2017_04_15
Read More
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
The Fremont Culture
Fremont and ancestral Puebloan people began to incorporate farming into their hunter and gatherer lifestyles approximately 2,000 years ago. Petroglyph panels throughout the park depict ancient art and stories of these people who lived in the area from approximately 600-1300 common era (CE). Named for the Fremont River that flows through the park, evidence now shows that these people lived throughout Utah and adjacent areas of Idaho, Colorado and Nevada.
The Fremont lived in pit houses (dug into the ground and covered with a brush roof) and natural rock shelters. Their social structure was likely composed of small, loosely organized bands consisting of several families. They were closely tied to nature and flexible, making frequent modifications in their life ways as social or environmental changes occurred.
Anthropologists suggest that the Fremont were hunter-gatherers who supplemented their diet by farming, growing corn, beans and squash along the river bottoms. Edible native plants included pinyon nuts, rice grass and a variety of berries, nuts, bulbs, and tubers. Corn was ground into meal on a stone surface (metate) using a hand-held grinding stone (mano). Deer, bighorn sheep, rabbits, birds, fish and rodents were hunted using snares, nets, fishhooks, the Atlatl (spear-throwing stick) and the bow and arrow.
Several artifacts are distinctive to the Fremont. A unique singular style of basketry, called one-rod-and-bundle, incorporated willow, yucca, milkweed and other native fibers. Pottery, mostly graywares, had smooth, polished surfaces or corrugated designs pinched into the clay. The Fremont made moccasins from the lower-leg hide of large animals, such as deer, bighorn sheep or bison. Dew claws were left on the soles, possibly to act as hobnails, providing extra traction on slippery surfaces.
Pictographs (painted on rock surfaces) and petroglyphs (carved or pecked into the rock surface) depict people, animals and other shapes and forms on rock surfaces. Anthropomorphic (human-like) figures usually have trapezoidal shaped bodies with arms, legs and fingers. The figures are often elaborately decorated with headdresses, ear bobs, necklaces, clothing items and facial expressions. A wide variety of zoomorphic (animal-like) figures include bighorn sheep, deer, dogs, birds, snakes and lizards. Abstract designs, geometric shapes and handprints are also common. Designs may have recorded religious or mythological events, migrations, hunting trips, resource locations, travel routes, celestial information and other important knowledge.
The Fremont moved in small groups, as clans, medicinal societies, or co-residence groups encountering other people and residing with them for periods of time. Gradually these groups merged and dispersed, repeating this process continually in a practice known as residential cycling. This reshuffling continued for thousands of years and coalesced into today's' tribal groups of Utes, Paiutes, Hopi, Navajo, and Zuni, continuing as European and American explorers came through Capitol Reef.
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Petroglyphs, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Green River is a city in Emery County, Utah, United States. The population was 952 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia.![The Utah Launch Complex was a Cold War military subinstallation of White Sands Missile Range for USAF and US Army rocket launches. In addition to firing Pershing missiles, the complex launched Athena RTV missiles with subscale (test) warheads of the Advanced Ballistic Re-entry System to reentry speeds and impact at the New Mexico range. From 1964 to 1975 there were 244 Green River launches, including 141 Athena launches[3] and a Pershing to 281 kilometers altitude.[4] "Utah State Route 19 runs through the Green River Launch Complex, which is south of the town and eponym of Green River.<br />
<br />
From Wikipedia.](https://photos.smugmug.com/2017/Moab/20170415/i-MMkzQwx/0/5082c75c/XL/IMG_9376-XL.jpg)
The Utah Launch Complex was a Cold War military subinstallation of White Sands Missile Range for USAF and US Army rocket launches. In addition to firing Pershing missiles, the complex launched Athena RTV missiles with subscale (test) warheads of the Advanced Ballistic Re-entry System to reentry speeds and impact at the New Mexico range. From 1964 to 1975 there were 244 Green River launches, including 141 Athena launches[3] and a Pershing to 281 kilometers altitude.[4] "Utah State Route 19 runs through the Green River Launch Complex, which is south of the town and eponym of Green River.
From Wikipedia.
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
The Island in the Sky mesa rests on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain. Every overlook offers a different perspective on Canyonlands' spectacular landscape. Island in the Sky is the easiest area of Canyonlands to visit in a short period of time, offering many pullouts with spectacular views along the paved scenic drive. Hiking trails or four-wheel-drive roads can take you into the backcountry for a few hours or many days.
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Mesa, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Island in the Sky Visitor Center, Canyonlands National Park, Grand View Point Rd, Moab, UT 84532
Island in the Sky Visitor Center is open daily, spring through fall. Hours vary by season. Features include: exhibits, book and map sales, backcountry permits, general information, wireless internet, and park rangers on duty. You can also watch a park orientation video. Water is available spring through fall. There is no water available elsewhere; bring all that you will need. Electric outlets are not available.
Island in the Sky Visitor Center, Canyonlands National Park, Grand View Point Rd, Moab, UT 84532
Island in the Sky Visitor Center, Canyonlands National Park, Grand View Point Rd, Moab, UT 84532
Island in the Sky Visitor Center, Canyonlands National Park, Grand View Point Rd, Moab, UT 84532
Mesa Arch Trail, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532
Mesa Arch is an easy to visit landmark in the Island in the Sky region of Canyonlands National Park. This pothole arch spans across the mesa’s edge, framing a scenic canyon vista. A 0.7-mile loop trail brings you right up to Mesa Arch, one of the park’s most popular points of interest.
A nature guide is available at the trailhead, and can be used to learn more about park vegetation and geology. The guide is quick to remind you to stay on the trail, a point you will see repeated through Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. This is because stray footsteps can damage the cryptogamic soil just off trail. This black crust on the ground forms the foundation for desert ecosystems. The vital mixture of lichens, moss, fungus and algae prevents soil erosion and helps support larger plants.
Just beyond the parking lot, the trail comes to a Y. Both routes lead to Mesa Arch, and the loop is equally enjoyable in both directions. As you hike, keep and eye on the edge of the mesa for sneak peaks of the iconic arch.
The trail ends in front of an elegant stone that spans fifty feet across the top of a 500-foot vertical cliff. Mesa Arch is classified as a pothole arch because it was formed by surface water that pooled on the sandstone behind the arch, slowly eroding the rock. The result is an arch that dangles across the mesa’s edge.
Geology aside, the arch provides the frame for a stunning Utah landscape. Along the mesa to the east is another arch, named Washing Woman Arch. Below the mesa is the prominent white rim of spectacular canyons carved by the Colorado River. Rounding out the view, the snow-capped peaks of the La Sal Mountains meet the sky at the horizon.
The arch is beautiful any time of day, but if you end up here around sunrise or sunset, you will likely be in for a beautiful show. After leaving the arch, complete the loop to return to the trailhead for a 0.7-mile hike with 75 feet of elevation. On the way back, you will have a nice view of Aztec Butte rising above the mesa beyond the parking lot.
To get to the trailhead: From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, drive south for 6.3 miles and turn left into the parking area for Mesa Arch. If you reach the intersection with Upheaval Dome Road, you have gone too far.
Trailhead address: Grand View Point Road, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532
Trailhead coordinates: 38.389084, -109.868143 (38° 23′ 20.70″N 109° 52′ 05.31″W)
Mesa Arch Trail, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532
Mesa Arch Trail, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532
Mesa Arch Trail, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532
Mesa Arch Trail, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, UT 84532
