Tour of Little Petroglyph Canyon, Ridgecrest, CA [overnight]
Details
Hey gang!
I've organized an overnight trip to tour a canyon with thousands of American Indian petroglyphs.
[petroglyph |ˈpetrəˌglif| noun — a rock carving, esp. a prehistoric one.]
[UPDATE: There are only 3 spaces left!]
Outside of Ridgecrest, inside China Lake Navy Air Station, there is a canyon with walls of volcanic rock covered with American Indian petroglyphs. I've been there twice and it's a fantastic trip.
The tour starts early, about 7:30 am, so staying overnight in Ridgecrest is a must. (Ridgecrest is about a 3 to 3.5 hour drive, without traffic.) There are lots of places to stay. I'll address hotels/motels soon, and I may be able to get a group rate.
The tour takes up most of the day, with a stop for our packed lunch. We return from the tour and back to Ridgecrest about sunset, so driving back to LA and Orange Counties that Sunday is feasible.
Since this tour is on military land, it requires an advanced commitment for a small background check that is conducted on everyone. The last 5 digits of your SSN required for this background check.
All participants must be US citizens and over the age of 10 years old. Sorry, no pets.
This tour involves hiking on rough ground of sand and rocks. The elevation is 5000 feet. The hike in the canyon is about 1.5 miles each way (total 3 miles), but leisurely. The lower end of the canyon has boulder sized rocks, requiring sliding down steep sections at certain points (you can stop at this point if you want). Consider your physical limitations before you commit to this.
We need a minimum of 6, with a maximum of 20 people. So don't wait to sign up!
[UPDATE: There are only 3 spaces left!]
A maximum of 7 vehicles are allowed, so we must carpool into China Lake NAWS. We'll meet before that day to determine who can drive and take others.
Our escort, Raymond Kelso, has offered to do a dinner time presentation at a Ridgecrest restaurant the Saturday evening before. The presentation will be on the geology and history of the canyon, and he'll also provide information necessary for our tour. Here is Raymond's web site: http://pleistocenefoundation.org/
Be sure to check my photos from a previous tour, and see what I am talking about:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2156754330638.2112126.1599891343&type=3&l=cecacb0f55
More photos here:
http://www.maturango.org/Photo%20Pages/petroglpyhphototour.html
I hope you can come on this awesome trip. Don't forget your cameras!
Jan
NOTE:
For anyone who gets to Ridgecrest early on Saturday, there are fun places nearby to visit:
Trona Pinnacles - used in many commercials, TV shows, and movies (Planet of the Apes - Tim Burton version).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trona_Pinnacles
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/ridgecrest/trona.html
Fossil Falls - where the Owens River used to flow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_Falls