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Clark Valley Petroglyphs

hikerdmb

Posts: 423

1/10/2011

hikerdmb

Posts: 423

We took off on Friday afternoon and headed for Pinyon Wash off Highway 78. Then turned up Nolina Wash and headed for a campsite I had spotted at the end of Bighorn Canyon to Nolina Canyon hike from before Christmas. Unfortunately that spot was taken so we found another a half mile or so lower in the wash. We arrived after dark so it was good to see that the new lights on the Desert TJ worked great. We awoke on Saturday morning and could see the snow covered top of Mount San Jacinto off to the north.

Our camp was in a nice level spot in Nolina Wash.

There was a Cholla garden just out of the wash.

After we broke camp we headed toward Clark Dry Lake. It was not quite dry yet from the rain a couple of weeks ago. We found this guy, he looked to be about 16 years old with 3 other boys who were much younger, on the lake bed. He had been stuck for quite a while and had been digging when a group came by just before us and winched him out. Now he had to go back to the campground and face his folks. The jeep was buried to the frame and muddy inside and out.

We made it across the lake very easily by staying to the far west shore. No mud and good traction. We went on up the road to just north and east of Coyote Mountain and found a place to park. Then we headed off to the north to cross Clark Valley. We found the "Corp" marked on the topo map and matched the lines on the map with the terrain to the north and picked our spot to head of toward.

As we crossed Clark Valley we saw lots of evidence that it had rained in this part of ABDSP.

We eventually made it closer to the mound where we hoped to find the petroglyphs. It was probably less than 2 miles across the valley to this mound.

The first petroglyphs were a little faint, but it was right where we had expected.

Then after a little looking we found many more that were much easier to see.

I climbed up the little hill where the glyphs were and looked back toward Coyote Mountain. We had park close to there pretty much in a direct line with the summit. I made sure to take a compass reading before we left and then follow it back to the jeep, also since not many people come this way we could also easily follow our footprints.

On the way back to the jeep I found some nice pottery pieces. These are still laying there so whoever goes this way next will be able to see them.

Started to make camp here in Clark Valley but a whacked out dude stopped in and wanted to camp with us. After he asked if we could see the two moons that were out tonight we started to wonder about him.

Then when we looked at the sunlight on the clouds after sunset and he asked if we could hear the Northern Lights that he saw we decided we would move on to another location. Does this look like the Northern Lights to anyone else? Can you hear them?

We ended up heading over to Palo Verde Wash and it gave me another chance to use the new lights. Again they worked great! Had a great night in Palo Verde Wash and headed home on Sunday morning. I had been up this way a few times but this was the first time I had made it out to the petroglyphs. Definitely worth the effort to see these and they are located right where the topo shows them.
edited by hikerdmb on 1/17/2011
edited by hikerdmb on 1/7/2013
edited by hikerdmb on 1/7/2013

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Clark Valley Petroglyphs