Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Ruidoso or Bust! The Petroglyphs

One of my favorite places to visit in the Ruidoso area is the Three Rivers Petroglyph site. This site dates back between 900-1400 AD and was created by the Jornado Mogollon people. It's kind of out in the middle of nowhere, between Carrizozo and Tularosa, it's NOT the easiest hike and generally it's hot as hell! That being said, it is ALWAYS worth it. To me this place is mystical and slightly surreal. Since it is completely off the beaten path, you rarely run into other hikers. I like to hike up the trail, find a secluded spot, close my eyes and just listen. Sometimes it seems like the wind carries whispers! Or maybe it's just the mesquite trees rustling in the wind. Either way, it's one of those places that allows you to forget about the hustle and bustle for awhile and honestly, the petroglyphs themselves are just plain cool!

The great New Mexican landscape, isn't it gorgeous?

Roadrunner feet!

This glyph of a speared bighorn is the most famous and most photographed glyph, so of course, I had to get a picture too!

The circle-dot motif is very prevalent at this site, over 10 percent of the 21400 glyphs are similar to this one. The researchers found this odd as this specific motif is not prevalent at other Jornado Mogollon sites.

This little animal has always been one of my faves. I dig the geometric designs!

A standing stone, so majestic!

Obligatory "She-rah, Princess of Power" pose next to my FAVORITE glyph!


If you are ever in the Ruidoso or Capitan area, you really should check this place out. It is insanely cheap, something like $2 per car, they have very well-maintained picnic areas and restrooms, so seriously, pack a picnic and get out there! It is a great little voyage into NM history! Helpful hint, if you are doing this anytime between May and September, GO IN THE MORNING! It gets HOT! Be aware, I'm not kidding when I say it's in the middle of nowhere, do not screw around with your gas tank. Stop in Tularosa or Carrizozo (depending on which route you take) and top off the tank. Also when you're up on the hill checking out the petroglyphs, look to the southwest and you can see White Sands in the distance!
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4 comments:

  1. Mikael BehrensJuly 14, 2009 at 9:45 AM

    Sounds like a fun trip! That petroglyph with the bird feet gives me a chance to share about the only thing I know about bird tracks. Roadrunners are one of the few birds who do not have 3 forward-facing toes and 1 rear-facing toe. They have 2 forward facing toes and 2 rear-facing toes. So they are just about the only bird whose tracks I can recognize. Maybe that petroglyph shows turkey tracks?

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  2. Little MamaJuly 14, 2009 at 10:55 PM

    Indeed! The little glyph guide that they give out describes the tracks as either roadrunner or turkey tracks. I was hoping you'd check in, I'll be posting the 3rd installment soon and I have a list of the birds we saw in Ruidoso. I was AMAZED at what we saw! I saw things this time that I've never seen before. Wish I had your skills at photographing them! So check back in the next few days or so!

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  3. Sean WrightJuly 17, 2009 at 6:46 PM

    Nice photo's again. We will be going on a road trip to but a house and on the way there goig through some old mining towns, not quite as old as your subject here but old in the Australian sense.

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  4. Little MamaJuly 19, 2009 at 9:38 AM

    Sean-how cool! Be sure to take lots of pics. I would love to go through some old Aussie mining towns. When I travel in NM, there are alot of old towns that are practically deserted, making for interesting photos of decrepit old buildings and such. I love looking at what "used to be"!

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