Discovery on Boden Canyon Hike

Monday, we returned to Boden Canyon which we had only hiked at night last summer.  It is difficult to access, as there is practically no parking along a steep and narrow mountain highway. 

The first 3 miles was a hike along a dirt road closed to cars.  The sycamores and oaks along the seasonal creek contrast with the harsh, dry mountain sides.

 

 

 

A weird "growth" or bole on this large oak tree.

 

A moment after I took this picture, I saw movement down under the trees.  Expecting to see a large animal, we were startled to see a hunter in full camo, including his head. His face was blacked out by a screen  -  creepy!

There was an area of large trees, burned by fire.  This tree had a large nest  (photo below).

 



We were getting hungry, so I suggested we hike up the hillside where there were some large, interesting boulders.  There was no trail, but we climbed through the bushes for a lunch spot with a view. 

 

Surprise!  We spotted morteros on a boulder.  I dug the dirt out.  Morteros are grinding holes that Native Americans made to grind acorns.  There were no signs of footprints or litter - only animal tracks.  This was getting exciting!

 

On the same rock was another mortero with a pestle (the grinder) still in it.

 

 

 

As we ate our lunch, we imagined an Indian camp or village nearby.

 

A few feet above us was an old wall.  We couldn't figure out its purpose.

 

This appears to be more ancient wall.

 

We crossed over a dry waterfall to inspect more large boulders.  Morteros were there, too!  These rocks were unlike others in the canyon.  It looked like granite with inclusions. 

 

Looking down at another mortero.

You can see 3 morteros in this picture.

We felt like archaeologists!



Gail found another pestle (the only smooth rock around), and I found part of a shell.  Was it used as a scoop, ornament, or what?

 

At the base of an overhanging boulder, maybe 12 feet tall, was evidence of  smoke stains from fires of long ago - we think.  There was abundant poison oak, also!

 

Another one of several short walls that seemed to weave through the boulders.

 

We had to head back down to the canyon floor and begin the hike out in order to make it to the car before dark.  All these big oaks were a big food source.

 

Turkey tracks!  We followed these turkey tracks along the dirt road section for over a mile.  This in spite of  hunters we passed earlier in the day.  You go, turkeys!

 

And there's our trusty Dusty, parked on a tiny highway turnout.  We actually went down and up that bank as it was too dangerous to walk on the highway.