Tag: Flagstaff

View from the north rim of Picture Canyon, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Several dozen mature ponderosa pines grow in the canyon bottom. I estimate that the majestic tree shown in the background of this photo is about 4 feet (1.2 m) in diameter at breast height. 

Petroglyphs, in Picture Canyon, Flagstaff, Arizona.

Please click any photo in the set for full views.

Picture Canyon gets its name from the dozens of Sinaguan petroglyph panels on the canyon walls.  

The rock varnish here is thin, and contrasts poorly with the underlying rock substrate, Consequently, many of the petroglyphs look faded and indistinct. Most of the glyphs are also exposed to continued weathering.

The symbols include astronomical figures, hunting imagery, human forms, and clan emblems like the heron and turtle figures shown above.

Remarkably, the canyon lies entirely within Flagstaff city limits, but seems to be a hidden, unfrequented place. It carries the watercourse of the Rio de Flag, the receiving stream for treated effluent from the city’s waste water treatment plant. I only saw one other person during my hike: a city employee collecting GPS waypoints to eventually map the trail system, and he was lost. 

Petroglyphs, in Picture Canyon, Flagstaff, Arizona.

Please click any photo in the set for full views.

Picture Canyon gets its name from the dozens of Sinaguan petroglyph panels on the canyon walls.  

The rock varnish here is thin, and contrasts poorly with the underlying rock substrate, Consequently, many of the petroglyphs look faded and indistinct. Most of the glyphs are also exposed to continued weathering.

The symbols include astronomical figures, hunting imagery, human forms, and clan emblems like the heron and turtle figures shown above.

Remarkably, the canyon lies entirely within Flagstaff city limits, but seems to be a hidden, unfrequented place. It carries the watercourse of the Rio de Flag, the receiving stream for treated effluent from the city’s waste water treatment plant. I only saw one other person during my hike: a city employee collecting GPS waypoints to eventually map the trail system, and he was lost.