Where Others Have Been Before Us: These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They simply show parts of a hike. A friend had visitors from the flatlands, and asked if I might show...

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They simply show parts of a hike. A friend had visitors from the flatlands, and asked if I might show them some things they might not otherwise see. The place I chose seemed appropriate for the group of four.

#1 --An easy mile into the canyon, a rest stop at the first of a number of sites. Taking the breather would be helpful (I am old, and two of the others are older) since we'll be taking the rougher South Fork that departs opposite an Archaic Era 'Barrier Canyon Style' pictograph panel. Past the small petroglyph panel around the corner (not shown among these shots), the route rises a couple hundred feet, and some scrambling will be required along the way. After a short while, the ascent becomes gentle, and opens into a sandy wash above which...

#2 & #3 --The primary stop. Primary because this panel is considerably more extensive. One of the painted figures is over eight feet tall; alongside are smaller figures, and alongside those are still smaller --and in some instances, less than an inch in length-- bird and animal figures that flank the ghostly 'human' forms. There's a great deal to see --and wonder about-- when you begin to look closely. Another picto/petro site is a hundred yards away across the gently sloping rock. I mention that fact to the others, but since that other panel is anticlimactic in relation to what they're presently seeing, I do not take them there. There's still the saddle to contend with...

#4 --that straddles this high rocky pocket, and marks our return to the main canyon. The hike is best done as a loop, and done in the direction we've hiked it. Because after the climbs, its all...

#5 --downhill from here. (Smack in the center of this image, at the top of the talus slope, is another BCS site. I point it out to the others, but know the scramble would be beyond the capability of my friends. And by this point, the climb might be beyond me, too. But the little four-figure panel, nestled beneath its arc in the rock, is fascinating, so I thought I'd include a scan of a shot I'd done twenty years before...)

#6 --Then back to our vehicles. And a beer and a burger at Ray's.

(Download)

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Cany143 wrote:

These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They simply show parts of a hike. A friend had visitors from the flatlands, and asked if I might show them some things they might not otherwise see. The place I chose seemed appropriate for the group of four.

#1 --An easy mile into the canyon, a rest stop at the first of a number of sites. Taking the breather would be helpful (I am old, and two of the others are older) since we'll be taking the rougher South Fork that departs opposite an Archaic Era 'Barrier Canyon Style' pictograph panel. Past the small petroglyph panel around the corner (not shown among these shots), the route rises a couple hundred feet, and some scrambling will be required along the way. After a short while, the ascent becomes gentle, and opens into a sandy wash above which...

#2 & #3 --The primary stop. Primary because this panel is considerably more extensive. One of the painted figures is over eight feet tall; alongside are smaller figures, and alongside those are still smaller --and in some instances, less than an inch in length-- bird and animal figures that flank the ghostly 'human' forms. There's a great deal to see --and wonder about-- when you begin to look closely. Another picto/petro site is a hundred yards away across the gently sloping rock. I mention that fact to the others, but since that other panel is anticlimactic in relation to what they're presently seeing, I do not take them there. There's still the saddle to contend with...

#4 --that straddles this high rocky pocket, and marks our return to the main canyon. The hike is best done as a loop, and done in the direction we've hiked it. Because after the climbs, its all...

#5 --downhill from here. (Smack in the center of this image, at the top of the talus slope, is another BCS site. I point it out to the others, but know the scramble would be beyond the capability of my friends. And by this point, the climb might be beyond me, too. But the little four-figure panel, nestled beneath its arc in the rock, is fascinating, so I thought I'd include a scan of a shot I'd done twenty years before...)

#6 --Then back to our vehicles. And a beer and a burger at Ray's.

These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They... (show quote)

More great shooting. Is this near the Great Gallery?

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

wdross wrote:

More great shooting. Is this near the Great Gallery?

The Great Gallery is in the next county south. But its not particularly far; by vehicle (and then by foot after arriving at the most usually used trailhead), I suppose the GG is 3 or 4 hours away.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Neat!

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Cany143 wrote:

The Great Gallery is in the next county south. But its not particularly far; by vehicle (and then by foot after arriving at the most usually used trailhead), I suppose the GG is 3 or 4 hours away.

Thank you for the answers. You have always helped to raise the bar in how photography should be done and what the standards should be. You alway present us with great images to help show what can be done with our cameras if we just set our minds to it.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Love the inclusion of the rock art, Jim!

Doddy Loc: Barnard Castle-England

Excellent set.

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

UTMike wrote:

Love the inclusion of the rock art, Jim!

The inclusion was due to the simple fact that --above all else-- the folks wanted to see some roquert. Wondered whether some here might like to see something different, too.

CLF Loc: Raleigh, NC

Cany143 wrote:

These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They simply show parts of a hike. A friend had visitors from the flatlands, and asked if I might show them some things they might not otherwise see. The place I chose seemed appropriate for the group of four.

#1 --An easy mile into the canyon, a rest stop at the first of a number of sites. Taking the breather would be helpful (I am old, and two of the others are older) since we'll be taking the rougher South Fork that departs opposite an Archaic Era 'Barrier Canyon Style' pictograph panel. Past the small petroglyph panel around the corner (not shown among these shots), the route rises a couple hundred feet, and some scrambling will be required along the way. After a short while, the ascent becomes gentle, and opens into a sandy wash above which...

#2 & #3 --The primary stop. Primary because this panel is considerably more extensive. One of the painted figures is over eight feet tall; alongside are smaller figures, and alongside those are still smaller --and in some instances, less than an inch in length-- bird and animal figures that flank the ghostly 'human' forms. There's a great deal to see --and wonder about-- when you begin to look closely. Another picto/petro site is a hundred yards away across the gently sloping rock. I mention that fact to the others, but since that other panel is anticlimactic in relation to what they're presently seeing, I do not take them there. There's still the saddle to contend with...

#4 --that straddles this high rocky pocket, and marks our return to the main canyon. The hike is best done as a loop, and done in the direction we've hiked it. Because after the climbs, its all...

#5 --downhill from here. (Smack in the center of this image, at the top of the talus slope, is another BCS site. I point it out to the others, but know the scramble would be beyond the capability of my friends. And by this point, the climb might be beyond me, too. But the little four-figure panel, nestled beneath its arc in the rock, is fascinating, so I thought I'd include a scan of a shot I'd done twenty years before...)

#6 --Then back to our vehicles. And a beer and a burger at Ray's.

These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They... (show quote)

Jim excellent set. I watch a show on the History and National Geographic channels titled "Ancient Alliens". They have shown these petroglyphs many times. I would love to see them in real but also realize there is no way I could manage the hike.

Greg

Cany143 Loc: SE Utah

CLF wrote:

Jim excellent set. I watch a show on the History ... (show quote)

No clue about those supposed "Ancient" aliens, Greg, but I'm reasonably sure they and these rock art images have nothing in common. And besides, its not any Ancient aliens we've got to worry about. Its these three-toed, green-goo-drooling, big-eyed Little Gray Guys I see flying around TODAY -- NOW -- EVERY NIGHT -- in their saucer-shaped interstellar rock(et) ships we got to worry about. Out here, its made some of the smaller lizards extremely upset, and that's a particularly un-pretty sight to see. In your neck of the woods, what is it? people's pet hamsters? the porky-pines in the woods down the street? who're getting 'probed' and worse? The Truth Is Out There. And sometimes, its really, really out there....

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Cany143 wrote:

These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They simply show parts of a hike. A friend had visitors from the flatlands, and asked if I might show them some things they might not otherwise see. The place I chose seemed appropriate for the group of four.

#1 --An easy mile into the canyon, a rest stop at the first of a number of sites. Taking the breather would be helpful (I am old, and two of the others are older) since we'll be taking the rougher South Fork that departs opposite an Archaic Era 'Barrier Canyon Style' pictograph panel. Past the small petroglyph panel around the corner (not shown among these shots), the route rises a couple hundred feet, and some scrambling will be required along the way. After a short while, the ascent becomes gentle, and opens into a sandy wash above which...

#2 & #3 --The primary stop. Primary because this panel is considerably more extensive. One of the painted figures is over eight feet tall; alongside are smaller figures, and alongside those are still smaller --and in some instances, less than an inch in length-- bird and animal figures that flank the ghostly 'human' forms. There's a great deal to see --and wonder about-- when you begin to look closely. Another picto/petro site is a hundred yards away across the gently sloping rock. I mention that fact to the others, but since that other panel is anticlimactic in relation to what they're presently seeing, I do not take them there. There's still the saddle to contend with...

#4 --that straddles this high rocky pocket, and marks our return to the main canyon. The hike is best done as a loop, and done in the direction we've hiked it. Because after the climbs, its all...

#5 --downhill from here. (Smack in the center of this image, at the top of the talus slope, is another BCS site. I point it out to the others, but know the scramble would be beyond the capability of my friends. And by this point, the climb might be beyond me, too. But the little four-figure panel, nestled beneath its arc in the rock, is fascinating, so I thought I'd include a scan of a shot I'd done twenty years before...)

#6 --Then back to our vehicles. And a beer and a burger at Ray's.

These are not meant to be 'pretty pictures.' They... (show quote)

Looks interesting. And good shots of the artifacts.

steve49 Loc: massachusetts

Looks like a great hike. You sound like the perfect guide.
Keep them coming.

How far from Moab are these pictographs?

JRiepe Loc: Southern Illinois

Nice.

cameraf4 Loc: Delaware

Just wondering, Jim: does anyone know if these were meant to be "read" or simply "viewed" like in an art gallery?

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

These are really nice pictures. I particularly like the 3rd, 4th, and 5th of the scenery. Makes me wonder if I could do that hike and know that the answer is likely "no."