Day 4, Friday, March 8, 2019. Notes From the Past


Not sure what they were saying but there is more than enough ancient graffiti  here in this park.  Having awakened to unexpected blue skies (last time we had cell service it indicated there would be rain and the blowing wind last night seemed to confirm the forecast), our first stop was at the Atlatl Rock which bears many examples of the petroglyphs that the people who inhabited this place long ago used to express themselves.  There is no key to decipher these forms but one can guess.  By the way, an Atlatl is a tool which Native Americans used to launch their lightweight arrow like spears to kill things like rabbits.  See if you can pick out those 2 tools here:




Other things pictured here are Big Horn Sheep.  A trip through this park just by car had us encounter these beautiful animals often.


After the rock, Russ dropped Ceilidh and I off at a trail head called the Fire Wave.  Some pictures here will give you an idea of what they were talking about.  The rock is so colorful and  striated and the shape allows one to walk on it easily.  Thus the name “Wave”. 





A side trip was to “the Cabins” a small housing project built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1930, produced an interesting tableau.   Here are the structures. 




Weirdly enough there was this middle aged woman with a recorder playing an eerily haunting tune.  With the darkening skies and ominous rock shapes, it was nothing short of cool!!  Thank God Russ turned off his diesel truck engine while I went to investigate.  It would have been almost sacrilegious to have combined the two sensory experiences.  Sorry no pictures – it would have just been too intrusive and tourist-like.  You’ll have to use your imagination.  

Finally, we drove to the edge of the park where we visited “Elephant Rock.”  See if you can find it – was a bit difficult for me.



One more picture for today – don’t know what it was but it seemed fitting to share this monument to something before we leave the park. 

Again, I am so glad we visited this place.  Who would have know this was in my new home state, or for that matter, anywhere else in the world.  Lucky us.

Tomorrow we head out to St. George to spend the night and see some good friends!!

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