Owens Valley – May 2023 – Part Four

 

please remember you can click on a photo to see a larger version & highlighted text are links to additional information  

Please click here for – Part Three

 

Rock Art Sites

 

 

 

 

Site 1

This site was not on our list. When we see a huge flat boulder near water, we always take a look for bedrock mortars. This time we scored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 2

Another site not on our list. A good rule – always keep your eyes open. Walking by this outcrop of welded volcanic ash with the sun low in the sky, very old and deeply incised petroglyphs became visible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 3

This site included two shelters and a small panel with faded pictographs. I use DStretch to help bring out faded pictographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 4

This is a well-known site along a road. There are several panels with petroglyphs and a large work station with mortars and grinding slicks (metates).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 5

This site has several panels in a small area. It is known for the petroglyph of the snake zigzagging up the edge of the rock - final photo here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 6

This small site has two panels with ‘glyphs. I always think of a rainbow when I see arches in rock art. I believe rainbows would have appeared magical to the ancient ones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 7

This was a site with only one panel. When a friend saw this photo, she suggested it depicted a brainstorm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 8

Another small site with one panel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 9

This is another well known site along the road. It is a large site with many panels. It is most known for its ‘glyphs of hand prints and footprints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 10

This was an incredible rock shelter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The entrance was adorned with extremely faint pictographs. The rear wall of the shelter had excellent andromorphs and Coso-style bighorn ‘glyphs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lithic scatter – obsidian flakes from tool and point making – was abundant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 11

This site was a surprise and also not on our list. We came upon stacked rock ancient hunting blinds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 12

Although small, this site was “packed full of goodness” with a work station with metates and a petroglyph panel with Coso-style sheep ‘glyphs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 13

This site consisted of one panel with very faded ‘glyphs on the vertical walls of a wash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 14

This site consisted of one panel on a vertical wall and one well adorned boulder. Too bad Bubbas used this boulder as a target for their firearms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 15

This site was a shelter site and a boulder with petroglyphs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 16

This site was quite spectacular with many petroglyph panels, three obviously used shelters, pictographs, and sleeping circles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 17

This site was a beautiful single boulder with excellent Coso-style sheep and andromorph or spirit being.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 18

This site was a ‘glyph panel high up on a wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 19

This site was odd in that, usually in a very sheltered place, the pictographs here were exposed and faced the south. There was also a nearby work station with bedrock mortars along with a great deal of lithic scatter, obsidian flakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 20

This site consisted of a single horizontal panel with pictographs of varying age.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 21

This site was large and also “packed full of goodness.” This site demanded we spend quite a bit of time here exploring and discovering more and more details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 22

This single boulder’s pictograph panel was in the “proper” place, secreted away on the northeast side out of the fading effects of direct sunlight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 23

This was also a single petroglyph panel high up on a vertical wall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 24

This was a shelter site with stunning pictographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 25

Another shelter site with stunning pictographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 26

This site amazed us. It consisted of a high rock outcrop and nearby was a large habitation site. High alcoves in the rock outcrop held incredible pictographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 27

This site consisted of a habitation site and large boulders with very interesting pictographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Site 28

This was definitively a favorite. It had shelter, petroglyphs, pictographs, and petroglyphs enhanced with pictographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This looked like a ‘glyph of a comet to both the Lady and me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was an absolute fantastic week for us, engrossed in searching out these sites, and whittling away at that long, long list of ours. Please remember to treat these areas as sacred, don’t touch anything. Take only pictures and leave only footprints. Do not ask us for information about locations.

 

We hope you enjoyed this trek with us.