Moments in Dirt and Ink

Montecello BLM Rough location: 37.26215, -109.61783. This panel is located next to the Sand Island Campground. It is quite large and diverse but has a long history of more recent visitors "adding" to it. It is currently behind fencing to try to prevent further destruction. I visited it after a visit to the Bluff Library (which leaves its WiFi on all the time but is only open for the afternoon of Tuesday and Thursday) and a little meander around the Bluff Fort (which is just a square of houses without a main wall, not a fort, but they are generally furnished by the descendants of the people who lived in them). It was just past sunset when I got there, so everything is guaranteed to be in shadow and darkening. Turns out, it can take a while to look at a large panel. I only took a few photos of some details. Whole herds of goats to be found. Lots of contrast in editing used to really bring them out. A nice old female figure. I picked it out to be my favorite for the ...

Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument Indian Creek SRMA, BLM Click for map. I have been to Newspaper Rock before, but it was a rather long time ago. It was probably about the time my dad got his 4x4 pickup truck and decided the family vacation would include Canyonlands where he could take this shinny new truck over Elephant Hill and up (likely down) the Silver Staircase and out on the Island in the Sky to see the confluence. I recall that last one not having such a bad road in and there's a paved option of sorts. I also remember one road in The Maze where a little white Corolla came up out of a canyon and we got to the top and my dad hit the brakes and perched there for a bit before deciding it probably wasn't deadly and putting it in 4-low as though that would save us if it was. Then again, I seem to remember him doing something similar in the Bronco with its push button 2WD-4WH-4WL changing and feeling like a button with a light was not so settling as a proper st...