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Intuitive Hiker - Page 03
Ancient Solstice Marker
As a result of many many hikes to this area, Thomas found this wonderful alcove. Throughout the year, in all kinds of weather, this became the perfect place to rest and have lunch. The real value of this place wasn't obvious at first, it just served as a nice place to visit in the midst of all of these ancient treasures. Read more below.
If you'll look again at the above photo of the basalt alcove you'll notice that the large center stone panel is covered with very old petroglyphs, archaeological artifacts. Here is a clear photo of that stone face. An interview, and a copy of this photo, with the chief archaeologist for Coconino National Forest provided an interpretation that these figures are probably from the Cohonino culture, even though discovered in a predominantly Sinagua place.
On the stone surfaces above these glyphs are three polished depressions, used hundreds of years ago by the people who lived here as grinding slicks, for tool making, etc.
Since Thomas sat here eating lunch on so may occasions he became familiar with the details of this place. He began to notice vertical alignments between the glyphs and the natural rock deformations, formed when the basalt was hot lava filled with gas bubbles, causing it to cool with the interesting tube-like voids. The Sinagua must have found them very interesting, particularly since they are near this large vertical crack in the rocks. Deep openings like this were often revered as sacred openings or connections with the spirit world. This could explain the pecked images.
Then, one day in January, he observed this!
The shadow of the noon sun was crossing the double concentric circle petroglyph. Was this a coincidence? What does it do on the summer solstice and on the shortest day in December? Was this really a seasonal solar marker? It would take a whole year of observation to know. The challenge was ON.
Sure enough, on June 21st, at 11:45 exactly (middle of the day to the Sinagua), the shadow of the sun created this vertical shadow across the circle glyph. That it was vertical instead of horizontal was the first surprise. This glyph had been so cleverly positioned that it used the horizontal edge of the stone in winter and the vertical edge in summer. This photo provided graphic evidence of his suspicion. He reported all of this to the local professional archaeologists.
Thomas waited patiently for December to witness his hope on December 21st, the winter solstice. He arrived early at this place and watched the remarkably different shadow approach. You could taste the suspense.
THEN, the greatest surprise of all!
A heretofore unobserved indentation in the overhanging stone formed an arc in the line of the shadow. This occurred at the last minute and, to Thomas' amazement, it actually matched the curve of the outer glyph circle. It fit. It was goosebump time the first time this was seen. Now, the size and placement of the glyph was justified.
Five minutes later this intersection occurred. It was again just before noon by our time.
This archaeological site has been observed and recorded several times by professionals, including Harold Colton - the founder of Northern Arizona Museum. But none of them spent enough time there, apparently, as no reference to it being a solstive indicator exists in their notes.
Thomas had personally discovered an ancient solar marker indicating the longest and the shortest day of the year, in a uniquely horizontal and vertical way. This has all been documented and reported to Coconino National Forest's archaeological office. -JV
During one of his hikes in the walk from the Range Rover to the canyon edge Thomas spotted this matching set of dropped elk antlers. It is very rare to find the complete set in one place as elk will often drop one, walk a while and then drop the other. Ungulates often seen on these hikes include elk, mule deer and pronghorn antelope.
Along the stream beds near many watering holes (tinaja), evidence that many wild mountain lions roam freely at night is observed. Bobcat tracks are also observed.
In fact, one day he came across this bobcat carcass, a miserable site. This poor animal was illegally trapped and allowed to die in the trap. Thomas turned this photo and the GPS coordinates over to Arizona Game and Fish, which conducted an immediate investigation and collected the trap for evidence. It turned out that someone has been retrofitting legal traps with a dragline, making them illegal, and catching bobcats in this area for the black market. At this writing the individual has not been caught.
One of Thomas' hobbies is making a photo biography of certain native plants he finds throughout the limestone canyons of northern Arizona. He keeps a photo records of specific species from sprout to death and all between. The above photo shows you the wild grape, Vitis arizonica, which is found near watercourse, ravines and gulches. This plant has large maple-like leaves, shreddy bark vines, and coiling tendrils. It climbs voraciously over other plants, small trees, rocks and canyon walls.
The photo below shows you the life cycle of the Arizona Walnut, Juglans major. Both of these plants provided food and medicine, perhaps something ceremonial to these people.
"View From My Studio" Yes, this really is the winter view out the north window of my studio in Flagstaff, Arizona. There is this moment at sunrise after a storm when the sun turns pure gold and bathes the entire landscape. Then, in a few more minutes, it's over and it all again returns to gray. This is a very large painting, more of a pictorial from my days of painting billboards. I've worked on it in various stages for over five years, it's pure love. I never forget, as I work here, that one of my earlier studios faced a concrete abutment of a freeway in Pasadena, California.
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