Blue-Eyed Princess

We found it!  That is, our friend Bruce found it.  The rest of us just followed along.  Above, Steve is standing on a boulder, pointing to the rock art above him, protected by an overhang.  Well hidden and in a remote area, this rock art is probably seen by only a few people a year.  We felt privileged to be there.

Here's a closer view.  Both main figures have blue eyes. 

Some rocks in the area are bluish, which may have provided the color.  The pictographs seem to be in the same Barrier Canyon style as those found in nearby Horseshoe Canyon.  Barrier style rock art is estimated to be about 3000 years old. 

The larger figure wears something on her head.  We'll call it a crown, perhaps a representation of shells or beads or flowers.  Beside her is a small, faint figure. 

 

This may be an early manifestation of Kokopelli, a fertility god and flute-playing trickster who appears in Anasazi rock art, and later in Hopi art.   

The smaller princess has diagonal lines across her garment. 

Beside her is another faint pictograph.  This one seems to be a bird.  Perhaps a wild turkey? 

Near the rock art alcove, we found this water source.  Maybe ancient hunters hid behind the bouldere or  under the overhang until game passed by.  While waiting for dinner to show up, they may have passed the time creating the pictographs.  If you look above and to the left of a chillin' Boss, you'll see an arrow pointing to the rock art location. 
The ride was 21 miles round trip, from the Hans Flat Road to the Spur Fork of Horseshoe Canyon and back.  A couple of "gnarly" canyon passages were involved, climbing out of a steep canyon and tiptoeing over a narrow ledge above a water pool, but our horses didn't seem to mind, or even to notice anything unusual.  The high temperature was in the 30's, a little cool, but still a near perfect day.