In Search of Sand Island's Mammoths - Part Two

It is almost a year since I wrote about the mammoth carvings at Sand Island In Search of Sand Island's Mammoths - Part One .  2018 was not a very good year for either Roy or myself; illness, financial hardship; issues with people who, in general, were simply reliving high school as the "mean clique".  2019 was dubbed the "Year of Fresh Starts", and it certainly has been for the most part.  Recently we both were given fresh starts with employment, and now have time for each other, and important aspects of our lives that kept getting pushed aside.  Basically, we are back on the road to wellness; wellness in mind, body and soul.  Enough boring talk, let me get onto telling you about Sand Island's Mammoths.

It was one week, after our first attempt at mammoth hunting, that we returned to Sand Island , determined to find the other mammoth.  This time we had a copy of a photograph which showed the carvings and other rock art colored in.  It would help us go back to the first mammoth which was more visible, and follow the rock art along the wall to the second mammoth. The pock marks simply look like weathering over time; the colored in photo shows how the marks were interpreted.  Easier said than done as this wall is very pock marked, so even with a zoom lens, finding the figures was still difficult.

Many of my photos are repeats from Part One, just taken in a different light; it was a cloudy day this time.  People often think that going adventuring is determined by the weather.  No, it is determined by how much one wants to do the adventure.  As you read through this travel blog, you will notice that Roy and I have visited places on sunny days; in snow, rain, cloud cover as well.  However, we are smart enough to know the dangers certain weather conditions can bring, so we won't be in areas of possible flash flooding, and no mud fests for us!

The trail to the carvings, and other rock art, is at the last camp site, along the same rock wall as the ranger station.  Yes, people might be in that camp site; just be polite, say hello, and keep walking to the log posts that indicate the start of the trail.  Now don't go wandering through someone's camp site to get there.  Park at the ranger station, walk along the trail for vehicles, and you'll see those log posts at the end of it.





You will have to walk downward just a few feet, but then the trail evens out, and it is an easy walk for a half mile where it meets the San Juan River.

The rock art show begins almost immediately, and there will be other interesting sites along the trail.  Keep those eyes open, cameras at the ready!

 Warning:  if you are easily offended, don't look at these humanoid figures too closely.  Their gender is definitely expressed in the drawings.

 Men on horseback, wearing hats?  The Spanish came through San Juan County, then came the Colorado and Texas ranchers, and finally the Mormon pioneers.

Unfortunately, you will come across "idiot markings".  Pristine sandstone walls, or ancient rock art itself, marred with initials, names, drawings from 20th and 21st century humans.  Why?  Well that's why I call them "idiot markings", the people who do this are, and I'm being nice here, idiots.  They seem to think that all rock art is just graffiti, so no one will care if they add to it, right?  Wrong!  Oh, and please don't give me the argument of, "Well, they didn't know better."  That's a huge load of bs right there; information is available online, on informational boards at sites, and basically every visitor center and museum in the 4 Corners region.  Ignorance is definitely no excuse! The ancient rock art/drawings are how these people communicated, left messages for others, wrote out their own history.  Modern man used paper, ink, pens; created bound books; and nowadays the written word of any language can be found digitally.  So, look, take photos, admire, but don't touch!

Human heads are NOT ancient drawings.

Back to the real art work of Sand Island...

Post holes in the wall; wooden logs would have been placed inside.  There could have been a platform to stand or rest on while the drawings were created.  There could have been some other type of structure there, using the logs for support.

Carving of a large male deer or elk.

There are carving marks on this fallen stone. 
Center left, looks like a horse

I found these next drawings to be truly interesting.  The triangle shaped humanoid is indicative of the Fremont culture, with similar drawings found in Shay Canyon, Capitol Reef and Nine Mile Canyon.














The humanoid figure with the long fingers and toes is similar to the figure found at the Wolfman Panel, found in Comb Ridge.  (Yes, I've written about these sites, just use the Search box on the upper right of any blog page and prepare to have your mind blown!)

So I mentioned there would be other aspects of Sand Island to see and admire.

Beehive Box in a tree.

Bees are pollinators, so need to be protected.

Huge Claret Cup Cactus hanging off a ledge.

At this point in time, you're wondering, "Where are the mammoths!?!"  Well, like any Travel Channel show or documentary, there is the tease at the very beginning, but you have to watch the whole telecast to get to the really good part.  Speaking of Travel Channel, I did contact them about using my travel blog, about the 4 Corners region, as a show idea.  Nah, they only use ideas from their own staff...their loss!!!

...and now the mammoths.

You will know you're in the correct area due to the wooden post fencing around this area.  First off, they don't want anyone climbing up to the rock art due to the unstable nature of the rocks and sand.  Second, they definitely don't want anyone up close and personal touching the carvings and drawings; they're already weather beaten down enough.  The acidity of the human hands will only cause further destruction, never mind the "idiot markings".

Fallen sandstone, what rock art might have been here?

Mammoth #1

Arrow indicates Mammoth #1

Mammoth #1 Outlined

Mammoth #2

Supposedly there is a bison carving overlaid on the mammoth.  After I outlined the photo, the small head looks more like a deer or elk, not a bison.  Then again, I'm no expert.

Mammoth #2 Outlines

...and there you have them, the Mammoths of Sand Island.

Whether you decid to camp at Sand Island, or just visit, enjoy the journey!

Mary Cokenour

In Search of Sand Island's Mammoths - Part One

I have written many posts about Sand Island; it's an amazing place full of rock art upon the walls.  It is also parallel to the San Juan River, so the landscape is lovely, and it's a popular spot for camping (BLM camping ground with River Ranger Station).

Roy and I just enjoy visiting for the rock art; always scanning the walls for something we'd not seen before.  One elusive creature has been the mammoth; supposedly two of them are there.  In this post, we found the area, but only could make out one of the mammoths.  Of course we had to return to find the other and complete this exciting journey; that will be my part two of this adventure.

To access the "Upper Sand Island" Trail, park at the Ranger Station and walk past the campsites until you reach the very last one.  Someone might be camping there, so be respectful and simply make your way to the fence posts lined with rope.  Walk through and down slightly to the trail; it's an easy trail to walk, a half mile in, then out, so one mile altogether.  At the very end is a climb up onto a rocky mound and a spectacular view of the San Juan River; there's also a trail into a side canyon.  As you can see from the photos, the sky was cloudy, so we're putting off exploring that side canyon until a clear weather day.

1/2 mile in, 1/2 mile out on an easy trail.











The rock art begins immediately; ancient drawings and carvings, and regrettably gouged in initials by some 20th/21st century numbskulls.  As many times it is said and posted, "Do not touch, do not leave any trace", there is someone with a huge ego who thinks he/she/they are so very special that they must leave their mark.  Well, one more time, enjoy looking, but leave it alone.  'nuff said!

 I am no expert on what the drawings mean, so while folks ask me to label the photos with the meanings/interpretations, I cannot.

Much has also faded over time.

By the way, clicking on the photos themselves will enlarge them for better viewing.

Besides looking for rock art, I personally enjoy looking up high up to see if I can find any ruin sites, or just what Mother Nature decided to sculpt with the elements.








The area where the mammoth carvings were found is fenced off, but the use of a good zoom lens will bring them into focus.  We didn't know where on the walls to look, or what exactly we were looking for, so only found the one mammoth easily.  The other is a bit more difficult to find, and you'll see it when I write up part two.

Mammoth

Mammoth Outlined in Orange Color

The rock art just goes on and on; sometimes there will be branches marring the view; sometimes you'll be able to climb up onto some boulders and get a closer look see.  This next set of photos shows human figures lined up next to each other.  The figures look to have ornate clothing; could these possibly be clan/tribal elders or the hierarchy being depicted?

More Ornate Human Figures

While I have seen more detailed drawings of horses with riders at other sites, the human heads in this next photo are definitely from a modern hand.  There are also crosses added to the drawings of the horses; Christian settlers, or only passing through, adding their beliefs into the rock art?






There are many, many depictions of human figures, animals, spirals, and one humanoid figure strongly resembles the figure on the Wolfman Panel found on Comb Ridge, Lower Butler Wash area.(http://www.southwestbrowneyes.com/2014/09/wolfman-panel-and-ruins-comb-ridge-part.html )  Since Sand Island is not far from the Lower Butler Wash road, it's not surprising to find similar rock art drawings in the Bluff area.

Male Deer or Elk

Antelopes & Spirals

Far left humanoid figure resembles figure of Wolfman Panel

Horses, some with Riders

At the end of the half mile trail, the sandstone is easy to climb up onto and the view of the San Juan River is wonderful!  There is a trail leading into a side canyon, but as you can see from the photos, the sky was cloudy.  It began to rain after we left Sand Island, so good thing we didn't trek further into an unknown area.When we were there, a lone Canadian Goose was calling to its mate; we waited and waited with it, but its mate didn't come.  It finally left and we felt sad for its loneliness.

Lonesome Canadian Goose

Claret Cup Cacti grow on the ledges in Sand Canyon; some so large, they hang over the edge.

Here's the end to Part One of our search for the Sand Island Mammoth carvings.  I have over 200 photos to go through for Part Two, so you know we found that other mammoth, and, perhaps, other interesting items.  Hope you're a follower of this travel blog, so you'll know when it's finally posted?

Mary Cokenour