Here’s an update on the trip across Parowan Valley; Mr. Harris had to baby-sit his two grandchildren Friday morning, so he was unable to accompany us. However, he drew us a map on paper, so we could find the hidden pictograph site that we’ve been unsuccessful in trying to locate at least a few times already. It was three years since I had been to the site, and thought I knew where it was originally, but didn’t. Thanks to Mr. Harris, we were able to locate the rock paintings in a small alcove in one of the many finger canyons.
I didn’t take any pictures, but my brother Joe and I plan to head out this next Friday to photograph the panel. Hardly anybody knows the locality of this place, and it is a pretty remote area. Only a few know where it is, and they are won’t usually talk. It’s best kept a secret.
It took us about 45 minutes to find the canyon where they were located. It is a beautiful place with large rock ledges on each side, and huge boulders sticking out of the ground here and there, even right in the creek bed. It’s a dry place, with hardly any moisture, but there was some moss in the alcove where the pictographs are.
We stayed out there for about a half-hour, and rested. It was windy and had been cloudy that morning, but it became sunny before we left. It feels mysterious, especially when juniper trees creak like old, rusty door hinges every time wind rushes up the canyon.
The panel depicts what looks like a small human-like figurines, some with exaggerated features, and one of the images had horns. There’s a small depiction of two people holding hands, but I have no idea what any them might mean? This panel only contains 5-6 different images, and is relatively small. I have an idea that there might be other rock art panels in the area, but the hills across Parowan Valley are a sea-like maze of rocks. From Parowan, it looks like a small place. But when you?re in them, you can lose track!
When looking these sacred images, it brings gratitude. It creates a deep appreciation for the history. The fact blows me away, that between 500-1000 years ago, somebody painted them, and camped in this same area while migrating, or something. But these ancient writings tell a story or an instruction that I will never be able to comprehend. That?s the mystery. Although there are a few people who claim they can read such things, I will probably never understand.