Currant Canyon to Cottonwood Canyon

The photographs in this section are found between Currant and Cottonwood Canyons. We've found more glyphs in this section of the canyon than any other, but that's probably because we've spent the most time here so far.

None require walking more than a few feet off the road, and most are easily seen from the side of the road. That said, if nothing indicated that they were on private property, we often got a bit close for a better photo.

I have included some "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..." placeholders because it's much easier to insert text as I create the page than to go back later and try to add it.

Coordinates for Harmon Canyon:

UTM: 560438, 4407186
Decimal Degrees: 39.81251, -110.29389
Lat/Long: 39º 48' 45.03", -110º 17' 38.00"

Coordinates for where the Cottonwood Canyon Road meets the Nine Mile Canyon Road:

UTM: 560438, 4407186
Decimal Degrees: 39.78387, -110.15088
Lat/Long: 39º 48' 45.03", -110º 17' 38.00"

Maps:

1:100,000 Price
1:24:000 Current Canyon & Cowboy Bench

On the small rock face between the two larger rock faces there is wavy line or snake.

In the close-up photo, it looks like the figure is smiling.

Above the short wavy line you can see some much older glyphs.

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Above the lighter glyphs are some faint, older glyphs.

At the end of O.W. Guymon there is a snake.

Will Cowan sure loved to leave his mark near or in the middle of petroglyphs.

The figure on the left reminds one of the Birthing Panel in Moab.

The wavy lines on the left appear much older that the one in the center of the photo.

These petroglyphs were very deeply pecked.

These two are the same panel. We haven't seen the arch-backed sheep often.

Helmick p. 124.

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The two previous photos and the next two photos are of one panel beginning on the left.

At the far right of the last photo, you can see that a line begins on the face and continues around the corner. Below the line are more glyphs.

Helmick p. 124.

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Are the glyphs heavily patinated because they are old or because they are near the ground and subject to flood-water?

This panel had fallen off the wall above.

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A closeup of the bottom right of previous photo.

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I've seen other animals with "hooved" feet, but I don't recall any glyphs where the feet were facing backward.

It blows my mind that people would use ancient rock art for target practice. Helmick p. 126.

These squares, rectangles, or other patterns of dots are ubiquitous in Nine Mile Canyon. They are found by themselves as often as with larger panels.

Helmick refers to this as a tree of life and a fishlike image. Sean and I immediately thought jellyfish when we saw it. Helmick p. 125.

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A close up of the previous photo. Above the "chain" are several some faint glyphs.

The first and third photos are close ups of the center photo.

A close up of the right portion of the previous photo.

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These three photos are the same panel from left to right.

Below and to the right of the lighter peck marks are old, faint concentric circles.

To the left of the spiral is a faint, old circle. Near the top of the photo is a wavy line or snake and a straight line. Both are heavily patinated.

Helmick p. 129.

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These three photos are the same panel from left to right. Castleton v. 1, p. 82; Helmick pp. 139.

The first and third photos are close ups of the center photo. Castleton v. 1, p 83.

Near the shadow above the horizontal crack is a crab-like figure with eight legs and two claws.

Below the snake petroglyph are several animal glyphs.

To the right and just above the circle are several very faint glyphs.

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The previous two and the following two photos are of the same large panel. At the top left of the second photo, there is a horizontal line that I suspect goes around the corner. I'm sure there are petroglyphs on the unseen rock face that we missed. Sean and I were very curious about the vertical line separating the sheep in the fourth photo. Is it a fence? Helmick pp. 138-139.

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Since horse were introduced after Columbus, this one is obviously post-Columbian. Helmick p. 140.

Without magnification, Sean and I had difficulty telling if the horizontal line was naturally occurring or pecked. With a telephoto lens, it was clearly pecked. There are a couple of glyphs below the line.

Helmick p. 141.

This panel is very busy. Again, the horizontal line on the left goes around the corner where several glyphs are (sort of) visible. I know I photographed that rock face, but I haven't found it yet.

Helmick p. 141

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This panel is like no other panel Sean and I have ever seen. The figure is obvious, and Castleton describes the short lines coming off a longer line as suspended verticle lines. However, that doesn't quite fit since they aren't all verticle, and those that are aren't suspended. I can't find anything in any of the books I have that describes anything like the "three-sided" squares. There are animals in three of the squares and a track in another. Did the Native Americans use corrals as we understand them?