More Nosing Around

April 18 - I was getting a bit smarter – I stayed at the trailer until mid-morning when the temperature climbed into the 50’s. I’d planned to visit more ruins in the Butler Wash area but there were already 5 cars at the trailhead so I kept going.

I went for a hike, looking for a petroglyph panel that I’d heard about, (without success), but I did spot some interesting water or wind-worn rock

and a survey marker on a pipe with a 1919 date that I digitally enhanced to hide the township and range numbers.

Not so terribly far from there, I was able to spot a set of ruins in another draw. They certainly looked impressive from a distance,

and even more so, up close. Two of the structures still have roof beams in place.

It was a delight to be able to get close enough to see the detail of the construction around the upper window. A stone sill with multiple branches to form the lintel – that seems reversed to my mind, but it has certainly stood the test of time.

There were a few petroglyphs in the alcove,

most of them quite faint.

In fact, these above the metate grooves, were only given away by the visible texture.

I was delighted to see a few handprint pictographs – the first that I’ve found on this trip.

All of this exploration was made much easier with a quality topo map from amTopo. This visit, in addition to the previous three posts, as well as the post from April 17th, were all done while boondocking at Comb Wash.

It's time to head west, looking for bridges and more pictographs.

This post was uploaded and scheduled on wifi from my site at Sand Creek RV Park in Torrey, Utah.