Hiking Three Rivers NM 13-Jan.08

Over the past decades I have enjoyed Three Rivers Petroglyphs.  In the early days of my visits it was an unknown place, not a BLM Park and mostly unbothered by those who would steal national treasures.  There was considerable vandalism, graffiti chipped into the petroglyphs by ad-lib “rock artists” and lots of evidence of midnight beer parties.  It was a great place to enjoy a “cob of cannabis” and goofing on incredible stone art for hours, a natural gallery…

As Three Rivers became better known there was a period of serious theft of the petroglyphs.   Many of them were destroyed as thieves would attempt to remove them by chipping them off of larger rocks and many of the smaller petroglyphs were simply hauled away. 

One memorable morning I was there to enjoy this wonderful spot and watch the Sunrise over Sierra Blanca.  It was and still is quite the meditation spot.  Upon arrival I noticed the dirt parking lot and primitive trail-head bore the tracks of wheel barrows and evidence of a major theft overnight.  I was distraught and very pissed off, my meditation changed to violent fantasy.  How I hoped the thieves would come back and I would take them out one by one in Rambo style justice.     …fortunately no such justice was to be had that day….

Today the park has been secured, more or less.  There are a few RV spaces, an improved campground, toilets, a host, an office.  All of this takes away from a once little known place of meditation and occasional early morning violent fantasy, but for now at least it isn’t being carted away. 

 The BLM overhauled the site some years ago and took out many bogus petroglyphs though many still remain.  There is evidence of old and new vandalism, modern graffiti, but it’s still a delightful and picturesque place.  Three Rivers Petroglyphs provide numerous opportunities to photograph ancient images with the breath taking backdrop of Sierra Blanca at 11,973 Ft..

When I arrived this day at the trail-head I was greeted by a Bushtit , a small bird not an erotic monster, that moved along the trail with me in a display of natural wonder grasping stems smaller than a blade of grass in it’s feet and then stripping the unfallen seeds from the dried pods of last seasons wildflower crop.   

 This hike was a mission for taking photos to use in the galleries of The Crooked Bough and to create new rotating header images for the pages.  I left with much, much, more and I am still enjoying the hike as I write about it here.  It was spectacular, peaceful and just a perfect day to be at Three Rivers.   A snow capped Sierra Blanca was the back drop for a brisk morning hike.  As one looks at the petroglyphs, which number in the thousands, it evokes an ancient vision of a communal people living near by whose joy and amusement was to reflect on this beautiful place by chipping out images of the countryside saturated with natural beauty.  One wonders what they got back from their artistic expression but what they left behind is a continuing delight in my life.  

Randy