The Rock Art of Nine Mile Canyon

Rock Art in Nine Mile Canyon

About a month ago I was given a tour of a unique canyon in the Uintah Basin known as Nine Mile Canyon.  This rough and remote canyon is home of what has been called “the worlds longest art gallery” and is filled with numerous rock panels containing the art of

Rock Art in Nine Mile Canyon

of the Fremont Indians some 1000 years ago.  The canyon is actually some 40 miles long and is filled with artifacts of the Fremont people and Nutters Ranch which was the first stop for the stagecoach that ran through the area.

The “Hunter” panel

It is believed that the “Hunter” panel depicts a successful hunt.  Given that the art depicts a gathering of the males, females and young of the heard, this was probably created during the rut (mating season).  This is the only time that the entire heard is together.

Rock Art 9 Mile Canyon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tucked up on a high ledge we came across a granary  possibly used to store corn and other grains.

Rock Art 9 Mile Canyon

 

Moose and Elk in the Fall

It seems that when September and October roll around we find ourselves asking where

 

Fall leaves in Big Cottonwood Canyon

 

summer went.  Summer seems to fly by so quickly. Soon the first reminders appear telling us that winter is right around the corner.

 

A Bull Moose enjoying a walk through the river

 

The changing of the season becomes evident in the foliage and in the actions of wildlife.  The leaves change color from green to golds, reds, orange and browns.

The moose, as mentioned a couple posts ago, enter the rut or mating season.  During this time the bulls go through some big changes.  Much time is spent rubbing off the velvet that covers their no longer growing antlers.  This is done on rocks, trees or any other hard object.  The removal process of the velvet results in the points becoming sharp, which may be used to defend their territory from other bulls during the rut. In this photo you can see that the most of the velvet cover no longer remains over the antlers, and that the points are sharp.  It’s also evident that the removing the velvet from inside the spoons can take a little longer.

 

Bull Moose antlers

 

The bull in this photo had a cow with him, however she stayed in some brush… until she felt like I had taken up enough of their time.  The bull decided to lay down, while the cow came out of the brush and gave me the eye.

 

Bull Moose in Big Cottonwood Canyon

 

As I raised the camera, she decided enough is enough and lunged at me, telling me to move on.  I took her hint and got out of her way.  I was a bit to close, so she had every right to be a little upset.  This goes to show that their emotions run a little wild during this season, so keep that in mind when watching a bull and cow during the rut.

One of my favorite things to watch in the fall is the elk rut.  My favorite place to enjoy this is in Yellowstone National Park.  During the elk rut the bulls gather as many females as possible for mating purposes.  This often means some big battles between the bulls and can make for some exciting photography.

One very early morning I hiked out to a favorite location in hopes of being able to photograph a battle or two just as the sun was rising.  I got a couple of shots but was able to take some video using a DSLR camera and a very long lens.  In the video you can see a good size bull as he bugles and up to 4 bulls battling in a thick grove of trees.  If you listen closely you can hear the large antlers and they go to battle.  I can’t describe the feeling as you have all this activity going on around you. Its incredible!

Tucsan Video link

During our time in the Tucsan village I not only took still photographs, but shot a lot of video of the work that was taking place.  I found myself in some pretty tight and dusty places to get this footage.  For those who would like to see how the work was carried out, I have provided a link to You Tube.

I also want to extend a special thanks to those gave money to the foundation to purchase the construction materials used to get this water to the villagers.

Coyotes, Hawks and hand fed Mallards

Its been a while since I took the short hike to Willow lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  Its actually become a favorite place of mine because of all the animal activity around the lake.  The trail winds through some very thick aspen forests filled with all kinds of

 

Flower on the way to Willow Lake.

 

colorful wild flowers and varieties of shrubs.  On a normal day the climb up starts out quiet, with the sound of birds singing and squirls chattering getting louder with every increase in elevation.  By the time you reach the lake its pretty noisy.

Todays journey was quiet all the way up to the lake.  I didnt hear a sound all the way up.  Before you reach the lake there is large open area where a small pond resides in the early spring.  By now the only sign of the pond is

 

The open area where the first two coyotes were spotted.

 

some vegitation that enjoys a wetter environment.  As I came upon this open area I soon understood why things were so quite. About 150 yards away from me I could see a coyote who was very actively hunting for food.  Most people dont get to excited about coyotes,

 

A coyote hunting in the snow. Yellowstone National Park

 

but I do.  If you have been fortunate enough to watch them hunt you will know why I enjoy them so much.  They have very keen hearing and can hear the rodents running in their tunnels under the ground or under the snow.  Their heads move from side to side as they listen.  Then at just the precise time they jump in the air and dive nose first into the soil or snow, often surfacing with the rodent in their mouth.  They are also very beautiful!

I watched him hunt until he was out of site, then started back up the trail.  Within a couple seconds I saw another coyote, only this one wasnt so sure about me being there.  He was out of sight within a matter of seconds. Within a minute I was on the bank of Willow Lake.  Would you believe I saw another coyote on the other side of the lake.  This one didnt stick around either.

As I stood on the shore, looking at all the beauty of the area, I experienced something that was a little surprising and also a little upsetting.  There were several Mallard ducks living in the lake who had many young this spring.  One of the yearlings swam over to the spot where I was standing, got out of the water and walked right up to me and stood next

 

Yearling mallard duck that approached me on the shoreline.

 

to my boot.  My thought was there is no way this duck doesn’t know I’m here, but I remained motionless as to let this play out.  On the lake I noticed another duck swimming over to me, then another and another.  All got out of the water and walked up to me.  Keep in mind these are wild ducks…  I knelt down to see what would happen.  They stayed right with me.  One started nipping at my hand,  then another one nipped at my lens hood.  Another tried to eat my boot laces.  I soon learned that these ducks were being hand fed!  People, please dont feed the wild animals.

With coyotes away the sounds of the forest started to appear.  A family of hawks began

 

Large Hawk that was flying over the lake.

 

flying over the lake, landing in trees that surrounded the water.  The light became a bit challenging as the early morning light changed to the harsher light of afternoon.  It turned out to be a uniqe hike to Willow Lake.

The moose are in love

It started out as any hike to White Pine Lake, but there was something in the air that felt a little different.  I thought maybe it was the change of season starting to happen, but as I looked around the forest, I didn’t see any yellow aspen leaves and some of the flowers are still blooming so it couldn’t be that.  I kept climbing up the trail and then I heard it!  It started off soft like a little moan coming from a thicket of trees in the forest.  It happened again, only this time it was a little louder.  I stopped, listened carefully for another moan,

 

A very charming cow moose.

 

and began to smell the air for an unpleasant odor.  Finally I saw where the noise was coming from and remembered that it’s the season of love for the moose.  I was a little surprised to see them paired off already.  Normally this would start to happen toward the middle of September.

Typically during the rut, the sighting of a bull comes with some extremely powerful odor.  To attract a female, the bull will dig a shallow pit, urinate in the pit and then roll in it covering himself in urine.  THERE HAS GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY!  Today, I didn’t smell anything.  Both seemed very calm and content as they stood in the brush striping leaves from the shorter aspen trees.

There was something very special about these two.  The couple looked very happy

 

A bull with a very big grin on his face!

 

together.  The bull even had a big grin on his face, and I have the picture to prove it!  The cow was very large and beautiful.  It’s easy to see why he chose her!  I’m sure we will be seeing more of this activity over the next few weeks!

More of our expedition to Peru

 

Two boys from the Viacha Village having some bread with us

 

One of the highlights of our expedition to Peru was a day spent in the village of Viacha.  This village sits much higher on the mountain at 13,000 feet.  Earlier in the week we advertised to a number of the villagers that a micro project would be rolled out, and those who were interested should come to the school grounds on Thursday morning.

 

A baby girl playing on her blankets.

 

It was my experience that this village tended to be more traditional in their dress, making for many colorful photo opportunities.  I also hoped that we would see one little child in particular.

When we arrived at the school grounds we were greeted by two young boys and a grandmother, who had her granddaughter with her.  I recognised the little girls face right away!  It was the little girl I had hoped to see!

 

The little girl we wanted to see! She was with her Grandmother getting her nails painted.

 

She had grown taller over the past year and was also not quite as shy as she was last August.

I walked over to where she and her grandmother were sitting and sat down on a rock next to them and shared my lunch.

As lunch was finishing the village women started to stroll in with their children.  Within a short time we had 15 to

 

The little girl we had hoped to see. Photo was taken Aug 2009

 

20 villagers ready to learn how to make the new bracelets.  As in Tucsan, some of the team taught the women and some kept the children entertained with candy, balloons, bubbles and toy helicopters.

After a couple of hours the group was proficient in making the survival bracelets.  This opened up some time for the village ladies to learn the art of painting finger nails and for a special feast prepared by the villagers.  The cue (Guinea pig) and potatoes were very good and were enjoyed by all.

 

Our leader distributing the bracelet supplies to the Viacha Villagers.

 

After the conclusion of the training and eating we walked through the village to meet some of the villagers in their homes.  It’s always humbling to go inside these adobe homes and see how the villagers actually live.  Inside you will see the oven that’s used for cooking and for heating.

 

Grandmother in Viacha Village

 

Everything inside the home is typically black from the smoke emitted by the stoves.  On the dirt floor, cue (Guinea pig) can be found running in all directions.  You have to be careful where you step!

The foundation also spent some time in the Sunflower Orphanage.  This is always a favorite part

 

Children in the orphanage learning to make bracelets.

 

of the trip. The children are so happy, loving and willing to learn new things.  Within a few minutes they were able to make the survival bracelets from start to finish.

In May of this year we introduced to the orphanage a micro project making necklaces from a special trellis ribbon.

 

Boys working on bracelets

 

Our hope was that the children would be able to generate some much-needed income by selling these necklaces.  The children quickly created a number of necklaces in many colors and took the necklaces to the markets and earned enough money to buy clothes and school supplies for the entire orphanage!  We believe that the bracelets will provide an additional stream of income.

Our final day of the expedition was spent in Cusco.

 

Little boy in the market

 

Cusco is a larger city filled with a number of markets, churches, and beautiful town squares.  My favorite of all the squares in the Plaza de Armes.  This square is home to two of the largest cathedrals in the city and is often occupied with large very colorful parades that occur throughout the weekend.  In the center of the square is common area with brick walkways, green grass, colorful flowers and a beautiful water fountain.  At night the lights around the bottom of the fountain change color from red, blue, green, purple and white.  The fountain at night with the beautiful church in the back ground is one of the most beautiful pictures in all of Cusco.

 

The Plaza de Armes at night

 

Water to the Tucsan Village

 

Water running from a tap below the water tank.

 

The Galileo Foundation expedition to Peru was a great success, however it did have some technical difficulties along the way.  When we arrived in the Tucsan Village we found that the required supplies had not been delivered to the work site, and that the villagers had

 

Men, women and young adults participated in the trenching efforts

 

not completed the needed trenching to run the lines from the fresh water spring located one half mile up the mountain to the village.  Additionally we found

 

This villager dressed in all traditional clothing and played the flute during the dancing.

 

that the government had not completed the concrete pressure reduction boxes needed to control the water pressure that would build up as the water flowed down the steep mountain.  Another obstacle we faced was the time of year.  In Peru the season is early spring which is the time that the villagers are tilling and planting their crops. The need to solve the water problem became obvious when we were greeted by the village children who were carrying plastic water bottles that had been filled with water from the stream that runs through the village.  This

 

Villagers placing new lines in the trenches

 

same stream provides a place used to wash laundry, bathing and a cool place for the pigs, goats and sheep to cool down and other unmentionable things.  Needless to say the water in the bottles looked more like chocolate milk than water.  Seeing this first hand demonstrated the need for a short-term solution, as the long-term solution was going to take some time to complete.  We evaluated the old water system that was destroyed in the flood, and found that most of the

 

Villagers fitting pipes near the waterfall. Here the water will bee pooled, filtered and work its way down the mountain.

 

underground pipe was clear and usable if we made the  needed repairs to the sections that were destroyed.  We were able to procure about half of the PVC pipe we needed for the long-term project. We used 5 lengths of pipe to make the repairs which gave us a complete line that ran from the old concrete water pressure box to the water tower.

 

Villagers cleaning out the old concrete pressure box.

 

Once the repairs to the pipe were made, we ran new pipe from the concrete box to a small and protected water fall above the village.  This waterfall is the source of the water that fills the stream that runs through the village.  Capturing the water here will provide water that is not contaminated by the people and animal activity.

Knowing that this is only a temporary fix, the villagers will continue to trench up the mountain to the spring.  The foundations in-country contacts will continue to work with the government on installing the pressure boxes and will follow-up with the PVC supplier in Cusco to ensure that the final delivery of PVC pipe is made.  Everything is in place for the completion of the long-term water solution.

 

The village women were taught how to make survival bracelet. This micro project will help generate money for the Community.

 

As a part of our expedition we introduced the village women to a micro project that would help the village raise money for their community and individual families. An entire day was spent teaching the women how to make survival bracelets from various sizes and colors of cord.   This new bracelet would also add something new to their existing craft items they are currently selling in the local markets.  The Foundation supplied the initial materials needed to create the bracelets and will assist in getting additional supplies for the village as needed.  It was exciting to watch as the women learned how to make these new bracelets.  Their faces lit up as they learned the skill and realized the possibilities that would open up from this new product.

 

A beautiful little girl in the village.

 

While the bracelet training was taking place, a number of the expedition members were involved in keeping the children busy while their mothers

 

Young boy in the village.

 

learned the new skill.  This is always a special part of  the expedition.  The children have so much to teach us!  The bonds built between the group and the children during this time are very sweet and incredibly strong.  Its hard not to get emotional when view photos of the time spent with the children.

 

 

Expeditioner playing with a little boy in the village.

 

 

 

Upon completion of the short-term water project, the village hosted a dedication and celebration for all to attend.  We were treated with traditional dress, dance, music and ceremony.

 

A traditional dance performed by a group of 5 men.

 

Even I was begged to put down my cameras and join in the festivities.  It was surely a day that we shall remember for a long time.

 

Two very curious boys at the Tucsan school

 

Off to Peru with the Galileo Foundatation

 

Baby being carried on his mothers back in the Tucsan Village.

 

Just a quick note to let you know I’m off to Peru with the Galileo Foundation.  Our main objective is to re-build the water system in the Tucsan Village.  For a look at what this project will require, follow the link below  and take a look at what we will be doing.  I will provide an update upon our return.

Tucsan water project….  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNn5vsVC-0A

Another Bull Moose in Big Cottonwood Canyon

 

Luke on hike with Papa. He is actually happy! Just pulling a face!

 

Today, I was asked to keep an eye on my grandson Luke.  We had a lot of fun this morning playing games, running around the back yard, and watching Sponge Bob Halloween videos.  By afternoon he was ready for some excitement.  He said “Papa, can we go on a hike”?   You don’t have to ask me twice!  We were up in the canyon with a camera in hand in a matter of minutes.

 

Bull Moose in Silver Lake, Big Cottonwood Canyon.

 

It started out as a nice walk, but as we turned a corner on the trail we found ourselves almost face to face with a Bull Moose.  He was standing on the trail enjoying a meal of willow leaves.  We looked for a way around the bull, but the brush behind him was to thick for Luke to get through, so we had to wait it out.

After about 20 minutes of us looking at the moose and the moose looking at us, the moose quietly walked through the willows into the lake to cool off and the eat some tender plants.  The lighting started out pretty harsh with dark shadows cast on his face from his growing spoons (antlers).  After a while some clouds diffused the light enough to allow for some decent shots of him feeding in the lake.  I’m still amazed at how many moose call this canyon home!

Utah Moose are Pretty Smart and Very Good Looking.

 

A wood-pecker that found something to eat!

 

Nature Photography requires a lot of travel to various wilderness areas where hopefully you will be able to capture  the prize-winning image of your favorite animal.  For me capturing  moose has been one of the animals I enjoy the most.  Have I captured that perfect image of the bull dredging up moss from the bottom of a lake?  No, not yet…  But fortunately for me I reside along the Wasatch Front in the great state of Utah.  Being here I have access to some prime moose country where one day that perfect image will happen.  Not only am I living in the perfect place but the moose in Utah are by far the smartest and the best looking of all.  Take for example the picture below…

 

Moose playing on a teeter-totter

 

Where else on earth will you find moose that know how to do this?  It takes two to teeter totter, and just look at their handsome faces.  Here is another example of a handsome bull…

 

Bull Moose in Big Cottonwood Canyon

 

A prime example of a good-looking moose!

These shots were of a  group of 5 bulls I followed around while they played.