Day 3: "Big Panel" Pictographs.
On down Grand Gulch to Shaw Arch.
"Alien Spacemen" at the Big Panel (Pictographs)
Photos titles ending in "b" are by Bill; in "r" by Roger; and, in "a" by Allison.
Troop 24 Kickass Trekkers: "The High Adventure Troop" Alumni Backpacking Trip
-Cascade Bill Mooseker
Date(s): March 2006. Album by Cascade Bill. Photos by WHM. 1 - 106 of 106 Total. 280 Visits.
enlarge 100KB, 600x800 1 gg06-105b View of side Canyon from our camp - route up side canyon is to right of hump at center. (Location: UTM 12 0572 902 E / 41 39 345 N)
enlarge 74KB, 600x800 2 gg06-106b Eric at Camp
enlarge 138KB, 800x600 3 gg06-107b Getting ready to head out on a cold morning - Shelby & Roger.
enlarge 92KB, 600x800 4 gg06-108b Allison - the wash curves around the rocks beyond Allison. There are some pools there for water.
enlarge 100KB, 800x533 5 gg06-109r Lower Grand Gulch Pictograph Panel I missed this panel on the way down the Gulch from our camp - but Shelby and Roger found it.
enlarge 98KB, 800x533 6 gg06-110r Zoom this in to see details of figures.
enlarge 93KB, 800x533 7 Lower Grand Gulch - Pictograph Panel gg06-111r More details of this panel.
enlarge 83KB, 533x800 8 gg06-112r He's the Man.
enlarge 84KB, 533x800 9 gg06-113r Details - Roger said that is was difficult to photograph this panel as the ledge in the foreground was very narrow and you couldn't back up enough to get a good view.
enlarge 88KB, 533x800 10 gg06-114r Close up of figure.
enlarge 82KB, 800x533 11 gg06-115r More figures - faded out over time.
enlarge 123KB, 600x800 12 gg06-116b A short way down canyon from our camp on this imposing wall is the "Big Panel" - one of the largest pictograph panels in Grand Gulch. To me it's the "Happy Martians" panel. You can see the figures just to the right of the center of this photo.
enlarge 126KB, 800x557 13 gg06-117b Lower Grand Gulch "Big Panel" Pictographs Another view of the "Big Panel" wall.
enlarge 95KB, 800x600 14 gg06-118b Some of the first figures you come upon are these petroglyphs - View at original size for more detail.
enlarge 90KB, 800x600 15 gg06-119b A closer look.
enlarge 75KB, 800x533 16 gg06-120r Another look with different color settings.
enlarge 86KB, 800x600 17 gg06-121b Some more petroglyphs.
enlarge 95KB, 800x600 18 gg06-122b More petroglyphs on a boulder - hard to tell but these look pretty old.
enlarge 108KB, 800x533 19 gg06-123r Close up - looks like a camel to me but that doesn't make sense.
enlarge 93KB, 800x533 20 gg06-124r to show scale - bighorn sheep?
enlarge 78KB, 800x533 21 gg06-125r Big hands figures.
enlarge 89KB, 800x600 22 gg06-126b The bird "tracks" are interesting. Another bunch of wavy lines.
enlarge 69KB, 800x533 23 gg06-127r A close up - are the wavy lines snakes? They end in what appears to be a mouth.
enlarge 102KB, 600x800 24 gg06-128b The approach to the panel.
enlarge 84KB, 800x533 25 gg06-129r Bearpaw?
enlarge 71KB, 800x600 26 gg06-130b Getting up to the main panel - pictographs here. A coyote (?) - looks like the one from the Roadrunner cartoons. Are those pelts (beaver) at the foot of the Headdress man? Quite a different style than those on the boulders down below.
enlarge 58KB, 800x533 27 gg06-131r Close up of Headdress Man (yes its a man) and pelts(?) Also I think the faint staffs to the right are corn symbols.
enlarge 82KB, 600x800 28 gg06-132b Another view at a different color setting - notice there was some color used on this panel.
enlarge 56KB, 800x533 29 gg06-133r Wiley Coyote or Mangy dog?
enlarge 75KB, 800x600 30 gg06-134b Another view - note the faded figure above and to the left of the coyote.
enlarge 84KB, 600x800 31 gg06-135b Another figure - blueish color used.
enlarge 71KB, 800x533 32 gg06-136r Close up. Don't know what the dots are. This is to the left of the coyote.
enlarge 100KB, 800x600 33 gg06-137b Further down the wall is this panel - a little different in style.
enlarge 74KB, 800x533 34 gg06-138r More figures - the red splotches were probably parts that have since faded. Note the exaggerated headdress at the right.
enlarge 108KB, 800x600 35 gg06-139b Lower Grand Gulch "Big Panel" Pictographs Stepping back - you can see the previous panel at the right of center.
enlarge 93KB, 800x600 36 gg06-140b More figures with right arms extended.
enlarge 73KB, 800x533 37 gg06-141r Close up - it looks like the blue figure was superimposed on an older white figure that had both arms raised.
enlarge 77KB, 800x533 38 gg06-142r Lower Grand Gulch "Big Panel" Pictographs Note the ducks or grouse to the right.
enlarge 84KB, 800x533 39 gg06-143r ?? - a head?.
enlarge 99KB, 800x600 40 gg06-144b Lower Grand Gulch "Big Panel" Pictographs Moving along - more figures in another style. Also with the right arms extended.
enlarge 75KB, 800x533 41 gg06-145r Lower Grand Gulch "Big Panel" Pictographs A close up - more "Big Hands".
enlarge 97KB, 800x600 42 gg06-1460b Lower Grand Gulch "Big Panel" Pictographs Coming to the main part of the Big Panel - a very rich section of many varied figures.
enlarge 104KB, 800x600 43 gg06-146b These two figures are found at the right end of two long wavy lines. Note the toes and headdresses. Hands are down.
enlarge 62KB, 800x533 44 gg06-147r A wider view shows the curvy lines with another pelt (?) Note the figure above with the "Helmet" headdress or hairstyle. Also standing out are the red "Corn" stalks or are they spears?
enlarge 82KB, 800x533 45 gg06-148r The pair again . Close up of red "spear". This is a very common symbol at many pictograph panels all along the Gulch.
enlarge 108KB, 800x600 46 gg06-149b This may look like a Texas Longhorn with a curvy horn, but I do think it is a representation of a pelt.
enlarge 104KB, 600x800 47 gg06-150b Birds - Sandpipers (?) and Ducks. I like the stylistic running figures - is it a sandstone cartoon?
enlarge 65KB, 800x533 48 gg06-150r A wider angle shot of the same area.
enlarge 100KB, 800x600 49 gg06-151b A closer look - That one figure with the wide hips and the two antennae is pretty weird.
enlarge 73KB, 800x533 50 gg06-151r A close up of the sandpipers.
enlarge 43KB, 800x533 51 gg06-151r0 A crude figure - don't know what to make of it. A bird with four legs?
enlarge 106KB, 800x600 52 gg06-152b Another section.
enlarge 86KB, 533x800 53 gg06-154r More big Headdress Men - albeit in a different style. And what gives with Tennis Racket man.
enlarge 91KB, 533x800 54 gg06-155r Note the Quadrant divided circle. Another one of the horizontal line with hanging pendants.
enlarge 102KB, 800x600 55 gg06-156b Finally we get to the "Happy Martians" These figures are very large and are what you see when you are in the wash coming down canyon. Note the red "Robot Guy" to the left.
enlarge 97KB, 800x600 56 gg06-157b Another view.
enlarge 95KB, 533x800 57 gg06-158r Is that another pelt between them. More "comb" like symbols.
enlarge 96KB, 533x800 58 gg06-159r Red Robot guy.
enlarge 90KB, 533x800 59 gg06-160r Are those two ears of corn at the top and a "Dancing Woman" at the bottom.
enlarge 96KB, 800x600 60 gg06-161b A broader view - Is that a pregnant woman at the end of the big wavy lines. I like the "Keep on Trucking" guys below the "pelt".
enlarge 88KB, 800x533 61 gg06-162r This is the end of the panel - Are those corn ears hanging from a stick. More stylized corn stalks. I can't conceive what the abstract representations to the right are. To the left is another Headdress man similar to one on the other side of the panel.
enlarge 110KB, 800x557 62 gg06-163b Another view with the contrast turned up.
enlarge 100KB, 800x600 63 gg06-163b0 Another view.
enlarge 109KB, 800x600 64 gg06-163b1 Close up of the abstract figures.
enlarge 117KB, 557x800 68 gg06-167b Another view with the contrast turned up.
enlarge 116KB, 557x800 69 gg06-168b Looking back along the panel - Roger and Shelby for scale.
enlarge 115KB, 800x557 70 gg06-169b A truly amazing panel.
enlarge 71KB, 800x533 71 gg06-171r More bighorns. Note the different style - these are more abstract. Compare the "comb" with the other ones on the panel.
enlarge 90KB, 800x600 72 gg06-177b Two Crows/Ravens with bear paw.
enlarge 93KB, 800x533 73 gg06-178r Close up of Crows - more red pigment.
enlarge 116KB, 600x800 74 gg06-179b Looking back along the length of the panel.
enlarge 85KB, 600x800 75 gg06-180b A couple of isolated pictographs in rather hard to reach areas.
enlarge 100KB, 600x800 76 gg06-181b Moving on down the canyon - near the entrance to Water Canyon are these hoodoos.
enlarge 102KB, 800x600 77 gg06-182b There was some water in the wash along here - a small arch appears above the canyon. The weather was deteriorating as we went along this stretch. is looking up canyon near Water Canyon.
enlarge 141KB, 800x598 78 Grand Gulch - Redman Canyon gg06-183a1 Eric at Entrance to Redman Canyon.
enlarge 148KB, 800x598 79 gg06-183a2 Eric
enlarge 132KB, 800x598 80 gg06-183a3 close-up of Eric
enlarge 83KB, 800x598 81 gg06-183a4 Eric
enlarge 70KB, 600x800 82 gg06-183b Lower Grand Gulch -Entrance to Redman Canyon Entrance to Redman Canyon. Didn't have time to explore and the weather wasn't condusive anyway.
enlarge 126KB, 800x600 83 gg06-184b We took our lunch break near the entrance to Redman Canyon - note the fleece was out and the pack rain covers were on.
enlarge 152KB, 800x598 84 gg06-185a View of tree where we took our break.
enlarge 89KB, 800x600 85 gg06-185b Moving on down canyon.
enlarge 82KB, 557x800 86 gg06-186b Roger going down the wash.
enlarge 120KB, 800x598 87 gg06-187a1 View just above Rope Canyon.
enlarge 142KB, 800x598 88 gg06-187a2 Eric on side trail over bench near Rope Canyon.
enlarge 71KB, 600x800 89 gg06-187b This was a nice stretch of canyon to walk down - slickrock rather than the usual wash sand and stones. This is taken from the mouth of Rope Canyon along a long straight stretch of the Gulch below Red Man Canyon.
enlarge 121KB, 800x598 90 gg06-188a1 Slickrock hiking in the wash near Rope Canyon.
enlarge 104KB, 800x598 91 gg06-188a2 View of Pools in wash.
enlarge 115KB, 800x598 92 gg06-188a3 Entrance of Rope Canyon is around Bluff at Right.
enlarge 98KB, 800x600 93 gg06-188b Looking back up the Gulch from near Rope Canyon.
enlarge 103KB, 800x598 94 gg06-189a1 Another view of Gulch at the mouth of Rope Canyon.
enlarge 112KB, 800x598 95 gg06-189a2 Eric -looking down canyon from the mouth of Rope Canyon.
enlarge 104KB, 800x598 96 gg06-189a3 Mouth of Rope Canyon - Trail at left goes into Rope.
enlarge 97KB, 557x800 97 gg06-189b Undercut walls and pools are typical of the slickrock sections along the Gulch.
enlarge 116KB, 800x598 98 gg06-190a1 Looking Down Canyon - almost to the end of the slickrock section.
enlarge 107KB, 598x800 99 gg06-190a2 Eric
enlarge 110KB, 598x800 100 gg06-190a3 Looking back up canyon - you can see the distinctive vertical cliff at the mouth of Rope Canyon at the left of the photo.
enlarge 135KB, 800x598 101 gg06-190a4 Nearing the big bend below Rope Canyon - We took a lunch break here two days later on our way back up canyon.
enlarge 85KB, 557x800 102 gg06-190b In more open areas, benches have to be crossed - Note Shelby up ahead.
enlarge 115KB, 800x533 103 gg06-192r Cottonwood showing the first sign of spring.
enlarge 153KB, 800x533 104 gg06-193r Close up of Cottonwood.
enlarge 120KB, 800x600 105 gg06-194b Lower Grand Gulch - Shaw Arch Shaw Arch - from upcanyon.
enlarge 96KB, 600x800 106 gg06-195b Looking down canyon from below Shaw Arch - we camped here and were huddling under a convenient ledge while a rain shower passed through.
