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Jim Larkey | profile | all galleries >> Galleries >> Grand Gulch Primitive Area UT, Kane Gulch TH to Bullet Canyon TH tree view | thumbnails | slideshow | map

Grand Gulch Primitive Area UT, Kane Gulch TH to Bullet Canyon TH

Grand Gulch is the grandest cañon on the Cedar Mesa, the longest, and most interesting. Our trip details the upper half, which has the most Puebloan ruins, and the most water. It was truly a journey of discovery, even though the archeological sites have been visited by many before. The BLM estimates 25,000 hikers visit the Gulch annually.....we were not the first! Grand Gulch is an "outdoor museum", open to in-situ exploration and discovery. Bottom line though, is don't disturb or take the artifacts that you find.

The Gulch, and the side canyons such as Bullet, Todie, Kane, Coyote, and Sheik's contain artifacts from the Basketmaker period, dating back to 1500 B.C. You'll find many stone masonary structures, from granaries to kivas. The Gulch has a diversity of rock art panels consisting of petroglyphs (pecked into the rock) and pictographs (painted on with pigments). The meaning of the art panels will intrigue you, and your imagination will entice your sense of discovery.

The Basketmaker culture evolved into the Puebloan culture in about 750 A.D. By 1200 A.D., the Puebloans moved into neighboring New Mexico and Arizona, likely due to drought, depletion of local resources, and pressure from nomadic invaders from the north. At both the east and west entrance to Bullet Canyon, you will observe rim top “lookout towers". I climbed the slickrock to the westerly "lookout tower", at the Junction Springs, and can verify that the view up the Gulch is terrific.

Navigation in The Gulch and side canyons can be tricky at times. The BLM manages The Gulch as a primitive area, so there are no signs, and you'll need to "discover" which trails are social and which is the main trail. We missed the trail to Coyote Canyon. Maps do not show the main trail, and GPSrs are unreliable in the canyon, due to multipath errors. There is no cellphone coverage in The Gulch. The BLM limits the daily overnight visitors to 82 total for all The Gulch trail-heads combined. So when you do encounter another hiker, check in with the hiker on what water conditions are like, campsites, and trail conditions. We did not encounter much precipitation, but I imagine that rain will make the trails very challenging. Be prepared for an extended stay.

For further reading, the best book I found was "In Search of the Old Ones", by David Roberts ©1996. He discusses the Anasazi culture of the Southwest, including Grand Gulch, and other canyons such as Canyon de Chelly, and Chaco Canyon. Another book that focuses on the archeologists that have looted, collected, and explored The Gulch is "Cowboys & Cave Dwellers" by Fred Blackburn and Ray Williamson ©1997. This book does not discuss the culture as much, but rather relates the experiences of the many archeological expeditions over the years.
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Descending Kane Gulch, Near Trailhead
Descending Kane Gulch, Near Trailhead
Pourover in Kane Gulch
Pourover in Kane Gulch
Stone Masonry at Junction Ruin
Stone Masonry at Junction Ruin
Granary at Junction Ruin
Granary at Junction Ruin
Pictographs of Hands at Junction Ruin
Pictographs of Hands at Junction Ruin
g3/06/5106/3/124238007.5Lpvyi1h.jpg Potsherds at Junction Ruin...Note Corncob at Knife Point
Potsherds at Junction Ruin...Note Corncob at Knife Point
Stimper Arch...Missed Turkey Pen Ruin...Darn!
Stimper Arch...Missed Turkey Pen Ruin...Darn!
Ruin Near Turkey Pen Ruin, in Grand Gulch
Ruin Near Turkey Pen Ruin, in Grand Gulch
Pictograph...Antelope on Wheels?
Pictograph...Antelope on Wheels?
Tons of Pictographs.  What do They Mean?
Tons of Pictographs. What do They Mean?
Careful, Jim!
Careful, Jim!
Not Much Left to This One
Not Much Left to This One
Is That a Corn Stalk?
Is That a Corn Stalk?
g3/06/5106/3/124216608.9dXaTNMj.jpg g3/06/5106/3/124216610.0QeJjXx2.jpg
Ah...Home Sweet Home
Ah...Home Sweet Home
The Gang, Minus One
The Gang, Minus One
1st Night's Camp...Todie Canyon
1st Night's Camp...Todie Canyon
Grand Gulch Ruin
Grand Gulch Ruin
Stone Metate & Mano for Grinding Corn
Stone Metate & Mano for Grinding Corn
Potsherds
Potsherds
Descending Grand Gulch
Descending Grand Gulch
Another Pouroff in Grand Gulch
Another Pouroff in Grand Gulch
This is One of About 50 Crossings in Grand Gulch...How Would You Like to Filter This Water?
This is One of About 50 Crossings in Grand Gulch...How Would You Like to Filter This Water?
Split Level Ruin Living Structure
Split Level Ruin Living Structure
Small Doorway?
Small Doorway?
The Thumb
The Thumb
2nd night's Campsite, at The Thumb Pouroff
2nd night's Campsite, at The Thumb Pouroff
Another Unnamed Ruin Near The Thumb
Another Unnamed Ruin Near The Thumb
The Green Mask, Sheik's Canyon
The Green Mask, Sheik's Canyon
Another Cornstalk?
Another Cornstalk?
Note the Emphasis on Breasts
Note the Emphasis on Breasts
Curly Haired Figure?
Curly Haired Figure?
Headless Pictographs at Green Mask Site, Sheik's Canyon
Headless Pictographs at Green Mask Site, Sheik's Canyon
It's Been Suggested That This Represents a Breached Birth...Note Head-up Position
It's Been Suggested That This Represents a Breached Birth...Note Head-up Position
Ruin at Green Mask Site, Sheik's Canyon
Ruin at Green Mask Site, Sheik's Canyon
Another Inaccessible Ruin Along the Way in Grand Gulch
Another Inaccessible Ruin Along the Way in Grand Gulch
This is Our Water....Junction Springs
This is Our Water....Junction Springs
Playing Bananagram in the Primitive Gulch
Playing Bananagram in the Primitive Gulch
The Guys Make Breakfast
The Guys Make Breakfast
Ruin Just Downstream From Junction, in Grand Gulch
Ruin Just Downstream From Junction, in Grand Gulch
g3/06/5106/3/124216638.209NywaS.jpg Note Serrated Potsherds
Note Serrated Potsherds
Note Size of Cornstalk
Note Size of Cornstalk
Some More Handprints
Some More Handprints
All Right Hands, Then All Left Hands
All Right Hands, Then All Left Hands
g3/06/5106/3/124216647.RaaHiVyJ.jpg
Pincushion Cactus
Pincushion Cactus
Granary at Entrance to Green Canyon
Granary at Entrance to Green Canyon
Green Canyon Springs
Green Canyon Springs
g3/06/5106/3/124216657.C9JKgDkR.jpg
The Green House Ruin, Green Canyon
The Green House Ruin, Green Canyon
The Green House Ruin, Green Canyon
The Green House Ruin, Green Canyon
Green Canyon Springs
Green Canyon Springs
Some More Pictographs...Note Snake Below Hand Print
Some More Pictographs...Note Snake Below Hand Print
Green Canyon
Green Canyon
Grotto at End of Green Canyon
Grotto at End of Green Canyon
Looks Like a Massive Lightning Bolt...
Looks Like a Massive Lightning Bolt...
Lone Tree on Tabletop
"Lone Tree" on Tabletop
Meridian-Designs mÃœV Purifier...Our Water Treatment for the Trip...Worked Great!
Meridian-Designs mÃœV Purifier...Our Water Treatment for the Trip...Worked Great!
Entrance to Rim Top Lookout Tower
Entrance to Rim Top Lookout Tower
Rim Top Lookout Tower,  Near Junction (Bullet Canyon & Grand Gulch)
Rim Top Lookout Tower, Near Junction (Bullet Canyon & Grand Gulch)
Junction, Our Camp Was in the Cottonwoods.  Junction Springs is Seasonally Intermittent
"Junction", Our Camp Was in the Cottonwoods. Junction Springs is Seasonally Intermittent
Hiking Up Bullet Canyon
Hiking Up Bullet Canyon
Hoodoos on Mesa Top, Note Ruin Below in Alcove
Hoodoos on Mesa Top, Note Ruin Below in Alcove
Closeup of Unnamed Ruin
Closeup of Unnamed Ruin
g3/06/5106/3/124216676.FjYogyvO.jpg
Jailhouse Ruin, Note hex Pictograph
"Jailhouse Ruin", Note "hex" Pictograph
Closeup of hex Pictograph
Closeup of "hex" Pictograph
g3/06/5106/3/124216679.aFzue2tD.jpg Jailhouse Ruin
"Jailhouse Ruin"
Jailhouse Ruin Rock Art
"Jailhouse Ruin" Rock Art
Jailhouse Ruin Hand Prints
"Jailhouse Ruin" Hand Prints
Jailhouse Window
Jailhouse Window
Caught in the Jailhouse!
Caught in the "Jailhouse"!
Jailhouse Springs...Our Overnight Camp
Jailhouse Springs...Our Overnight Camp
Jailhouse Ruin
"Jailhouse Ruin"
Jailhouse Ruin
"Jailhouse Ruin"
Cool Place on a Hot Day, Jailhouse Ruin
Cool Place on a Hot Day, "Jailhouse Ruin"
Ancient Corn Cobs, Jailhouse Ruin
Ancient Corn Cobs, "Jailhouse Ruin"
Perfect Kiva, Restored by the BLM
"Perfect Kiva", Restored by the BLM
Yeah, I Was Down Below
Yeah, I Was Down Below
...And I Layed Awake All Night Thinking of Hantavirus in the Dust Particles Dropping From the Roof, From Someone Walking On It!!
...And I Layed Awake All Night Thinking of Hantavirus in the Dust Particles Dropping From the Roof, From Someone Walking On It!!
Perfect Kiva
"Perfect Kiva"
Connecting With the Ancients...Vibes From the Puebloan Metate & Mano, Perfect Kiva
Connecting With the Ancients...Vibes From the Puebloan Metate & Mano, "Perfect Kiva"
The Gang
The "Gang"
Pictograph Hand Prints, Perfect Kiva
Pictograph Hand Prints, "Perfect Kiva"
Lizard Encountering Aliens?, Perfect Kiva
Lizard Encountering Aliens?, "Perfect Kiva"
Jailhouse Spring Overnight Camp Below, Note All the Social Trails
Jailhouse Spring Overnight Camp Below, Note All the Social Trails
Our Home at Jailhouse Springs
Our Home at Jailhouse Springs
Snow, on the Way Out Bullet Canyon
Snow, on the Way Out Bullet Canyon
The 1st Pouroff
The 1st Pouroff
The 1st Pouroff
The 1st Pouroff
Approaching the 2nd Pouroff...the Most Difficult
Approaching the 2nd Pouroff...the Most Difficult
Approaching the 3rd Pouroff
Approaching the 3rd Pouroff
Approaching the 3rd Pouroff
Approaching the 3rd Pouroff
Easterly Rim Top Lookout Tower, Near Exit of Bullet Canyon
Easterly Rim Top Lookout Tower, Near Exit of Bullet Canyon
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