HIKING IN SEDONA - OAK CREEK CANYON PETROGLYPHS
Visiting friends and family in Arizona this month, and had a chance to get out to see Dr. Bob in Oak Creek Canyon, near Sedona last week.
His son Vlad showed us around a hi-rise peak, forced up like a skyscraper in the middle of the flat river valley. From up there it's possible to see 360 degrees all around and it only took 25 minutes to climb it. No Trail(!) He showed us old cave dwellings built into the side of the mountain by the ancient local Indians, who could easily monitor the entire area from up there.
It's close to 300 meters tall I would estimate, around 1000 ft. Gives a great view of the surrounding Beaver Creek and hyway 17 going north to Flagstaff.
After an hour of climbing up, then down, this giant rock pedestal, we were off to see Ancient Indian Petroglyphs at the V-V Ranch nearby.
The symbols are left to interpretation, and can only guess what messages were intended. We can't be sure exactly their meanings since many generations have come and gone over the centuries.
The petroglyphs were created by the Sinagua Indians between about 1150 and 1400. The Sinagua mysteriously disappeared from the area around 1400 and drifted in different directions. They had vanished by the time the first Europeans came to the area.
Having discovered ancient dwelling sites, the Spanish gave the name "Sinagua" to these ancient civilizations. The name means "without water".
Benjamin Franklin Taylor and his wife settled the area where the V-Bar-V is now located. Archeologists were made aware of the petroglyphs in about 1945. The Coconino National Forest acquired the site in 1994 and opened it to the public in 1996.
There are a couple of interesting theories. One of them, the one I find more fascinating, is that their entire tribe was lost in several battles with the Yavapai.
Sinagua means "without water" and Yavapai means "people of the sun".
Also, a couple of important tribes recognize the Sinagua as their ancestors. The Hopi tribe, for example.
This kind of historic episodes fascinates me.
I really like your comment!
I agree, I grew up near the Indian Reservation for Hopi Tribe near Mesa; Hopi are probably the lost Sinagua and it's very likely they gravitated to areas with more water near the Salt River near Mesa/PHX area, or even further into MX.
That's brilliant travel experience. You've to hiking world historical amazing place.The researchers watched the interplay of the sunlight at certain spots in different moments of the year. In the meantime, the documentation grew to 122 panels of petroglyphs at the Horseshoe Mesa and 107 at Middle Mesa. Altogether 138 new panels of petroglyphs were found, whilst others were rediscovered. But many of the panels contained dozens of individual petroglyphs. This sums up to the impressive number of more than 1,500 separate glyphs being recorded for the first time. The Puebloans were an ancient Native American culture, who lived in southeastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. Researchers says that they developed as a part of the Oshara Tradition (circa 5,440 BC - 460 AD), which grew from the Paleo-Indian Picosa culture. Ancestral Puebloans lived in a range of structures from small family pit houses to larger buildings like grand pueblos - cliff side dwellings for defense and house clans. They especially dominated the Colorado Plateau and connected hundreds of communities around them. Among the petroglyphs, the most eye-catching is the one located on the southern face of a sandstone ledge at Horseshoe Mesa’s northern end. It is known as Panel 50, and was recorded for the first time in 1931. Purcell confirmed that it is an imaging calendar, which means a time-tracking feature that uses the play of light and shadow. The panel is a set of eight circles, each 7 to 9 centimeters (3 to 4 inches) across, arranged in rows of two, three, two, and one. Nice you decides to share community.
STUNNING comment, thank you very much!
Wow, we really have quite a community here, were we can record these introspective views!
I want to hear MORE ABOUT SUN CALENDARS because all my friends now are saying, I MISSED THE BEST PART and they had a sun calendar and view points in the rocks like other ancient civilizations.
It only gets more amazing..
That is awesome !! I love hiking adventures . Where I lived upstate there were so many hiking paths and the best part was getting to the top and seeing the amazing view
This is the first time I am seeing you taking as a selfie. You seem to be very happy enjoying your trip.
It's a cool part of the country; we used to spend quite a lot of time around Sedona/Oak Creek and northern Arizona; my parents lived in Mesa when they were still alive and my mother-in-law in Prescott, so it was a great daytrip area. Did the obligatory Montezuma Castle visit but never got a chance to do any of the petroglyph trails; looks really cool.
I grew up in Mesa and went to school their, studied music at Mesa Community. Still one of the best music schools in US.
Oh, yes, a wonderful journey and great photos, these places in Arizona are impregnated with historical artifacts and the rock paintings of the Sinagua Indians are excellent evidence. Thank you @surfyogi for introducing us to these interesting places!
Nice those belong on the blockchain. Too many times I have seen people vandalize the sweet petroglyphs we have. I live in the area kind of, the same sort of landscapes.. We need more good documentation of all the things that people will destroy in the future. Like the boyscout leader at goblin valley, or the crazy islamists did to the sweet Buddhist statues in their country.
thats great to see you on your beautifull journey and also hiking is my best that its give us many enjoyment which we cannot find in other things and travels
hope you enjoyed in oak creek canyon and nice to hear about that you see the Dr. Rob and his son showed you old cave dwellings built into the side of the mountain and really best photos your shared with us and all your followers specailly this 3rd photo and selfie is exellent showing the best natural beauty around every side @surfyogi ,, i am seeing your first journey after my follow your blog and really feel glad that your journey is best and you have an adveture of life in your travel hope we see more best photos from your travel like like this
i dont know about Dr.Rob maybe i missed your post when you tell about him
Oh!. Very beautiful I'm fall in love with these Image.I can't describe beauty by words because it's one type of feeling which every single people have. This picture is better than better. Perfect Click without any doubt.
Capturing nature in all its glory of own creativity. Travel photography is a genre of photography that may involve the documentation of an area's landscape, people, cultures, customs and history. You have a great theoretical knowledge and experience about to make good photography as well as creative perspectives. Your creative perspectives really impressed me. Because without creative perspectives it is not possible to capture this types of glamorous photography.
The old cave dwelling must have been a very good spot for hiding and sighting enemies during war times. Looks like a little fortress and a watch post. Its beautiful to see this petroglyphs almost 1000 years since they were inscribed on those walls. Am sure you had beautiful moments.
Arizona is a place I so long to visit. I have be saving for this for a while and the visit should be possible by next summer.
The petroglyphs has an amazing history tied to it. I studied a little about it during my history classes though it was not so detailed.
The pictures are. an evidence that you did enjoy your hike.
Steem on!
The images are nice, this must be a nice place to hike and explore nature. It amazes me anytime I see ancient writups with great meanings, they are a sign that people with different minds existed.
I have developed great joy in hiking too, my friends and I now hike almost every Saturday, though the mountains are not that high, but we have fun and try to exercise our body.
Our last hiking had a great number of people, and I plan to also share a few words about steemit with them, so that we can always write about our hiking.
Amazing place if you love this kind of trip. We actualy didn’t know what to expect and after a short while, we didn't want to leave. Pick a spring or fall week day, bring water and leave your sports car or low clearance vehicle home. We saw an Indian artifacts, an amazing hike in canyon with petroglyphs, a working Arizona cattle ranch, a great barn with 70 years of western, Indian and cowboy artifacts and last but not least Brantley. An honest to goodness, down to earth, tells it like he sees it, genuine American cowboy.lol
Nice trip in Arizona with your friends. I loved this place. We visited this place few years ago and even though it was a cold cloudy day we had the best time exploring not only thousands of petroglyphs in the canyon But we’re totally enthralled with this wonderfully preserved piece of history. I definitely recoment it hystorical place to everyone.
i like to travel and this is an epic and pre-historical place, thanks those who work on their to revealed it expose to us, and also you deserve thanks too for sharing.
@surfyogi, Wow....That's absolutely brilliant hiking adventure experience. I love to hiking and every time do that if I've free time. Pretty good stuff for our healthy. You hiked very ancient location and I saw lot of petroglyphs there. Yep..Current generation don't know what's meaning it. Seriously Sinagua Indians created those letters. As my country in Sri lanka has same looks petroglyphs. But languages different. We all accept native persons everywhere, they have various barbarian attitudes. They spent very simply life. You catch amazing photo captures. Those stunning much my mind. In the top level in rock seems outstanding surrounding area. So marvelous. Absolutely Sinagua indians had to seems us ancient balance things. Thank you for provide amazing experience and road map finally.
I followed you now.
those carvings are magnificent
Oh I would love to explore such ancient sites! Those symbols surely look interesting and I find it very mysterious when you can't know for sure what they truly mean...
I'm definitely going to explore places like these in the near future as I feel attracted to everything mysterious!
well good to see you man and enjoy these life best moments there and sure you enjoyed i have not any chance to visit there but hope one day i will visit there and will enjoy these beautifull points and valleys like you.
i think travelling increase our life and always keep our health and fitness good and in traelling the hiking is the more best
today you share a beautifull post and change my feelings after seeing many posts about blockchains adn cryptos its first post of week which gave me some cool and freshly feelings
nice photography from all nice and exllent points @surfyogi
That you enjoy your holidays a lot I hope you know and visit more places as majestic and fantastic and interesting as this greetings
1000 ft you wrote? That's pretty high for what I'm used to. Sedona is a must visit place. It looks so cool!
I'm jealous you were able to go there!
Are you in one of those photos?
Hello Sandrina, I am the guy, who is selfie with Dr. Bob in the background on the SkyScraper photo, 3rd picture. Yes, I'm a little older now, than my profile image, which was actually an old photo I found the same day I registered for Steemit ;-)
What? Are you kidding me? it doesn't look like you are the same person!
Damn you really have been travelling around quite a bit! Keep enjoy your travels! Sedona was one of my favorite places to be at honestly.
I am glad to see you smiling!
This is truly very fascinating and incredible experience you shared here!!! Loved it so much! 💚
What a nice trip. I also enjoy hiking, will love to visit that place one day
archaeological excavations are really important. It helps us learn a lot about our history. Nice post @surfyogi
Resteemed & Upvote
Wow what a beautiful place my friend @surfyogi. It is incredible how figures drawn on rocks are kept perfectly visible after being created over 600 years ago. I wish we could know what each figure means.
Incidentally, here in Venezuela there was also the presence of the Spaniards, who at that time wanted to take over our lands and there was a war for the freedom of the Venezuelan people. The Venezuelan troops were commanded by our liberator Simón Bolívar (who is well remembered and is always present in the memory of all Venezuelans, for being the one who liberated us from the Spaniards).
Like the Spaniards, there was also the presence of the Portugueses. That is why in Venezuela there is also a mixture of races. In fact, Venezuelan women are the most beautiful because of this (we have that pride hahaha).
Sorry I took so long my friend hahaha. Greetings and a hug from Venezuela :)
@surfyogi and @ackza
I really like and want to see every post you..
I'am from indonesia...
I hope and I want to thank your community and your comrade.
and give me the motivation that I can help school children
Thank for you for your attention and your comrade. I am very proud to be steemghana that can help poor people and children out of school
Wow what a great time you had there awesome to see it don't have much knowledge about that place but i loved to explored this experience of your thanks for sharing :D
how the beautiful natural view is! Very color full also. this see world good to traveler.
Nice image capture
Wow, what a wonderful post! I like all of photos so much. It should be hard to climbing there :) I would like to go there someday. Thanks for the sharing with us these photos and indormation. All the best.
Wow this is the best discover...your report is so great plz Go ahead bro..good luck..thanks for sharing your post
It's really nice to see ancient things were preserve. This will represent the important culture of our ancestors. Where they started and what they do! Thanks for sharing @surfyogi. :-)
It surely tells a story. I wonder how they read it
Hello friend @surfyogi excellent post should be a great adventure to be in that fantastic place of beautiful nature good art seems a very historical site I loved many high quality photographs appreciate that congrats know that culture other people should be great I admire you see that you are quite creative your posts are fabulous good work thanks for sharing great friend greetings from Venezuela.
That's really cool thank you for sharing
research team and the scientist work a great job, the discover it and showed us a prehistorical witness, and keep preserve to the spectators and adventure lover tourist and traveler.
Its beautiful and interesting photos,i hope somedays i will have chance ,traveling like you 😊 thank you
excellent day and quite adventurous too so awesome pics this is epic !!
great and precious things i saw today in your post great its like blast from the past awesome day :)
lots of cool thing to discover there so amazing the place looks amazing :)
Wow, the view on top of the peak is stunning, I would love to feel the wind and be able to see 360 degrees! : )
The petroglyphs created by the Sinagua Indians look so nostalgic. It's sad how many ancient cultures have dissipated with little trace and understanding. It's not just the diversity of animals and plants that is decreasing, the diversity of our culture is also reducing at quite a rate.
Thank you for sharing!
Magnificent adventure friend that must be one of your best vacations is that it is a place with a very good art is great greetings that you enjoy
wow..this is so pretty @surfyogi ...you just made travelling interesting those are beautiful scenes you shared with us.thanks always sir
Those markings are divine. I wish to visit Sedona one day. I have several friends who live in that area already.
I just happened to find your profile when searching for other users who are into yoga. I post pictures of my yoga practice with inspirational quotes. I also post my art, and much more. Feel free to check me out sometime. I just followed you and added your Steemit to my auto-upvote list. If you enjoy my blog, do please let me know friend.
Take care, I trust that you will brother.
Always great at the top
This is really cool @surfyogi .. I love Sedona.
The energy vortexes are there.
look like a great adventure, I'll make sure to take better photographs next time I go to Sedona