As we continued our backroads’ journey along Highway 50 through Nevada on America’s Loneliest Road, we passed over Hickison Pass, dropped down into another valley, and arrived at our campground for the night: Hickison Petroglyph Recreation Area. Peggy and I had stopped off here on another journey and been fascinated by both the rocks and petroglyphs.
The rocks are composed of volcanic tuff, ash that has been ejected from an erupting volcano and then solidified into rock. It erodes easily in comparison to harder rocks, which is what has created the interesting rock forms at Hickison. It is also easily carved into petroglyphs. Like the Grimes petroglyphs that I featured on last Thursday’s travel blog, these are ancient, dating back thousands of years. But, as you will see from the following photos, they represent a different style.
The campground lacks water and electricity but we found it quite scenic. When we arrived, large, colorful bugs that resembled giant grasshoppers or crickets occupied our campsite. They are common in sagebrush country and go by the name of Mormon crickets. Actually they are shield-backed katydids.
But back to the rocks.
As you read this, Peggy and I are off celebrating Thanksgiving and our Anniversary at a favorite campsite on the Oregon Coast. We will catch up on comments and blogs when we return next week. In the meantime, we hope you are having/had a great Thanksgiving.
NEXT BLOGS: Tuesday is Blog a Book day where I will introduce you to the cast of characters that decided to hike a hundred miles across the Sierras with me. On Thursday’s Travel Blog we will finish up our trip across Nevada on Highway 50 and on into Utah, where it is also lonely.
Wandering through Time and Place 
Gorgeous place to camp. That cloud formation is striking.
It was, Peggy. Remote, no water or electricity and pit toilets, but beautiful. I couldn’t resist the cloud formation. 🙂 –Curt
Happy Thanksgiving Day, Curt, and your post has good evidence that the ancestors prized the natural cycles of life too. A satisfying thought after this trying year!
Trying, but with a light at the end of the tunnel… At least there’s some hope, Dave.
I think that living as close to nature as the early peoples did created a greater awareness of the cycles. I find a month out on the trail my body responds more to rhythms… Like eating when I am hungry. 🙂 Hope you had a good holiday. Thanks. –Curt
Cheers, Curt, hope springs eternal! Here’s to 2021 …
And a damned good thing it does, Dave! I’ll drink to that. A lot. 🙂
Curt I enjoyed your post and I hope you and Peggy had a splendid holiday camp on the coast. I was out today for a power walk in the misty drizzle, and it’s coastal weather. Your photo of Monitor Valley is gorgeous and I love those clouds. Don’t they look like waves! One of the first lessons we learned in meteorology school is to think of air as a liquid, to help us envision how things are all moving around up there. Really wonderful to hear about a whole valley of vaginas, and to see women’s genitals in ancient rock art. It makes those ancient people seem real. It’s so much more personal for me than seeing their art of incomprehensible alien beings. So thank you. I didn’t even know that existed. Also, having lived in northern Nevada for three years, I recognized the Mormon Cricket immediately. ha ha
I’ll certainly recognize Mormon crickets in the future, Crystal. Grin. And I couldn’t resist the clouds. As for the petroglyphs, I have often found petroglyph to be refreshingly natural. None of our hang-ups. And my view of the aliens is what fantastic trips the shaman must have been on. Break out the magic mushrooms. 🙂
The coast was beautiful. It was raining when we drove over and raining when we came home but the skies were blue and partly cloudy the four days we were there. And the waves were spectacular. We had fun. I even cooked a turkey breast and drumsticks in our Insta-Pot. 🙂 –Curt
Your visit sounds so nice, Curt. Your descriptions take me there. Good for the heart.
🙂
The only time I visited a Petroglyph site was few years ago here, in Ontario, but unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures…
Hope you’ve had a great Thanksgiving day, and Anniversary getaway🙂
Unusual on the photograph rule, Chrisitie. Wonder if it was considered a sacred site? Thanks on Thanksgiving and our Anniversary escape. A beautiful area with some pretty incredible waves. –Curt
You’re right, it was considered a sacred site.
Mention tuff, and the first thought in my mind (before I get to geology) has to do with a different kind of tuff enuff rock.
Do pinon trees have a scent? I think I remember that the wood is a favorite for burning, and that scent’s the reason, but I’m not sure.
Well, that was a fun video, Linda. 🙂 And yes, pinyon trees have a rich piney smell when they burn. Their smoke is also know to discourage mosquitoes, always a good thing! –Curt
What an interesting place! It seems to me that these petroglyphs require eagle eyes and the ability to contort your body just to see them, but I could be wrong. And that insect — ooooohhhh. Wouldn’t like to encounter that one while stretching to see a drawing!
Those petroglyphs were relatively easy to get to, Rusha, in comparison to many sites Peggy and I have visited. The bugs did manage to show up on some of the petroglyph panels, however. I was more concerned with stepping on them. 🙂 –Curt