Excerpt
We set off with another couple, each with our own truck and trailer, headed for Indian Pass Road. We had checked out this dirt road earlier, and knew we would have to cross two sandy washes going in. Since there had been no recent rains, the guys did not think it would be a problem, and I heard one advise the other, Just step on the gas and dont slow down until were through! Well, we made it through the washes, and luckily the trailers did not drag on the hump we encountered coming through the second wash.
Driving on, we came to a well traveled track leading north off the main road. Turning here, we came to a nice flat area on the edge of a large wash with several big old ironwood trees for shade. Others had camped here before, as there was a large fire ring. I will always remember that camping spot, as it was one of the most pleasant dry-camping spots we have ever found.
I went on several long walks by myself. One of my favorite hikes was east of our camp, and involved crossing three wide sandy washes. Each one had a hummock of land between them. Then I came to a low hill covered with strange brown rocks. Walking farther, I came across two smaller hills with the same rocky terrain, and made an interesting discovery!
On the north side of both of these hills I came across what appeared to be ancient sleeping circles. Sleeping circles are well known and recognized by Historians. It is believed that these circles were made by Aboriginal Indians, perhaps covered with brush, and used as resting places when traveling from one place to another. We have come across sleeping circles several times over the years on various desert treks.
Here, rocks had been cleared from a circular area, and this smooth place was surrounded by a ring of larger rocks. It was easy to tell that these circles were very old, due to how deeply the rocks were embedded in the soil. There were several of these rock circles, all in a line. Nature simply could not have arranged the rocks or cleared the space in this manner.
Quite often while on a walk, we would come across large stumps of ironwood trees which had been felled with an ax. In the days when steamships traveled on the Colorado River, wood was in great demand. Indians and white men alike would haul firewood long distances to the river, selling it to the steamboat operators. There was a particularly huge stump near our camp, and we discussed what a job it must have been to chop that tree down with just a hand ax! Even handling and hauling the wood must have been an arduous task, as it is very heavy.
I had been most anxious to drive up to Indian Pass. Finally, we all piled in our pickup and headed east on the main gravel road to its summit. (Indian Pass) Here, we found a small parking area with a sign cautioning visitors not to remove or deface any artifacts. At one time there had been several petroglyphs in this area. However, all have been removed. The owners of Gold Rock Ranch had one of these petroglyphs on display for several years, but it too had mysteriously disappeared.
Reaching the pass, the panoramic views were incredible. Picacho Peak loomed straight ahead of us. This rocky pinnacle is a landmark which can be seen from miles away in all directions.
The road continued over the pass and down to the Colorado River. It looked pretty steep and rocky and was deeply rutted. As we were debating whether we should attempt it, a jeep came chugging up from the other side. The driver advised us not to try it, as the road was washed out in places and impassable, so that settled our decision!
While the others were discussing the road issue, I wandered off into an area of rocks north of the parking area. Somewhere near here, an old Indian foot path leading over the pass supposedly was still visible. And, much to my surprise and delight, I found it! What a thrill that was! I called to the others to come join me. It was impossible to deny that this was the ancient trail, and it was still very much in evidence. About 14-inches wide, the trail itself has been completely cleared of rocks, and was quite deep. Various sources say that this trail can be traced 14 miles west of here.
We followed the trail for a ways, and farther on even found a sleeping circle beside the trail. Then, retracing our steps to the east, we could see where it came up from the other side of the pass, no doubt from the Colorado River.
The others returned to the truck to have lunch, but I was too excited to eat, and continued to explore. I discovered a second, similar trail directly to the south, running parallel to this one. Locating this ancient trail has been one of the most interesting discoveries during our travels!
Rodger and I were on a bike ride south of camp one day. We had found another former campsite, and had been following some tracks, until, coming to a rocky area, the trail simply disappeared. We proceeded to walk our bikes over the rocks, hoping we would eventually pick up the track again. And, what a surprise it was to come across that ancient Indian foot path! We could see that it headed toward Indian Pass, so was obviously a part of the same Indian trail we had discovered earlier. That made our day! On this outing we had ridden our bikes ten miles and walked two miles.
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