Desert Destination: Parowan Gap Petroglyphs

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

Located north of Cedar City, Utah, the Parowan Gap petroglyphs grace a steep rockface. Although many petroglyph locations are kept secret to help preserve them, these are not because a road goes right next to them. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management--it manages most of the public land in the West) has erected interpretive signs and a fence. 

The petroglyphs were made by prehistoric Fremont and Southern Paiute cultures and placed on the National Historic Register in 1969. Although people guess what the petroglyphs mean, no one knows for certain what they all mean. That's part of the fun of looking at petroglyphs, thinking about what compelled someone to scrape a rock on the bigger rock and why they decided to draw what they did. They obviously had to spend some time to make the drawings, and likely they represent a number of different activities and counts. 

Here's the road that leads through Parowan Gap. The gap is a split in a three-mile long ridge of Jurassic Navajo Sandstone that's about 100 meters (300 feet) higher than the valley floor. Much of the sandstone has shattered, and the fence in the Gap not only protects the petroglyphs but also keeps falling rocks from getting out on the road. The Gap is the result of a stream that eroded away the sedimentary rock as it was being pushed upwards along a fault line.

This set of petroglyphs appears to have fewer human-like and animal drawings than many others I've seen. Instead it contains a large number of geometric designs, like the squares with dots on the right hand side and  the glyph in the middle called the Zipper. Recent research indicates that this area was used as a calendar. To learn more, click here.

These petroglyphs were first brought to the world's attention in 1849, when Parley P. Pratt led an expedition to look for new settlement sites. Over time, the Gap was used as an access route and a quarry. The road was expanded and some of the petroglyphs were lost. It's estimated that about half of the original petroglyphs are still present.

Sagebrush grows next to the small parking area. When Desert Boy and I visited, we had the place to ourselves, and most of the time this is a quiet spot. Crowds occasionally gather, such as during the summer solstice, when a local puts on a special presentation about the petroglyphs or when bike tours take a break.

On the left side of the above photo, you can see what looks like a sideways horseshoe; perhaps it is a map. On the right side is what appears to be a bighorn sheep. When visiting petroglyphs, it's fine to take photos, but touching the rock leaves behinds oils that can degrade the art. Some of the drawings may have been made over a thousand years ago. It is amazing how they have survived the wind and sun and rain and how they can inspire us.

Happy First Day of Autumn!

Mystery Birds

I walked out of the house the other evening and saw a nearby tree filled with these large black birds. It was getting late and the sun had already set, so I didn't get a good close up of them, but perhaps you've seen them before. They come occasionally to the trees and congregate like you see in the photo. The next morning, to my surprise, they were gone before the sun rose. Do you know what they were?

What? You think Houdini got it right the first time around?

We have a winner! Congratulations, Shae! You had some fierce competition, but in the end your entry prevailed. Email me at desertsurvivor@live.com to claim your prize of homemade peach jam. 

It was so fun reading through all your entries, and my husband and I kept laughing. Uncle Tom, your submission of "So which is the bigger sucker?" was a close second with its play on words. We'll be doing this again, so stay tuned!

Rabbitbrush Golden Flowers Make My Eyes Pop Out

Oh my, the gray rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) is blooming and it is gorgeous. The yellow of the flowers is so vibrant that it just blows me away. So to sweeten your  Friday, I thought I'd show you some pretty pictures.

Sometimes when I look at the rabbitbrush, I have to take a second look. Is that color for real? Am I just imagining how bright it is, how much it pops out from the surrounding drab vegetation?  I think the crisp late summer air also makes it brighter and sharper.

Looking at the beautiful color almost makes me forget that this plant causes me several days of misery due to allergies. Almost. Okay, it's out of my mind, back to just looking at the pretty flowers.

Not many other flowers are blooming this time of year, so the rabbitbrush can claim most of the attention. It's good that it's so showy and worthy of that attention!

Gray rabbitbrush is also known as rubber rabbitbrush and indeed a small amount of rubber can be made from it. During World War II the perennial shrub was studied as a substitute for commercial rubber, but alas, it was not a viable option. The pulverized wood and bark have been used by Native Americans for chewing gum.

And one more photo just for kicks. (Did I mention I like taking photos?) Okay, back to the serious stuff. For some reason I feel compelled to share a little more information so that I can stay true to my theme Desert Survivor. How does gray rabbitbrush do so well in the desert? One of its adaptations is having the leaves and stems covered with trichomes, felt-like growths that help reduce transpiration and insulate it from extreme temperatures. 

And there you have it. Now head outside and enjoy the colors!

My Least Favorite Weed

When I go walking around the yard now, late in summer, I sometimes throw my hands up in despair because it pretty much seems that the weeds have taken over everything. There's ragweed  (Ambrosia artemisifolia) and Russian thistle (Salsola kali) and bindweed (Convulvus arvensis) and halogeton (Halogeton glomerulus) and cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). But of all the terrible weeds I see, there's one that gets my heart pounding and my fingers itching to pull it as quick as possible--puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris), also known as goathead or caltrop.

The cute ferny leaves and pretty yellow flowers are deceiving, making it seem like a friendly plant. Puncture vine is in the Zygophyllaceae family, also known as the creosote bush family. My husband's favorite plant is creosote bush, so how is it possible that my least favorite plant is in the same family? 

Puncture vine is originally from the Mediterranean, but it has spread quickly. These trailing tendrils make it obvious why someone decided to call it a vine. What about the puncture part? Take a look at this next photo.

These little green fruits are fairly innocuous early in the summer, but the heat and dryness of hot days makes them get harder and harder...

...until they turn into sharp brown thorns that break apart and make even more sharp brown thorns. These thorns are so sharp that I've gotten a flat bicycle tire, a flat stroller tire, and a flat wheelbarrow tire. Needless to say, all of these tires now contain Slime.

While I was photographing the puncture vine, Desert Boy took a fall, landing right on top of a mass of it. He started crying immediately and I think he's joined me in calling this his least favorite weed.

Here are a couple of the thorns stuck in his hand. The seeds remain viable for three to seven years, so even though I have pulled every plant that I've seen in the yard, I'll probably have to keep after them for years. And unfortunately there are plenty of seeds just outside our yard.

What's your least favorite weed?