A few weekends ago, I went out to the Piedras Grandes pictograph site. Piedras Grandes means “Large stones” and these granite boulders out in the southern part of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park certainly are that. The site is inside of the Piedras Grandes Cultural Preserve and it is a short walk from a parking area to the pictographs in the rock shelter.
2/20/15: Updated “Zion Wash” trip with some background information. Finally learned a bit more on who built the place.
Also, check out our new Facebook page: Starbuck’s Exploring. I’m posting news and a few photos there. Be sure to like the page for updates.
Overlooking the rocky wash of the Carrizo Gorge, down in Anza Borrego State Park, sits a small rock shelter with an unique set of fascinating pictographs hidden inside.
The mostly black drawings are of anthropomorphs (human-like figures), suns, stars, nets and other abstract designs. Some of the pictographs are amazing fresh after all these years. (They are relatively protected from the weather). The pictographs are classified as the La Rumorosa style, which is more common to the south into Baja California and they are associated here with the Kumeyaay people. It is thought these designs were put here sometime in the last 1,500 to 2,000 years.
While out on a trip with Roger Mitchell, we stopped to visit a little boulder cave out in the Mojave Desert. The cave is only a few feet long, but in the center is a large, flat granite boulder. Its surface is covered with cupules and edges polished smooth by touch of many hands over a long period of time. It is amazing to think of how many hands must have touched this rock to get it this smooth.
Back in 1862, Owens Valley was not quite as peaceful as it is today. White settlers were just moving in and starting up ranches. Prospectors were combing the hills in search of that elusive next big strike. The Paiute, Shoshone and Kawaiisu people who lived here didn’t appreciate being forced off their lands and losing access to water and springs because of cattle. They led raids and ambushes against the newcomers to try and force them out. People were being murdered on both sides. The situation escalated and turned into what was later called the Paiute War.
The mine was a minor producer of zinc, lead, silver, and gold. It was first located in 1913 but wasn’t worked until 1915. It was active only for a few short years and idle by 1918.
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So after I posted the misc photos for 2014, I realized there was a lot of photographs from 2013 that never made it on the site; way more than half. I was pretty busy in 2013. Highlights for me include a trip to the Mt Wilson Observatory and hiking over 70 miles in Joshua Tree NP (in one week). I was out for an amazing 77 days in 2013. I did quite a few trips.