Good Sight Mountains- Two More Canyons
We found a parking spot just big enough to accommodate our truck and then we were off to the west over the rocky grassland and soon were in the even rockier shallow upper reaches of the first canyon. There wasn't much sand or gravel just bigger rocks and bedrock to walk on.
Then the canyon was dropping more steeply with iced over pools of water tucked in the recesses beneath drop-offs. Along the way I stirred up a couple of owls as I frequently do. One was larger, probably a barn owl, and the other was smaller about half the size, that I won't even speculate as to the species. Across from the first dry waterfall of significance that had to be negotiated with a bit more care, I spied a few petroglyphs on the darkened canyon walls. I looked around for more on the most likely rock faces, but came up empty, although I did come across a rock fall that had some boulder placements that seemed to defy randomness.
The canyon deepened even more from this point with cliffs and towers of volcanic rock that had a regular foliation which when eroded gave the appearance of ruins made of brick or stone work. Scrub oaks grew in the bottom and clung to the canyon sides. A short , slot of a side canyon appeared on north, which we investigated up to an icy pool that lay below a blackened dry waterfall.
Walking just bit further downstream I came to a large two tiered ephemeral waterfall. We couldn't climb down the blocky, gray cliffs easily here either, but we found a quick way up and around and before we were even all the way down, I could see petroglyphs on the black rock face.
To get a closer look required I walk along the edges of a frozen, snow covered pool and then climb on fairly narrow ledge, all the while admonishing Seamus not to walk out on the ice. There were two nice panels and there may be a few more glyphs in the in-between area below the first drop and the second drop.
David Soules finding petroglyphs |
Looking toward the Sierra de las Uvas |
We walked on now and soon began the cross-over heading south to the second canyon. It was open territory and even a little bit warm for January. Not much to report from the second, except that it was even more narrow than the first and the going got a little thick for us towards the top getting through the branches of some very old junipers. We saw a few deer but luckily I saw them first and was able to get a leash on Seamus so he wasn't taking off in a futile pursuit.
We walked to the top of a small hill past rodent mounds and the bare ground around them setting off the jackrabbits and bunnies that hid behind mormon tea bushes as we went. At the top we looked down at the blue Tacoma just a short distance away, waiting for us as the afternoon clouds settled in on what had been a wonderfully sunny day.
We walked to the top of a small hill past rodent mounds and the bare ground around them setting off the jackrabbits and bunnies that hid behind mormon tea bushes as we went. At the top we looked down at the blue Tacoma just a short distance away, waiting for us as the afternoon clouds settled in on what had been a wonderfully sunny day.
I returned a week later, bringing David and Nancy Soules. This time we followed a road that led to a large parking/ dispersed camping area that was directly above the dam on the south side. There is actually remnants of the road right down to the dam site which we walked on to come in and out of the canyon. After looking at the dam and the little slot canyon, a handy cowpath with some slippery loose rock got us quickly to the main rock art panels. We found a few more petroglyphs there than I found the first time. Downstream, where the canyon levels out, we spied some stone grinding tools and a few bits of pottery at our feet. Later, after looping around in the hills and coming back down the canyon from the east I saw several more barn owls.
Labels: hiking, petroglyphs, rockhounding
3 Comments:
The "random" rock fall: When you sit behind it, you see it could serve two functions, one as a hunter hide above the water pools and two it faces directly East - just interesting. Below the falls where you found the glyphs you notice the 'face' I'm guessing. Always been a special spot to me. There are a couple of more small glyphs on the north side of the pool. Glad to see you have found the three dams. There might be more but I haven't found any. Back at the well you mentioned a year ago, go north up the hills. There is a trail that goes off toward Nutt and the NE - I followed it once about 3 miles before turning around.
puma-243@q.com
Hi Devon. Just wondering what was the starting point for this one. Was it the same as the other hike you did in the Goodsights?
No, the starting point for this one is much easier to get to. It's just a couple miles
south from the well-maintained county road that more or less follows the Butterfield route out there.
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