Presa Canyon Visit

The gang visited Seminole Canyon State Park last Friday and had a very informative time. We first stopped at the park headquarters and toured the exhibits before embarking on our 6 hour round trip hike. Once in the canyon we visited the well known Fate Bell and Fate Bell annex shelters. Both of these incredible prehistoric sites contain exceptional pictographs of the Pecos River Style. Further, the preservation of materials in the shelters boggles the mind.

We continued on our hike enjoying the spectacular weather of the day, which was in the high 80s with a slight breeze. In the Lower Pecos to go hiking in weather such as this is incredibly rare and we all appreciated our good fortune.

Our next stop was at 41VV201 that is considered one of the "type" sites characterizing the Red Linear pictograph style. Ironically, the frenetic vibrancy of the monochrome Red Linear style is a stark contrast to the static images of the more prevalent polychrome Pecos River style. We all enjoyed the pictographs at the site, particularly Cara, who immediately noted the uniqueness of the panel.

After this stop the gang pressed on walking through the deeply incised limestone canyons that contain the tributaries of Amistad Reservoir. This amazing geologic scenery was frequently interrupted by the extremely diverse flora and fauna of the park that we encountered. We were continually amazed at how abundant the various animals were and how well adapted everything was to this frequently harsh environment.

The apex of our tour this day was Black Cave (41VV76). This site is actually more of a rock overhang (shelter) than a cave, but it was impressive nonetheless. By the time we reached this point we were glad to have a lunch break and enjoy the vistas. This site has some very interesting Pecos River pictographs compared to panels we have recently observed at other sites (e.g., Mystic Shelter). Despite some erosion, this site still has some amazing preservation of the deposits within the shelter. We observed a nice bedrock mortar and several metates scattered across the site.



After our leisurely lunch and visit at Black Cave, the gang began the long trek back to the Park Headquarters. Along the way we stopped at another shelter (Hinojosa Shelter), but the images at the site were not as vibrant as other pictographs at other sites. Unfortunately, this shelter has suffered from vandalism in the past and the growth of lichens today. The panel here served as a grim reminder of what may happen to our irreplaceable cultural heritage if it is not protected. However, what the site lacked for in pictographs it made up for in vistas. Specifically, Hinojosa Shelter is easily 50 feet above the floor of the valley compared to the other shelters that are situated just off of the valley floor. This higher elevation afforded us some excellent views of the valley and the trail we had just hiked down.



After our respite at Hinojosa Shelter we gradually made our return to the park headquarters. Despite the pleasant weather and scenery we were very happy to get to the air conditioning and cold drinks that awaited us at the park headquarters. All in all a very exciting and memorable day. We now anxiously await to get out and go on our next adventure. -Ken Texas State University