This is one of my all-time favorite pictograph panels, and one of the reasons I originally became interested in rock art in the first place. When I took this photo I actually stuck my camera into a nearby tree to frame the pictographs with the out-of-focus branches. It took me a few tries to get something that I liked since I couldn’t use the viewfinder! I’m happy with the result 🙂
I’ve posted a photo of the Ascending Sheep panel before, but I was going through some of my photos from last year and came across this one that I hadn’t touched. I liked they way it was composed so I processed it and decided to post it up here. I’m glad this one didn’t get lost on my hard drive never to be seen again!
While exploring the San Rafael Swell last month, I came across this small but very detailed pictograph panel. It’s not the best preserved site I have ever been to, but there’s still enough detail here to see what’s going on. The figure on the left has it’s arms outstretched just like the main figure in the Ascending Sheep Panel. Looking closer, this figure might even have the same bighorn sheep head and snake tongue, too? The next figure on the right appears to be playing a flute and there seems to be a very skinny snake above them both. What a very cool site!
When I arrived at this site it was in direct sunlight and didn’t photograph very well, but I liked this panel so much that I hung around for about an hour until the panel was completely in the shade. I’m glad I did because my photos turned out much better.
There are many petroglyphs located above the confluence of Rochester Creek and Muddy Creek. This is a closer look of the main and most famous panel at the site. It contains Barrier Canyon Style elements, Fremont petroglyphs and probably some later Ute figures, too. There are also some very unusual creatures found in this panel that no one can seem to agree on who carved them! I have visited this panel a couple of times and I always notice something new on each visit.
45 Degree Rock is a well-known panel located at the base of Cedar Mountain in the San Rafael Swell. Most photos I have seen of this panel are of the complete boulder that they are located on, which sticks out of the ground at approximately a 45 degree angle. I went for a little different perspective here looking down the face of the rock. If you look closely, you can find the small hunched-over figure that appears to have a burden basket on it’s back.
