Beef Basin Road Petroglyphs Ut Blm

Thursday – Sunday, November 1-four, 2012

After work on Th evening I got in my Jeep and drove into Utah over again. I had taken Fri off from piece of work and was planning on meeting a grouping of friends in Beef Basin for a long weekend of camping and exploring the area. A few months earlier my friend Rob had tipped me off nearly a large petroglyph panel in the surface area he knew I would be interested in finding, and that was the offset of planning for this trip. I arrived at our predetermined campsite in the night and found Marty already at that place with his tent setup and a bivouac already going. I was surprised to just be the second person there only knew the others would make it before long. Twenty minutes afterwards Alex, Rob and his companions showed up. We sabbatum around the burn down for a footling while waiting for the others, but headed to bed before anyone else arrived since nosotros planned an early commencement for the following day. As soon as nosotros were in our sleeping bags Jared and his blood brother Brian showed upwardly. Later that nighttime I heard Dave and his son pull up in their Jeep. We had all fabricated it.

Fri morning I was up early and it looked like there might be a skilful sunrise, so I got in my Jeep to find a place to take some photos and concluded upwardly at a nearby ruin. I was hoping the heaven would low-cal up with colour, only only the horizon turned a lilliputian pinkish.

Open Window past IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Afterward returning to army camp and waiting for everyone else to finish getting fix we got in our vehicles and drove over to the Legend Valley Trailhead. We were planning on exploring Gypsum Canyon following a route that Rob had planned out.

We started out hiking along an old closed road that followed the rim of the coulee. This is looking back at the confluence of the ii upper forks of Gypsum Canyon.

Gypsum Fork by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Once the old road ended we were left scrambling and road-finding our mode along the rim of the coulee and and then across a small-scale side coulee.

Looking down the canyon towards the confluence with Fable Valley from the rock we stopped at for a lunch intermission.

Downward Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

We were looking for a way down into Gypsum Canyon at this bespeak and thought we had plant a way in. We even found a cenotaph that gave usa hope of a way downward. Things started off easy, just soon things got much steeper and loose. Most of united states of america finished the descent into the canyon sliding downwardly a very steep and loose talus slope that offered us no way dorsum up to the rim of the canyon. In other words, we had to find a different way out.

Hither's Marty climbing downward into the canyon when things started getting steep.

The Descent past IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Once at the lesser, we started hiking upstream with hopes of finding an exit about the confluence of the 2 forks near the head of the canyon. What we constitute at the lesser was a beautiful canyon with a flowing stream and plenty of waterfalls. Of course, a few of those waterfalls gave u.s.a. some trouble equally we tried to hike upstream.

This is the commencement waterfall we came across, and also the first obstacle.

Plunge Pool past IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Rob easily found a manner to climb up next to the waterfall. While it was piece of cake for him and almost everyone else in our grouping, I was not very comfortable on this section. I tried to find an alternate manner around but was unable to. With the help of our grouping I was able to climb up the left side of the waterfall.

First Waterfall by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

As nosotros continued upstream we were treated to some remaining fall colors in the coulee.

Gypsum Canyon Colour by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A little further up the canyon we entered this nice narrow section.

Into the Narrows by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Of grade, these narrows led us right to a nice plunge pool with another waterfall that we would have to bypass. Luckily, we were able to backtrack out of the narrows and institute a way upward and effectually. Had the weather been warmer, this would've made a slap-up swimming hole.

Pond Hole by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Another small-scale waterfall we encountered. This ane was hands bypassed. There must have been a dozen unlike waterfalls along the way.

Another Waterfall by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Before long nosotros could come across the confluence of the two forks ahead, just correct before reaching them we institute ourselves stopped by some other big waterfall, and this fourth dimension nosotros didn't easily detect a way up. Afterward hiking back down canyon Alex institute a route upward that would allow us to featherbed this terminal waterfall.

Climbing by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I wasn't so sure I'd be able to climb upwardly here, but with everyone's assist I was able to make it. Once nosotros reached the confluence nosotros started our climb up to hopefully observe a fashion out of the canyon. We followed Rob to the notch he thought we could exit out of, but it didn't pb out. We were stopped most twenty feet below the rim of the canyon. We continued hiking along to see if at that place would exist a way out. Eventually Dave found a way out simply it involved some heavy bushwhacking and more climbing and chimneying, something I had not really washed before. Cheers to the teamwork of our group we were all able to get out of the canyon at this signal.

The lord's day was getting low in the sky by the rim we reached the rim of the canyon again.

Out of the Canyon by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

After driving back to military camp the last sunlight of the day was hitting this nearby butte.

Camp Sunset by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The clouds turned a prissy pink at dusk this evening, too.

Beef Basin Sunset by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Cloudscape by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

We had some dinner, talked around the campfire and then got to bed. It had been a long and tough twenty-four hours for a lot of united states and we were all pretty tired.

The following morning we started out the day by hiking to a few ruin sites not far from our army camp.

Our first cease was at a location known equally L-House because the layout of the rooms are shaped similar the letter Fifty.

Fifty-House Ruins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Jared and Rob study the map of the site from the digging report. This site was excavated in the past and then back-filled once again afterwords. There's only a few walls still standing, merely you tin however make out the original floor plan from the remaining foundation stones.

L-House Survey past IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

While most of the artifacts were removed during the excavation in that location were still a few potsherds laying around, if you looked hard plenty for them.

Black on White by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

From the L-Business firm we hiked over to another ready of ruins known as the Ridge Site. Like many of the ruins found out in the open in Beef Basin, at that place wasn't much still standing.

Ridge Site by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

After our forenoon hike near military camp nosotros set off to search for the big petroglyph panel I hoped to find this weekend. Nosotros ended up hiking a few area where we idea nosotros might find information technology, but came up empty handed. Nosotros did manage to find a few new ruins in our search, though.

Marty spotted this unmarried room ruin while we were searching for the petroglyph console.

Single Room by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

While checking out the ruin above, nosotros also spotted this hidden ruin nearby.

Hidden Ruin by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Before heading dorsum to military camp Marty and I did a little exploring on our own. I started out by getting a photo of these faint petroglyphs I had missed before. This is actually the very showtime stone art I have found in the Beef Basin area.

Faded Petroglyphs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

We also visited the impressive Beef Basin Wash cliff dwelling.

Beefiness Bowl Wash Ruins by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Front View by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Past the time nosotros were done exploring the cliff dwelling information technology was fourth dimension to caput dorsum to camp for some dinner. We met up with the rest of our group in camp and sat around the burn down again until it was fourth dimension to go some sleep.

On Sunday forenoon I was planning on packing up camp and starting the drive back home. As Marty and I were driving through House Park on our way out of Beef Bowl I had a quick idea about where that petroglyph panel I wanted to find might be hidden. I stopped my Jeep and turned around to search one last identify earlier heading home. As luck would have it, my final minute hunch was right and I managed to find the impressive panel. I was very excited to find information technology and it felt keen afterward being defeated the previous day.

Not but is this an amazing petroglyph console with designs and figures I have not seen anywhere else earlier, only it was also located high upward in a laissez passer through a notch in a cliff that offered commanding views of the entire Canyonlands region. I could definitely run into why this spot would be important and special to the creators of this rock art.

Canyonlands Console by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Marty taking some photos of the panel.

Photographing the Petroglyphs past IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Hither'south a few close upwardly photos of some of the more than interesting petroglyphs plant at this site.

Designs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The Hunter by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Circles by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Concentric Head Lizard Man past IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Subsequently thoroughly exploring the expanse for more petroglyphs and taking plenty of photos, it was time to move on and bulldoze back home.

I stopped for a quick photo over Salt Creek Canyon as we drove by. I'm hoping to backpack this canyon next year.

Table salt Creek View by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I swear I cannot drive through Indian Creek Coulee without spotting new rock art. I wasn't fifty-fifty looking this time, yet this console defenseless my eye as I collection by. I contemplated non stopping and to just keep going, merely I had to pull over for a few photos.

Lichen Console by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I'm glad I stopped because nearby I institute this panel. I've been looking for this 1 for a while and it has always seemed to elude me. Not today!

Descending Sheep by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

This line of nine sheep was too in the aforementioned area.

Nine Sheep by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

When I was done taking photos of these petroglyphs I hopped dorsum in my Jeep and finished the drive dorsum home. It was bully seeing and exploring Beef Bowl with some old friends that I haven't seen in a while and some friends I see all the time.

>> Beef Basin & Gypsum Canyon Photo Gallery

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Source: https://adventr.co/2012/11/beef-basin-gypsum-canyon/

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