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The Solstice Snake & Summer Solstice Rock Art

Moab Area Rock Art XI | Tuesday, June 21, 2011

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Solar Snake 2011 by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I’ve been anticipating the Summer Solstice for much of the year so that I could visit the Solstice Snake petroglyph. For about two minutes on the Summer Solstice a dagger of light shaped like an arrowhead appears on the head of this very large and well executed petroglyph of a snake. I wanted to be there to get a photo of the sun interaction and am glad that the weather cooperated. It was an amazing experience!

This is the photo I had been planning on taking for months. In the end I think it turned out pretty well.

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Solstice Snake by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Of course, while I was in the Moab area I went out searching for some new rock art, too. Here’s a new panel of petroglyphs I came across. They are very faded, but there’s a lot going on if you look closely.

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Faded Petroglyphs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A closer look at the previous panel.

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Faded Designs by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

A Barrier Canyon Style anthropomorphic figure found along the Colorado River.

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Colorado River BCS by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

This Barrier Canyon Style anthropomorph found high up in a shallow alcove looks like a turtle to me.

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Turtle Man Up Close by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I also made a return visit to the Golf Course Panel for a few photos close to sunset.

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Transparent Anthropomorph by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

The well-known Moab Man petroglyph found on the Golf Course Panel.

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Moab Man by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

On my way home I made a short detour into the Book Cliffs. Over the weekend when I was hiking with Philippe, he mentioned that he had gone to visit the Robidoux Panel when he first arrived in Utah and found that it was now broken. I wanted to see just how bad the damage was for myself.

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Time Takes it’s Toll by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

I last visited this panel on December 18, 2010 and it was still in one piece then. Here’s a photo I took that day.

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My Last Robidoux Photo by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr

Moab Area Rock Art XI Photo Gallery

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