In Horseshoe Canyon I saw the most striking panel of ancient rock in my life.
Since I got into American South West's ruins, I watched some cool Youtube videos and I learned that there is a distinct rock art style compared to Anasazi eras. It is called Barrier Canyon style and they are much older than Anssazi's. Barrier canyon style art is believed to be made between 2000 BCE to 500 BCE. In fact, habitant in Horseshoe canyon is predicted to start back from 9000 BCE. I really wanted to see Barrier Canyon style and that desire brought me to the Horse canyon.
 |
| Descending to Horse Canyon |
Horse canyon is a part of Canyonlands National Park. It is a separated small section in the remote area. When we drove to the parking lot, we didn't see a single car on the way, in the parking lot, the entire hike, and way back to the paved road far away from the trailhead. The hike starts going down into the wash of the canyon. We started early in the morning and the rocks are beautiful reflecting sun.
First attraction is dinosaur track. It is hard to spot it, so likely National Park Service made a circle with rocks. Even with that, it was hard to see the track. In SouthWest, there are many places dinosaur tracks can be found, but for me sometimes even with sign it is difficult to find them. Anyway, we proceeded the hike.
 |
| First panel |
This hike is full of rock art panels. Total of 4 panels! The first one is a little high up. Many human(?) can be seen. My favorite is the bottom right, chubby one with circles inside the body. More dark color in the right and left side are rather fainted. It might be painted in a different times. What do the pictographs mean? We don't know, but fascinating.
 |
| Second panel |
Second panel is across the first panel. At the first panel, you can see the second panel across the river. It almost looks like to be made to be seen by far away. Overall image is in the above picture. Really big panel.
More detailed picture. At least 2 colors are used and some are consisted of 2 colors. Some objects look like person raising both arms.
Most dark color images in the left. I like the dog?/coyote? image with distinctive tows. Also one human has many lines inside. Interesting.
Below 3 pictures are the third panel. Third panel is in the big alcove. When we reached this alcove the sun came to the alcove. It was freezing cold morning, but got warm with sun. It is amazing how sun quickly warms up alcove. In Southwest, I learned that sun in the alcove makes me possible to take off at least 2 jackets (when I am cold enough to have 5 layers).
This area has lighter color. Some pictographs has petroglyphs. I don't know that was done by Anasazi later in the time, or modern vandalism.
This section was quite faint and we almost missed it. Luckily sunlight came and got easier to spot this. The way these people(?) lined up makes me feel kind of scared. I felt like souls from those people were looking at me. Hard to explain the feeling unless you experience in person.
My favorite one is the one in the middle. Looks like peace sign. I am sure it is not, but I felt like that way. Clear vandalism in the bottom left sadly.
The last panel, Great Gallery. This is the last one and really striking. The whole picture is in the below picture. You can tell why it is called Great Gallery. The most famous panel, Holy Ghost panel is painted in the alcove shaped. It is indeed an art. The tall "person" is about 8 feet (2.43 meters). Taller than anybody else in the world.
 |
| BIG PANEL |
Closer look of Holy Ghost panel below. The Holy Ghost is tallest and the others are shorter and surrounding it. What was meant by painter? No clue, but for sure I feel some soul from this panel. Story of life can be felt.
 |
| Holy Ghost Panel |
Although Holy Ghost panel gets most attention, other part of the Great Gallery is quite fascinating and very detail is well drawn and curved by the ancient people. For example below picture's part. The most left person has two animal inside. Below that, wavy lines and straight lines are depicted. Then the second to the left person has white and black dots neatly lined up in the chest part. Head has the decoration, too. Between the two, there is animal (big horn sheep?). Every one of them has so much detail needs to be observed. Thus we took quite a while to absorb these wonderful things.
 |
| Great Gallery |
Below picture the most left person's head has so many white line decoration. In the chest portion, there are decorations as well. Several small people between taller ones. Also small animal can be seen.
 |
| Great Gallery |
The below is the one located most right in the entire Great Gallery (you can check the entire Great Gallery picture). This is the tallest "person" in the Great Gallery. This one doesn't have any decorative stuff anywhere inside the body, but the color is very dark. Somehow this image tucked in my mind and I couldn't stop looking back this again and again. Definitely there is power to enter watcher's soul.
 |
| Great Gallery |
Intense.
What do you think about this panel? How do you feel it?
