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X EAGLE 23 X Posts: 16
11/14/2011
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Hi all, I'm semi-new here, been around a while just never got around to posting. Made my third trip out to Indian Hill on Friday to do some exploring and take a closer look at some of the pictographs. On the drive out I straddled a small black object and turned around to find that it was this guy trying to cross the road. So I took some pictures and made sure it got off the road safely before continuing on.
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4333.jpg[/IMG]
I have visited the site before and went through my pictures prior to this trip in order to make a mental list of specific pictographs I wanted to take a closer look at, as well and find some other loci (locations) of others which had been reported by some of the earlier archaeologists. After some wandering around I found one other set of them:
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4525.jpg[/IMG]
This panel appears to be two (headless) stick figures, the left with exaggerated arms/legs.
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4391.jpg[/IMG]
After that I climbed to the top of the hill and to my surprise discovered an interesting small rock shelter as well as two cupule holes.
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4482.jpg[/IMG]
The opening has some strange markings near the top (yellow/reddish color in the picture), but after running it through DStretch it appears to be natural and not man-made.
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4485.jpg[/IMG]
Here is one of the cupule holes at the top (boot for scale)
While in the process of climbing to the top I came across this small campsite where someone lit a small fire.
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4466.jpg[/IMG]
I then decided to search for the "tank" which I had read about in an earlier thread here. I spotted its possible location while at the top of Indian Hill and went to investigate it and found it was completely empty except what appears to be a small spring which feeds it.
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4639.jpg[/IMG]
I was quite surprised to find multiple grinding areas around the tank, and while checking these out two vultures began to soar over us
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4648.jpg[/IMG]
We headed back to the jeep and jumped a few jackrabbits on the way and on the drive through Motero Wash on the way back to S2
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4704.jpg[/IMG]
It was a good and successful trip. I managed to squeeze behind the main rock shelter and found it to be full of mountain lion scat, so be very careful in that area, it is obvious that the lions are active and visit the area on a regular basis.
Jordan
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hikerdmb Posts: 423
11/14/2011
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Nice first TR and welcome to the forum. What makes you think there is a spring at the tank? Did you see some sign of that? I've been there a few times in winter and spring and it has always had some water in it. The Indian Hill area is very worthy of lots of trips with lots to explore. Thanks for sharing.
David
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
11/15/2011
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Great report...a couple things I noticed, there doesn't seem to be a spring noted on any topo maps for that tank location but it is a water shed route down the mountain. That small campfire I also noticed a year and a half ago, shows how little deterioration happens with fire debris/damage. Climbing up to the top is worth the effort, you will see many of the Yoni rock carvings not seen from ground level.
The rock art panel you showed, I don't have any pictures of..I am guessing they are not located in the main cave but elsewhere nearby?
The large amount of cat scat down in the smaller shelters gave me pause to continue exploring a couple of months ago, there was a lot of it.
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surfponto Administrator Posts: 1364
11/15/2011
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Great trip report.
I have been up to that little rock enclosure on top of the hill. Pretty cool.
Love the tarantula shot also. Scary looking but they are actually pretty docile, especially when it is cold. 
Bob
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https://www.anzaborrego.net/
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
11/15/2011
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nice shot Bob!
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X EAGLE 23 X Posts: 16
11/15/2011
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I'm not sure if it was a spring or not, and I checked out the topo maps after I posted and noticed there was not one placed on the maps. There was very little water but the sides were obviously damp and a tiny bit was in the little hole which is why I speculated it could be a spring. But I'm not sure it could have been the tiny amount of water left and it would make sense it would be in the lowest point of the tank. Here are a few more close up pictures of it.
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4651.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i978.photobucket.com/albums/ae261/Menvielle/IMG_4655.jpg[/IMG]
dsefcik, you are correct that panel is not in the main pictograph room but is nearby. I find it interesting that they are stick figures since none of the other anthropomorph's are stick. Not sure if this means they were painted at a later time or perhaps a different artist is responsible for them, or it could be some other reason.
You're a lot braver man than I am Bob! Great picture
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
11/16/2011
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Interesting to compare your photo of the tank with David's, almost looks like it has filled in with sand some.
Yours
David's
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
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X EAGLE 23 X Posts: 16
11/16/2011
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Haha while that is where I learned about the tank, I didn't plan on taking a similar picture that was just coincidence.
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dsefcik Administrator Posts: 2622
11/28/2011
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We stopped out last Sunday and took a look at the tank, it had some water but not much. I also found some palm sized pieces of pottery near the grinding areas as we climbed up towards the tank.
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http://www.sefcik.com
http://www.darensefcik.com
http://www.carrizogorge.com
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