Willow Creek and Reservation Ridge

I had this Monday off work and went for a drive along Willow Creek and then to Reservation Ridge, doing a couple of short hikes along the way. I first stopped at some Fremont pictographs near Willow Creek that I’d visited more than ten years earlier. At that time I wasn’t hugely into rock art, so I just took a couple of photos and left. This time I wanted to explore the nearby cliffs and ledges for more rock art or artifacts. The amount of artifacts I noticed on this latest trip shows a large gulf between what I know now compared to ten years ago. I recognized two rock shelters, one of which had a nearly complete bobcat skeleton in it. I also found two manos, some small pieces of a broken metate, and many lithic flakes.

Fremont pictographs
Fremont pictographs


DStretch enhancement brings out the faded figures
DStretch enhancement brings out the faded figures


Pictographs on a nearly horizontal surface
Pictographs on a nearly horizontal surface


Rock shelter beneath an overhang
Rock shelter beneath an overhang


Bobcat skull
Bobcat skull


Sandstone ledges near the rock art
Sandstone ledges near the rock art


Another small rock shelter with a few artifacts nearby
Another small rock shelter with a few artifacts nearby


Mano
Mano


Broken mano
Broken mano


I drove a short distance farther along Willow Creek and visited some Ute petroglyphs that a friend had told me about. Here there were no signs of habitation or artifacts, just a few horse glyphs and a couple of human and sheep/deer figures.

Ute petroglyphs
Ute petroglyphs


Closeup of horse rider
Closeup of horse rider


Another horse and human figure
Another horse and human figure


Large, unfinished horse petroglyph
Large, unfinished horse petroglyph


Next I continued to Reservation Ridge in the hopes of finding some aspen beginning to turn colors for the fall. The trees were still mostly green, but there were a few patches of yellow. I made the short hike from the main road to Indian Head, where I was surprised to find a summit register. I wasn’t surprised to find ZeeJay‘s name in the register, however–I’ve seen her name in the summit registers of many minor peaks over the past couple of years. Strangely, there are two peaks named Indian Head with a few miles of each other. I may visit the other Indian Head later this year, if I can get up the nerve to cross some private property along the way.

View from reservation ridge toward Ford Ridge
View from reservation ridge toward Ford Ridge


Summit register on Indian Head
Summit register on Indian Head


Indian Head summit register
Indian Head summit register


Indian Head survey marker
Indian Head survey marker


Unusual survey marker, simply stamped "VA"
Unusual survey marker, simply stamped "VA"


Panorama from Indian Head
Panorama from Indian Head


I continued driving along Reservation Ridge as far as Cat Peak. I found a geocache there and enjoyed the views.

Northerly view from Cat Peak
Northerly view from Cat Peak


Jeep parked on Cat Peak
Jeep parked on Cat Peak


While driving home I stopped for some photos of the fall leaves, and again at the Governor Bamberger monument along U.S. Highway 191. I’d seen the monument many times but never knew its significance until I researched it after getting home.

Convict labor was used to construct roads in Utah until after 1920 but ceased before the end of the 1920s. On one project, prisoners left a monument of thanks to Governor Simon Bamberger for allowing them to engage in road construction and reduce their sentences. The monument can still be seen just off Highway 191 near the Carbon-Duchesne county line.” (Source)

A bit of fall color on Reservation Ridge
A bit of fall color on Reservation Ridge


Governor Bamberger monument on US-191
Governor Bamberger monument on US-191


Photo Gallery: Willow Creek and Reservation Ridge

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