[star]

This is #11.

[star]

Originally Posted by The Bulldog

It's a wise plan, though. You can't deny it.

Yeah, that used to be the case. Now, nobody gives a damn if I forget something, but myself. And what's worse, if I forget something, my mother most likely won't buy me it while we're away.

She's a good mother.

[Lee]

Originally Posted by The Bulldog

Thank you!

It's not so much the length of the flight, it's not too bad, only four hours. It's an early flight, though, and you have to do all the usual stuff, get there two hours before departure to check-in etc.

I'm a really bad sleeper, most days I'll get to sleep at 1am or even later, which is about the time we'll have to leave tomorrow morning. So I don't see the point in going to sleep tonight.

But 24 hours??? Wow, that's a long and relentless trip. I would get bored to death on an aeroplane for that long.

I've had plenty of practice already. I do quite a bit of short distance travelling. However packing for a week is tricky.

I hate flying since 9/11.

I can't sleep on moving object, even a 747 airplane and the flight from west USA to Hong Kong will be 14-15 hours non-stop. Last time, I watched about 5 movies.

[The Bulldog]

Originally Posted by star

I went out today to see if I could find the fire. Nothing.

Maybe kids built a huge fire with tires out on the rocks. That happened once before, and it's almost halloween.

Anyway, since I was out there, I decided to go take pictures for you of Gutman and some petroglyphs. I will put together a little travelog. You can follow along in the pictures as you read or if you are impatient just do it however you want.

This is called Seven Mile Canyon because it is seven miles from this canyon to the Colorado River. In the old days that was 7 very rough miles, so this was a good camp spot for wagons before they made the rest of the trip down to the river. It was also a highway for the ancient indian cultures who roamed, sometimes farmed, and hunted here. This spot where I too the pictures is at a fork in the canyon. The South Fork gently leads up to a spot where it is easy to climb out onto the plateau and then travel over to the canyons that lead to the Green River. The Green River and the Colorado River come in at angles and then join and run on together through the Grand Canyon. So, the two rivers form a triangle. Because of the number of highly significant pieces of artwork in this area, one can surmise that it was a gathering place and perhaps a site of festivals/rituals.

1. Walking toward the cliff face. This is a cliff face of windblown sandstone topped with a harder layer of river deposited sandstone. (Wingate and Kayenta formations) Water runoff creates a darker surface on the rock known as desert varnish. This is actually a living layer with minerals and bacteria. Some is brown and some is nearly black. The black kind can reflect the sky and appear a strange blue. If you notice the black part in the lower right of the cliff face, that is where we will walk.

2. These are petroglyphs of what is known as the Archaic style or sometimes Barrier Canyon style.

3. These are big horn sheep, a favorite prey for the hunters. The plant at the bottom is a fremont barberry -- it produces a bitter berry.

4. A detail from the left hand side of the panel.

5. Gutman. Gutman is so called because the middle figure of the three grouped figures has a sinuous line running from the head through the torso. This line appears to be intestines. One can't be sure what the artist intended, but this middle figure appears significant with his arms raised. The raised arms are unusual in the archaic paintings. With a very good camera, you can see the line is unbroken. I have a picture taken by a local photographer showing it in exquisite detail. All three figures are highly decorated. I enhanced the colors to show it a bit more. I just had my camera with me for photos.

6. Black and white sometimes give as different perspective.

7. The Gutman panel at more of a distance.

8. The Gutman panel in perspective with its surroundings

9. The panel disappears at a distance.

10. The cliff looking down canyon

11. The cliff looking up canyon. You can see the road that goes between the two cliffs at the left of the picture. A road has been blasted into the face of the canyon.

Wonderful star!

However I can't see the eleventh picture.

It looks like a fascinating place. Do you know how old the art on the rock faces is?

[The Bulldog]

Oh, just seen #11 is on the next page!

Sorry.

[Lee]

star, is it a long hike? I don't know about the place from my last visit but were probably too busy with the national parks, etc.

Lovely as usual.

[star]

It's just by the side of the road but you can see that from a short distance you can't see it. Mostly only locals know it is there. You can hike down the south fork or go with 4wd. There are several important panels there

[star]

Originally Posted by The Bulldog

Wonderful star!

However I can't see the eleventh picture.

It looks like a fascinating place. Do you know how old the art on the rock faces is?

It's hard to date the artwork. I've heard dates from 1000 to 2000 years ago. The barrier canyon style is the oldest and most complex of the styles in this area.

[The Bulldog]

I would have thought it maybe would be half a millennia older. 2500 was the number I had in mind. Very neo-Indian, from the looks of it.

[star]

Neo-Indian?

[The Bulldog]

American archaeological time-period!

[star]

These are from the archaic period before neo

I've never heard anything around here grouped into the neo Indian period.

[arm]

I don't have time to read back, and I want to cause I saw some awesome photos.

I am here just to wish George a safe trip! Have fun! and share some photos with us.

Now I am off to watch Skyfall's premiere Back later, when it's too late for George and Pedro but I can still catch up with my girls.

[IncrediBale]

This mmatch reminded me why I love hockey mostt

[star]

Here are some web pictures of Gut Man. They call him intestine man I've never heard that before.

http://climb-utah.com/Moab/intestine.htm