2017 - Trip report - Mule Mountain Intaglios and Petroglyphs

Mule Mountain Intaglios and Petroglyphs - Rendezvous Trip

March 10, 2017

by Nelson Miller

We had six vehicles depart from the Rendezvous RV site at 1:00 p.m. on Friday.  Participants, besides me, included: Frederick Raab, Ron Ross, Nancy McClean, Barb Midlikoski, Steve Faulstich, Janet and Peter Austin, Daniel Dick and Bobbie Sanchez.  As we headed west on the freeway, I was chatting away and missed the turn-off!  Janet Austin was paying attention, so half the vehicles got off at the right exit, but I had to go ten miles to the next exit.  I considered turning around in the median, but just where I was about to do it, there was a highway patrol vehicle parked there.  So, it took me twenty minutes to get back to the group.

As we headed south from the Freeway, we encountered fields of desert lilies.  These have beautiful flowers with unusual long, wavy or ridged leaves.  They grow from bulbs a couple of feet deep, which Native Americans ate.  Thanks to Sue Jaussaud who pointed these out to us on another Inbound trip.

We soon arrived at the intaglio site, which consists of small 2-3 foot cleared circular areas arranged in horseshoe shaped designs or long parallel lines.  There is also a ceremonial circle about 125 feet in diameter.  A clearly observable trail connects this site to the petroglyph site about one mile to the west.  Archaeologists have traced this trail most of the way to Corn Springs petroglyphs, about thirty miles further to the west. 

We proceeded to the petroglyph site where we explored the small canyon and tank, which contained numerous petroglyphs.  We returned to the Rendezvous RV site in time for Happy Hour.       ~ Nelson