We put on our walking shoes and hiked to a Shoshone rock art site in the Birch Creek valley. It was a beautiful day. We got permission from a rancher to cross his land to see it. Ancestors of the Shoshone Indians traveled through this valley frequently. They camped, hunted, and painted some interesting pictures on the rocks here.
Indiana Crenshaw and his daughter
cold desert
The Girls
This is my great grandpa Pehrson sitting in front of the same rock art panel in 1930. We didn't make the connection until after we got home and compared photographs. Amazing!
Did you see this one? Pictographs were often done with mineral or plant materials or a combination. Sometimes animal fat was used in the paints.
This was a rare opportunity so we took a lot of pictures.
The grass was pretty tall in some spots. C. found some good rocks.
I think I can fit in this crack.
mud bird nests above
deer
bear paw symbol
Counting?
6 people
bison
(This shows that the rock art was done before 1880's because the buffalo were mostly killed off by then.)
pronghorn antelope
(I usually see a lot in this valley, but not this time. I guess they know hunting season is coming.)
hands
shield motiff with bird
fish
Climbing expert
I'm on top of the rock!
Ooh, this rock is orange.
Scott did.
Grammy Goose
Further up the valley we found the old mining ghost town of Gilmore. There are many lead/silver mines in this area. We drove through it on the way to go fishing/picnicking at Meadow Lake.
Back in the day
Gilmore miners
Mercantile store, granery, and another building in Gilmore
fixer-upper
Gilmore from above
Staying Warm by Meadow Lake
Waiting for a bite
C. trying to catch fish in her net
Rainbow Trout
If we stayed on this trail we would find a rock glacier and another lake.
Not a kid friendly bridge.
spring water that feeds Meadow Lake
Caption Contest
