After being on my list of of sites for a couple of years – we finally went looking for Red Tank Draw today. With GPS, information from the internet and Google maps we managed to find the ‘secondary entrance’ to the site. After a half hour of so of circling in confusion we finally got to the right road. Unfortunately we were further confused by RV’s and campers situated almost on top of the road (trail) into the site . So we missed it. Went through a gate and ended up on a very rocky one lane shelf road, Blue Grade Road – oh what fun – no turning around on it – oh joy – bouncing in the back seat, eyes closed and fingers crossed that we wouldn’t meet anyone. After getting to the other side we turned around and did it again – yahoo if you’re into terror! (Some time in the future I’ll have to consider the journey again because there is a petroglyph panel referred to as the Spirit Hunter, somewhere across that road and I’ll have to search for it one day ….ugh!) On our way back we paused near the end of the shelf road and looked at the area in front of us and could see the possibility of where Red Tank Draw was.
Once we were back through the gate we stopped and looked around, looked at the GPS, knew we were close, then saw a trail leading to a camp site and realized the trail went further and decided that was the road we missed. That trail divided. Of course we took the easier one first then decided to pack back into the jeep to go down the rougher road which was the correct one and took us to the edge of the cliff overlooking Red Tank Draw.
Looking down from the edge of the Canyon I could see where there might be a path, then noticed some X’s etched into a few of the rocks. Someone had actually marked the trail down to the wash. But I knew there was no way Karen would be going down with Jade so we found our way to the wash by following the old road. Once at the wash, a half hour or so of boulder hopping and stream crossing brought us to the place where the trail came from the top. At the bottom of that trail we found petroglyphs! After getting a multitude of photographs we continued along looking for more on both sides of the stream, but found nothing. So we headed back deciding to try another time when there might be less water in the creek. Pausing at the petroglyphs, giving the spot a bit more scrutiny – I found a couple more I had missed! Karen decided she would like to try the scramble to the top with Jade instead of going the long way over the stream and rocks. So I went up ahead, and near the top lifted Jade the last little bit where she was too small to scramble up and over. Quite an adventure for the petroglyph hunting dog!
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Love it. Will have to go back again for Wampus kitty
For sure – its an amazing place!