Pictograph Fork & The Harvest Scene | Day 2
Day 2: Pictograph Fork & The Harvest Scene
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Our second day started out cold with plenty of wind. None of us slept very well since the wind was noisy all night. After some breakfast we bundled up and started our hike down Pictograph Fork to check out the Harvest Scene pictographs.
If you look closely you can see Dave and Jared in the canyon ahead of me as we hike towards Pictograph Fork.
Along the way we stopped at a petroglyph panel.
Then we continued on until we reached the Harvest Scene, which was one of my main reasons for going to The Maze this trip.
The canyon near The Harvest Scene Panel.
The sun was shining on the panel and washing it out pretty good, but luckily there were a few puffy clouds in the sky that blocked the sun for a few minutes at a time so that I could try and take some decent photos of the panel.
An overview of the Harvest Scene Pictograph Panel.
A closer look at the part of the panel that gives it the name ‘Harvest Scene’.
These figures found on the left side of the panel are very elaborately decorated.
The figure to the right of the striped anthropomorph appears to be bowing.
A closer look at the striped figure.
Jared checking out the panel and giving it some scale.
Both Dave and Jared for some scale.
Not a great photo, but the best I managed to get on this trip. If you look closely you can see what looks like a bird a rabbit and another smaller zoomorph on the outstretched hand. There is also what appears to be indian rice grass growing out of the middle finger on the hand. A very interesting panel.
There were plenty of other pictographs to be found nearby, too.
The furthest figure on the right appears to be a very long dog standing up.
These two pictograph panels are located just to the left of the main Harvest Scene panel.
Another of the panels found nearby.
These pictographs are found a bit upstream from the Harvest Scene and are actually the first panel you will come across when hiking down-canyon as we did.
We had some lunch before leaving the Harvest Scene and then continued on our loop hike.
Another view of Pictograph Fork from near the pictographs.
We took a detour towards the Maze Overlook trail in search of some more rock art and found this snake petroglyph, which might be the one Ed Abbey spoke of in Desert Solitaire when he descended into The Maze….
An overview of the location where the snake petroglyph is found.
A closer look at the snake petroglyph.
It was a long hike back to camp and windy again once we climbed back out of the canyon.
Hiking over the sandstone on our way back to camp.
We passed this small arch along the way.
A view of The Maze and the La Sal Mountains in the distance through the small arch.
Can you spot Chimney Rock in the distance, it was a long hike back to camp.
When we arrived back at camp, we had some dinner and tried to stay out of the wind as much as possible.
Jared having some dinner and using my Jeep to block the wind. Chimney Rock in the background.
When the sun was getting close to setting, we grabbed our cameras and took some photos…
I love the layers of color in this photo.
Just another photo of Chimney Rock glowing in the late evening sunlight.
Dave trying to keep warm.
Aside from the wind when we were up out of the canyon, it was a good day. I’m glad I finally got to visit the Harvest Scene and will probably hike down from The Maze Overlook next time I want to visit it.
Day 3 to be continued…