IntrepidXJ's Adventure Blog

Saturday, August 6, 2011

This morning I set out with my friend Jackson to climb my second 14er (after climbing Handies Peak last year). We got a very early start and drove to the upper trailhead in Yankee Boy Basin. Unfortunately, about halfway up, Jackson started not feeling so well and had to turn around. I continued on by myself to the summit (well, there were plenty of other people on the trail with me). There were a few sections that scared me a bit, but I was able to face my fears and continue to the top…..and then make it back down again. It was a beautiful day and I had a great time and am glad I was able to accomplish this goal I set for myself this year 🙂

Gilpin Peak

A view of Gilpin Peak from the trail in the early morning light.

Start of the Climb

An early and easy section of the trail.

Hiking Towards the Spires

View towards Blue Lakes Pass from the trail.

Blue Lakes Pass

Now a view down on Blue Lakes Pass from the top of the first chute I had to climb.

The Upper Chute

Looking up at the second chute I needed to climb up from the saddle.

Climb Through the Snow

Looking back down through the section of snow I had to climb up. It was easier than it looked to get up, but I certainly didn’t want to go back down this way. Luckily, I didn’t have to since I followed a group back down a different way.

People on the Summit

Looking up the final climb to the summit….plenty of people up there.

The Blue Lakes

View from the summit down on the Blue Lakes.

At the Summit

Me at the summit.

Yankee Boy Basin

A view down into Yankee Boy Basin on my way back down.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

On Saturday I met up with my friend Kevin so that we could do some hiking in the San Rafael Swell and hopefully find a few rock art panels. We did find the panels we were looking for, so here’s a few photos…

Barnes Panel Details

Our first stop was at the Barnes Panel, which is a very faded Barrier Canyon Style pictograph panel. I enhanced this photo greatly so you can see the details.

Faint Barnes Rainbow

This is pretty close to what the panel looks like with the naked eye.

Barnes Rainbow

Same scene as above, except enhanced so you can see all the interesting details. Pretty amazing details in this one!

High Alcove Anthropomorph

Our next stop was a visit to the High Alcove Panel. This is a cool panel set high up on the canyon wall under an arched overhang. This is the main figure found here.

In the Shadow

After parting ways with Kevin, I headed back into the canyon in search of the Ekker Panel. While searching, I managed to find this unique figure overlooking the canyon below. There was also another small panel of pictographs and petroglyphs nearby.

Sheep Shaman

Finally I found the Ekker Panel, which is an impressive site. This anthropomorph has a bunch of small sheep walking up it’s side.

Big & Small

A very large figure next to a few smaller ones.

Big Eyes

The small figure on the left has some pretty big eyes!

The Ekker Giant

The largest figure at the site, and the highest, too. I’m not sure how tall it is, but if I had to guess, my guess would be around 8 feet.

Three Sheep

Another figure at the Ekker Site with three medium sized sheep.

Ekker Petroglyph

One of the larger petroglyphs I found nearby.

Ekker Spirits

Three fading anthropomorphs.

Faded Man & Dog

After finishing up my hike, I headed back over to Temple Wash to search for a second pictograph panel in the area. I have searched for this one before, but never found it…..until today!

Earlier today I found some info that helped lead me to some rock art located in the Colorado National Monument, so after work I went home and changed before heading out in search of them. Luckily, they were easier to find than I though they would be, but unfortunately the area they were located in had a lot of vandalism and graffiti. Here’s a few photos of what I found…

Three Anthropomorphs

Three anthropomorphic figures carved into a boulder.

White Rocks Anthropomorph

A closer look at one of the above figures.

Antenna Men

Interesting figures that appear to have antennas coming out of their heads.

Very Faded Sheep

A very faded red sheep painted on a boulder.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

I spent Saturday in the Swell visiting some new and old rock art sites…it was pretty hot out and the bugs were out in force during my first hike……but it was still a great day! I’ll let the photos do the speaking…

Rainbow & Dotted Anthropomorph

Large Shield

Broken-Hearted Man

Arm in Arm

Cowboy’s Secret

Observing

Secret Site

Also known as the Observer Panel.

Funky Rainbow

One of the most colorful rainbows that I have come across.

Funks Cave Figures

Lined up next to the rainbow above.

Fading Shields

Red & Yellow Paint

Some of the more interesting pictographs I have seen.

Quail Panel

Called the Quail Panel because the figures resemble quail. Certainly the most Fremont ‘shield’ figures I have seen in one place. These figures are pretty small, at around 6 inches in height.

Alcove Panel

Of course I made a stop at the Buckhorn Wash Panel on the way home.

Black Dragon Creature

Before grabbing dinner at Ray’s in Green River, I also stopped at the Black Dragon Panel. The road was a bit rougher than the last time I was here….probably because of the recent flash floods in the area. One other thing I noticed while visiting the panel is just how well the alcove collects heat from the sun. The temperature outside was close to 100, and while I climbed up into the alcove it must have been at least 10-20 degrees warmer. I could feel the heat radiating off of the sandstone. It was pretty uncomfortable, so I didn’t stick around long. I’m sure it would feel much nicer in the colder winter months 😉

Saturday & Sunday, July 16-17, 2011

This past weekend Amanda and I headed down to the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument to visit some ruins and rock art that I have wanted to get to for a while. The weather was pretty nice all weekend, in the upper 80’s during the hottest part of the day, and there were enough clouds in the sky to block the sunlight occasionally to help keep things feeling a little cooler.

Hundred Handprints

Our first stop was at the Hundred Handprints panel near the Escalante River. Unlike the last cave I visited that claimed to have 100 handprints, this one delivered!

Hunter Panel

An interesting petroglyph panel overlooking the Escalante River.

Escalante Hunter

A closer look at the above panel.

Confluence Site

A severely damaged petroglyph site.

Escalante Vandalism

Closer look at the damage.

Confluence Sheep

A lone sheep that luckily was not damaged.

Our next stop was visiting a few small alcoves that contained a whole bunch of small pictographs known as the Weavers Caves because of the many needle-like paintings found within.

Weavers Designs 1

Very fine and detailed pictographs unlike anything I have seen in the area before.

Weavers Designs 2

Weavers Sheep

One of the few figures that wasn’t abstract. It kind of looks like it may have been a bighorn sheep.

Faint Creature

The only anthropomorphic-like figure I found in the Weavers Caves.

Continue reading