as natural pointers in order to track the changes in seasons? Here are a couple of potential “observatory” sites that the early residents of Indian Creek Canyon constructed along sight lines related to equinox and solstice sunrises and sunsets.
The so-called “Mushroom Ruins.”
The “Boulder House.” The summit of South Six Shooter Peak sure looks like a gunsight from this perspective.
Photographer’s Ephemeris software suggests that the Boulder House ruin is optimally located to catch the descending Sun in the notch of South Six Shooter Peak during the winter solstice. An early winter test of this hypothesis is in order if the weather permits.
Red pin is location of Boulder House. Yellow line marks the Sun’s position, blue line marks the Moon during winter solstice.
Sun’s position at 3:34 pm MST on 21 December 2026, during winter solstice. Note the sharp shadow cast by the spire pointing directly at the location of Boulder House.
But wait, there’s more: Boulder House ruin also has a direct sight line to the summit of North Six Shooter Peak, and during the summer solstice the setting Sun falls right above its summit! This is no accident but by design.
Boulder House ruin and the view toward North Six Shooter Peak.
Photographer’s Ephemeris shows that during the summer solstice the Sun passes over North Six Shooter Peak during sunset, as seen from Boulder House.
