Patrick Tillett: Grapevine Canyon

Showing posts with label Grapevine Canyon. Show all posts

Monday, March 2, 2015

Return to Grapevine Canyon - Southern Nevada

I did a post on this place a few years ago. We were there again last week and this time I'll show you some items that weren't included in the earlier post. There have also been a couple of changes there. Not good changes...
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Grapevine Canyon is one of the biggest and oldest petroglyph sites in the southern part of Nevada. This place is sacred to several Yuman and Numic speaking tribes from this area. These tribes include the Mojave, Hualapai, Yavapai, Havasupai, Quechan, Pai Pai, Maricopa,Chemehuevi and Southern Paiute. This place is on BLM land and is fairly well known. On a weekday, you have a good chance of being there by yourself.

Please Embiggen to enhance your viewing pleasure

This wall of petroglyphs is about 100 feet high and much wider than that. Please notice the "notch" in the rocks near the lower right hand corner.

Here is a closer view of the "notch" in the above photo. Since we were here last time, some people came here at night with a power saw and cut some petroglyphs out of the rock. These are large symbols and that chunk of rock must have weighed hundreds of pounds. I'm happy to report that the bastards who did this, were later arrested.

This is the most recognizable and famous panel in the canyon. This is one of only a couple, that were included in my first post on this place.

Another panel of mountain sheep from a little further up the canyon.

A few more of them, just outside the canyon.

I love this panel. The large symbol in the middle is about 4 feet high.

Last week was my third visit to this place and the first time I saw these shallow mortars. They are also the only ones I've seen there. I've never seen any photos of them either.

Layers of petroglyphs on this huge rock. Thousands of years of history...

I can't swear to it, but I think this is a "Yoni" (you remember, right?). The rock was definitely hand worked.

Some very nice petroglyphs on the front and side of this large rock.

Another angle of the rock in the above photo.

Many atlatls in the left side of the photo. Atlatls were tools used to "throw" arrows (or darts) and spears, before the advent of the "bow and arrow."

I said I was going to start including an occasional photo of myself in my posts. Of course, that is me on the right, one of our girls in the middle and some grizzled old desert rat on the left. Just kidding! I never looked that good on my best day. The guy on the right is a friend and of course, I'm the old guy. In case you were wondering, that is in fact graffiti on the rocks behind us. It was a steep climb to that nice spot, and we were not happy to see it there.

Looking back down the canyon

The large wash at the base of Grapevine Canyon

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Grapevine Canyon - Nevada

We just spent two weeks in the desert around the Colorado river in the Mojave Desert. We stayed near a town called Needles. One day we drove about 30 miles upriver to Laughlin, Nevada. Laughlin is a pretty good sized gambling town, with several casinos right on the Colorado River in the middle of nowhere. VERY casual, when compared to Las Vegas. I think Laughlin is most famous though, for a major fight and shootout between the Hell's Angles and Mongols motorcycle clubs here several years ago. Our intent was not to go to Laughlin to gamble (we did though). Our intent was to hike up to a place called grapevine canyon....