On the third day, we ventured into the nearby ( 1 hour in travel time) to Picture Canyon. The canyon is located in Colorado on the Comanche National Grasslands.
Our destination that day was the canyon gap you can see in the distance. We were two miles from the trail head at this point. FYI, the road was a very nice gravel road.
As we entered the canyon, the rock cliffs were magnificent!
Hoodoos featured shapes that triggered our imagination!
If these rocks were the only thing we saw, I would have still been a happy camper. 🙂
The information sign posted at the beginning of the trail. Now we hoped that we could reach the petroglyph.
Numerous Lace Cacti (Echinocereus reichenbachii) were along the trail! However, none were in bloom yet.
Milkweed (Asclepias) pods hid in the grasses and brush.
Pods of Mentzelia species were present as well.
Colorful yellow crustose lichens were on the rocks!
Other more subtle crustose lichens have their own beauty!
Then we reached the rock face we had hoped for!
First petroglyph!
Second petroglyphs!
A small hole drew me in! I found sticks, leaves, and hackberry seeds in the hole.
However, if I had not stopped to look at the above hole I would have missed this petroglyph! It was hidden on the far side of a rock.
Final find at Picture Canyon, the Trumpet Gooseberry (Ribes leptanthum)! Toots my horn. LOL
The obvious petroglyphs are great but it’s extra cool that you found the tipis carved on the back side of the rocks. I have many questions for you the next time we’re together.
I am so behind on your blog that I just skipped to here. Love hoodoos. I’ll have to go further back to see where you are camping since I came into the middle of the story. I question th Lace Cactus. I have never seen them with spines that poke outward. The spines are in ridges going vertical and curve back inward so that you can carefully pick one up without getting stuck.
Kathy, I know the Lace Cactus certainly had us debating what it was without the flower too. But using the the Flora of Oklahoma, you count the spines and that is where it keyed out to. Some floras including FNTC says they can have a center spine. Several plants in the Oklahoma panhandle did looked totally different. Such as being very hairy plant (Four-nerved Daisy) unlike what we find in NT. So that was my best guess 🤷🏻♀️
It was a great place! Obviously people a long time ago thought so too!
I love the petroglyphs. Very nice. Those rocks are special.
The obvious petroglyphs are great but it’s extra cool that you found the tipis carved on the back side of the rocks. I have many questions for you the next time we’re together.
And the hoodoos look like they have faces in profile talking to each other.
I am so behind on your blog that I just skipped to here. Love hoodoos. I’ll have to go further back to see where you are camping since I came into the middle of the story. I question th Lace Cactus. I have never seen them with spines that poke outward. The spines are in ridges going vertical and curve back inward so that you can carefully pick one up without getting stuck.
Kathy, I know the Lace Cactus certainly had us debating what it was without the flower too. But using the the Flora of Oklahoma, you count the spines and that is where it keyed out to. Some floras including FNTC says they can have a center spine. Several plants in the Oklahoma panhandle did looked totally different. Such as being very hairy plant (Four-nerved Daisy) unlike what we find in NT. So that was my best guess 🤷🏻♀️
Love the tardigrade videos – now I want Weiss’s book!
When you get it, I look forward to seeing the book. 🙂