Still More Fun with Jim and Emily

This morning we set out in our Samurais with Jim and Emily to find the Indian petroglyphs, grinding stones, and Footprint in the desert. They had tried to find these things last year, with no success, as some of the directions in the "Stone Cabins" book are subject to interpretation, to put it mildly. "Drive down the wash, take the third dirt road coming out of it, and turn left at the saguaro." Hmmmm. Since the washes have been overrun with ATV trails and the desert littered with saguaros, it's no wonder we got lost. Luckily, we ran into (not literally!) an Australian couple hiking along who had been to the petroglyphs, and, with a cheerful "No worries, mates!" gave us more explicit directions. Sure enough, following their route we bumbled across the petroglyphs. While we were there, Cheryl and Bill rolled up on their ATV and showed us where the grinding stones, just across the wash, were. That's the pictures with the holes. They are actually flat on the ground, but Steve had a hard time getting them in a picture that way, sno they look like they're on a wall. Ten thousand years ago, Indian women sat on the rock and ground their corn and seeds into flour, no doubt chatting about thier husbands and children while they did so. How many years of grinding must it have taken for the holes to get that deep?

Cheryl and Bill had also found the Footprint, and volunteered to guide us there. A good thing too, because their route went up, down, and all around, with several backtracks. We never would have found it on our own.We saw a lot of rugged country, and joked that we didn't know whether to tip them or ask for a refund for their guide services. We did get there in the end, and it was pretty cool. a very long, thin human footprint in the rock, which was mud when the person stepped there. You could even see the indentations for each toe. Unfortunately, it was pretty faint, and the sun was at the wrong angle so the pictures Steve took did not come out at all.

Tonight we're invited to a campfire at Jim and Emily's, and tomorrow for sure we've leaving Quartzsite to meet up with John and Hey. They are boondocking in the desert near Imperial Dam. He emailed us directions, which appear to be inspired by the ones in "Stone Cabins:" "Turn right at the two big cannons, cross a couple of canals, and turn left at something Wash Road. Look for my flags." No worries, mates! We'll find him.