorn canyon.
Pictograph in Double Stack Alcove.
Checking out a small pictograph panel in Slickhorn Canyon.
Climbing up a small slot in Slickhorn Canyon.
Admiring a really nice ruin in Slickhorn Canyon.
At the "Many Ducks" pictograph panel in Slickhorn Canyon.
In Slickhorn with a prominent rock feature in the background.
Admiring a small projectile point in Slickhorn Canyon.
At a small storage area.
Metate and manos in Slickhorn Canyon.
Trying to make sense of this collapsed ruin in Slickhorn.
One of my favorite structures at "The Ledge Ruins" in Slickhorn.
Heading out of Slickhorn just after negotiating the Rattlesnake Ramp.

Epilogue…

This trip provided me the foundation and confidence to plan and execute many more.  I will be forever grateful to Vaughn Hadenfeldt– he taught me much, and his love for Cedar Mesa was quite contagious.  I am also grateful for the good health and resources that allow me to take trips such as this, and for my sobriety, which makes all things possible in my life.  And I am most grateful for the love and support of my wife Dorothy– I am blessed!