in Pritchett Canyon today, to witness the play of light on the elusive rock art panel around the longest day of the year. Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious!
The light of the Sun is controlled by a narrow gap in the sandstone fin just before noon.
The illuminated “arrowhead” pierces the snake’s head for a couple of minutes at approximately 11:15 am, with this phenomenon occurring only during a several day period around the summer solstice. I was there so you didn’t have to be.
This is a huge petroglyph, spanning 17 feet (5.2 meters) in length. And it’s the only glyph on this beautifully varnished sandstone wall, perhaps suggesting its special significance.
Nearby and much smaller Warrior Panel, about five feet (1.5 meters) in width.
The digits: 9.43 miles with 1,624 foot ascent in moderate hiking conditions. I’m not going to post my GPS track in order to maintain the secrecy of the location of this special panel.