Hunt for Ancient Petroglyphs

Editor’s note. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for pictographs and petroglyphs to be stolen or vandalized. Far too often these pieces of art are removed from their natural viewing place and are sold on the black market. In order to protect their location, the writer has refrained from not only specifying their exact location but has removed content in order to avoid suggesting even where the petroglyphs discussed in this post can be found. For more information on the vandalism and black market of these pieces of art please click here and here.

I have been fascinated with petroglyphs (and pictographs) for quite some time. It is impressive that artwork, thousands of years old, which is not housed in a museum but is subject to the harsh conditions of the natural environment, can still be preserved and viewed today. Petroglyphs range from geometric shapes and other types of objects all the way to identifiable animals and people. Some appear to document the lives of their artists. Needless to say, they are a sight to see.

I have set out on multiple trips trying to find them, and I have failed on every trip. I’ve spent full weekends in one small area searching for them after putting together numerous stories and reports indicating that I was in the right area. Despite lots of research, mapwork, and planning, I have never found any petroglyphs. Despite my poor luck, I did not give up hope.

I found myself on a vacation in the mountains. I was having a blast hiking and exploring the various trails and boulders. I also knew that there were some prominent petroglyphs in the area where I was staying. I tried to temper my expectations. After many disappointments hunting for petroglyphs, I told myself I would refrain on this trip and stick to the different trails. My dog was happy with that decision too. He much preferred walking long miles on the trails than roaming a small area looking for petroglyphs.

The last day of my trip arrived. I loaded up my truck and looked at my watch. I had dinner plans with some friends back home, but I was ahead of schedule. I decided I would take at most an hour looking for the petroglyphs before I headed home. A little extra time in the mountains never hurt anyone.

I steered my truck through the valley towards this area with red volcanic-like rocks which was known for different petroglyphs. The area was massive. There were more rocks, boulders, and rock walls then I ever imagined. I was overwhelmed. I was unfamiliar with this area and did little research on where the petroglyphs could be located. To say I had no idea where to even begin looking was an understatement. I drove around on the dirt road for a bit just looking out my window. I saw a large rock wall next to a pile of boulders out of the way from the campers in the area. I pulled my truck to the side of the road and figured it was as good of a place as any to start looking. It met my criteria of not trapping through anyone’s camping area, so I was happy enough with it.

As I stepped out of my truck, I realized how strong the winds were ripping through the valley. It felt chillier than 35 degrees. I threw on some hat and gloves, grabbed my camera, and made my way to the rock wall. It was almost a half a mile from the truck. As I was walking towards the wall there was a lone boulder I set my sights on. I did not expect anything out of this lone boulder, just figured it was a good terrain feature to head towards. I could use that boulder as a point of reference from where I started my hunt.

I could not believe my eyes once I got to the boulder. My heart felt like it stopped when I realized this boulder was covered in petroglyphs. I could not believe my luck. The first random spot I decide to look at, and the first boulder I head towards, was covered with petroglyphs. I was amazed. I took a ton of pictures of all the different geometric shapes that covered this boulder. I got closer and could still see the artwork that was chipped into this boulder. I decided to look around the area some more thinking there might be even more in the area. Sure enough there was! I found more petroglyphs tucked away on a rock wall protected by some boulders which shielded them from the random passerby who would not be looking for them. After wandering around the area for about ninety minutes I was content. I headed back to my truck with a full heart and a camera loaded with different pictures. I looked at my watch again. I was going to be late for dinner, but I could not wait to share my excitement with everyone when I returned.