The weather forecast for the Laughlin area and Grapevine Canyon was for increased temps and winds as a weather front started to push through.  I had some quick business in Boulder City  so I spun the Bird and Hike adventure wheel and came across Jim’s write-up about the Grapevine Canyon area which is a part of the Spirit Mountain Wilderness and also managed by Lake Mead National Recreation area.   An easy day trip from Las Vegas and also a good excuse to reconn a good location to shoot fireworks this forthcoming 4th of July in Laughlin.   Jim’s write-up teased  with a massive proliferation of petroglyphs.  OMG – Probably the highest concentration of native american graphics I have ever seen.

Grapevine Canyon is a part of the rich visual composition that the Newberry Mountains offer.  Mojave Indians claimed this to be their very own for 1000’s of years and they are credited for creating this panoply of rock art on what they call Spirit Mountain.  Without any specific attribution, it is believed that the Mojave natives or their Paleo-Indian Archaic ancestors conceived and fashioned these particular petroglyphs.  If you ask me, with such proliferation, there must have been a solid concentration of “artists” to create such fantastic canvas’ of artwork.

Creation Mythology of all Indian nations, consisted of four main evolutionary phases: early creation, the age of the god-people when spirits ruled, the rise of the animal-people when animals were men, and the conquest of the world by modern human-people. By entering a trance state, the Indian shaman threw himself into the invisible world where all these ancestors of the modern human-people remained imprinted on the fabric of the spirit realm. Then the shaman brought back the images he had seen and re-created them on the surrounding rocks.

Creation Mythology depicted the story of such powerful gods as Matavilya and Mastamho who shaped the world, fought off evil spirits, and taught men and women how to survive off the land.

The glyphs were created between 1100 and 1900 AD.Both the meaning of the glyphs and their creators remains unclear although the area was inhabited by the Mojave. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 15, 1984. Mapping of the estimated 250 panels of glyphs was conducted in 2009.

In March 2010, David R. Smith, accompanied by two other individuals, defaced 30 areas of petroglyphs by shooting them with an automatic paintball gun. He was sentenced to serve time in federal prison and pay almost $10,000 in restitution.  People that deface these natural wonders seem to live in a world steeped in ignorance.

I pulled into the parking lot by 9am and the temps were cool with a nice breeze.  I struck up a nice conversation with Rich in the parking lot as he was heading out with his two daughters. I double-checked I had all my camera gear and plenty of water.  I knew it was going to get warm and I had no idea how long or far I would be hiking.  There was a slight cloud cover but that seemed to be disappearing fast. Rich gave me heads up that this region is indigenous to the Mojave Green rattlesnake, so I made sure of every step I made in the deeper backcountry.  I did not encounter any scorpions either.

Within a mile you see the bulk of the petroglyphs right away and that is where most people stop and spend some time and then head back to their cars.  You can actually hike 4+ miles into the canyon but for today I ended up just doing about 2+ before I headed back.  Once you got in the the upper canyon, the incredible composition of flowers was blowing me away.  Purple milk thistles were abundant and the fragrance was like walking by the perfume counter at Macy’s department store.  I would just stop and let the wind flow these sweet wafting clouds of perfume by me.

At the end of my turnaround I came across a hummingbird just chillin’ and taking in a sip of nectar, sitting on a branch and then going back to taking a sip.  I had never seen a hummingbird in the wild, so far out in the desert, so that made a wonderful hike perfect.

As with any wilderness hiking, make sure you have the correct protective clothing, sunscreen, and plenty of water.  Pay attention to your surroundings and please leave no trace.  That includes cigarette butts. 🙁  For my Vegas peeps, this is a great day trip with 1-4 hours of hiking and you can then easily pull into Laughlin for a meal before you had back to Las Vegas.

MOJAVE INDIAN FACTS

• The Mojave speak Yuman which is a language spoken by some Southwestern tribes throughout Arizona, California and Mexico.
• The Mohave were among the few Southwestern nations that fished for their food. They did not make canoes like other tribes; instead they used rafts and poles to travel to different fishing spots. They utilized nets and baskets to catch the fish.
• Although the region was dry, the Mohave were able to develop irrigation systems which allowed them to grow crops of beans, squash, corn (or maize), and pumpkins. Even with their knowledge of how to use the land around them, they believed rain dances would help bring the rain they needed to crow their crops.
• The Mojave people did not wear much in the way of clothing. The men usually wore a simple loincloth. Women wore simple clothing made from animal skins like beaver and rabbit. Animal skin robes were sometimes worn on cool nights.
• The Mojave tribe differed from many other tribes in that they did not wear moccasins. They preferred to just go barefoot or wear sandals.
• Tattoos were popular among this tribe. They used ink from a blue cactus plant to adorn their bodies. They also branded slaves by tattooing their chins.
• In this particular tribe, the women did not have an equal ranking. They did not own land and they were not able to become chiefs as in other tribes. The men also controlled the important matters of government and war.
• The Mojave were religious and very spiritual. They beloved in the afterlife and tribe members were often buried with their belongings and with gifts from those in mourning.
• The jewelry they are most known for is their beadwork. They would create beaded collars with elaborate designs and patterns. These were valuable and often used in trading.

REFERENCES

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