Death Valley Deep Dive 2024

[DAW89446]

But then I can't see back thousands of years either.  I lost my time travel binoculars.

I feel for ya. My Wham-o Time Travel Binoculars, as well as my Wham-o Mind Reader, broke back around 1963, and the parts are still on back order ... 

[VintageDUG]

Kind of last minute, but I'm headed back into DVNP Monday and thought about going into Jackass Canyon and Jackass Flats.  Jeep JLU Rubicon, mostly stock, slight lift, BFG KO2s.  Solo, no spotter.  Doable or mostly bad idea?  I watched the video and it doesn't "look" horrible, but everything looks awesome from home.

[Beardilocks]

That pinch is the kicker. It’s tight. Doing a sidewall is a real possibility. Although you’re maybe more likely to rip off a flair or damage some paneling.

It’s a LONG walk back to cell range if you get in a pickle.

[VintageDUG]

Garmin and Elon say I don't need to worry about cell.  I have too much stuff pinned already, I might go take a look or I might skip.  Thanks for the beta.

[Beardilocks]

Don't know if it's too late for you VintageDUG but I just saw on the Saline forum that Marble Canyon is blocked before Jackass Canyon by a huge boulder that came down.

That update was 4/14 but NPS stated at the time that it was too big to move with the dozer and they would need to send a rock crew in later this summer.

[VintageDUG]

Don't know if it's too late for you VintageDUG but I just saw on the Saline forum that Marble Canyon is blocked before Jackass Canyon by a huge boulder that came down. 

That update was 4/14 but NPS stated at the time that it was too big to move with the dozer and they would need to send a rock crew in later this summer.

I had zero issues. I went and checked out the falling down cabin and mining area, then had lunch at the really nice cabin just down from the Jackass turn. I immediately saw the boulder in your video and easily drove by. I checked out both cabins in Jackass Flats and made my way out. Still early I drove up North Pass and went to an old cabin up there. It was pretty horrible so like an idiot I came down to the trailhead for my morning hike where it’s nice and warm instead of staying up high. Oh well. Elon was happy with the replacement cable and I’m camped for the night. Couple short hikes tomorrow, then I’ll keep moving south.

[Beardilocks]

Now that I have left Death Valley for the season, I'm going to share a new petroglyph site.  I'm sure it is not a completely unknown site, but it is nearly so.  I actually stumbled across it on my searches for a source of obsidian in the park that I have been trying to track down for many years now.  It is currently unspoiled and I'm going to do my best to keep it that way with no hints about it's location, other than to say it is in a VERY remote part of the park. 

The glyphs here are stunning.  They show diversity, complexity, and styles rarely seen anywhere else in the park.  It was extremely humbling to spend a few hours exploring this particular site.  And I barely scrapped the surface here. 

Amazing sun & storm cloud on the left.


Very cool, very complex glyph here.


There is a huge age span on the glyphs at this location.  Some were re-patinated to a point that they were nearly invisible, suggesting that they are very old indeed. 





Very old atlatl glyphs. 





Some of the panels are layered with glyphs spanning likely centuries. 


Very old sheep glyph. 


Still on the obsidian trail. 





Nearly invisible old panel. 


Newer glyphs covering older ones. 





This was one of my favorites here.  High above the others.  It is in the “wolfman” style, the most famous of which is probably in Butler Wash, about 450mi from here.  Except this one, instead of legs, tapers off to a point, almost like a genie coming out of a bottle.  The “wolfman” image is prolific at this site, as well as appearing at a few other Death Valley sites I've visited.  But none as bold or as interesting as this one.  I am very curious what these "wolfman" could represent in the lore of the people that carved these.  Coyote is a very widespread character in ancient lore across American tribes, but it's possible that Coyote in this hybrid form is a story that has been lost or changed over the millennia. 


Quite a lot of the glyphs here seem to be nature-based, with suns, rain clouds, streams, and possibly springs seeming to be everywhere. 


I am not sure if this is a plant or a hand.  I have seen this odd glyph several times recently with variations in complexity.  I'm at a total loss as to what it could represent.  The “6” or “9” shapes are repeated at this site as well. 


Atlatls galore.


This piece is stunning.  The two sides show are from different eras based on patination, but have some stylistic similarities, with the right side panel having been updated or added to a much later date.  Two very specific messages from very different times etched on the same rock. 


I'm curious if the glyph in the lower right is moving into the basket-weaver era.  It has similarities to some basket glyphs I will be posting soon from Kaibab Paiute area.  If in more simplistic form.














The sheer coverage at this site from high to low is impressive.


This is easily the longest “storm-cloud” glyph I have ever seen. 


There appears to be some more recent scratch-glyphs in a few places as well. 


A layered panel from many eras. 





Yet another layered panel with a varity of ages and styles.  Very cool. 


Stormclouds, bird tracks, bear track or basket?  Amazing diversity. 


I found this simple petroglyph to be very interesting.  One vessel pointing up & one down?  No clue what it could be representing.


Atlatl with ridiculously exaggerated weights.





The alien-slug here is one of my favorites.  Such an odd shape.  The ladder next to it is also interesting. 





These shield style glyphs are more common both in the volcanic tablelands to the west as well to the east in Nevada, but uncommon in Death Valley..


No surface left untouched.


This is really cool.  While it hard to discern species from an ancient glyph, the claws out would suggest a canine track of some kind, likely coyote or domestic dog.  Not something you see often. 


I LOVE this small panel.  Wolfman on the left, upside down man in the middle (possibly meaning he's deceased), and bent torso man on the right.  Is the figure on the right dancing?  Are those wings rather than arms?  Obviously a complex story is being told here.  That or it's a group portrait of some very weird friends. 


I'm VERY curious what the thing on the right is. 











I can't say for sure whether these are Native American scratch-style glyph, some creative obsidian sharpening/tooling, or later graffiti. 


Very complex curvilinear object on the right.  And a very interesting, very specific character in the middle with the two dots. 


Another wolfman on the right disappearing into the weird curvilinear jumble.


Extremely old glyphs.


Yet another wolfman on the right.  And a WILD curvilinear pattern.


Only a small portion of this site is represented here.  One of the interesting factors is that sheep petroglyphs, while present, are not dominant like they are in many places out here.  Atlatl's likely outnumber sheep.  But storm clouds outnumber both.  And I've never seen this many wolfman style anthropomorphs in one place either.  Based on the re-patination of many of the glyphs I would guess that this place was revisited over thousands of years and likely considered sacred by more than one indigenous group over that time.  Either way, it is one of the most prolific, diverse, and fascinating sites I've yet to find in Death Valley.  What else could still be out there?

[Bluegreen kayak]

You're not kidding, the quantity and diversity of this art is amazing. I bet you were stunned; I'm impressed you kept quiet this long. Must have been tough.

[TacoLand]

So often I check out your posts and I find myself so floored by your adventures & discoveries that I can't even find the words.

If there /is/ anything else similarly prolific, diverse, and fascinating out there ... I very much look forward to you finding it.

[MojaveGeek]

Wow that is a totally amazing site! Thanks for the pix!!