Round Trip Distance: 0.4 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation: 5877 - 5981 feet
Cellphone: 0 bars
Time: 1 hr.
Trailhead: 34.41221, -106.42643
Fee: none
Attractions: petroglyphs, pictographs
The Canyon Saladito petroglyph site is located about 8 miles west of Abo, New Mexico. Numerous petroglyphs, which include the Twin Snakes Panel, are found on the cliffs above the canyon as well as on a few boulders that are right beside the road.
If coming from the direction of Abo drive west on US-60 for about 6.4 miles and turn left onto an unmarked county road. If coming from the other direction the turnoff is about 1.3 miles east of the Abo Pass Historical Marker. After turning off of US-60 follow the dirt road around to where it passes beneath the railroad.
The trailhead is about 1.8 miles from US-60 at a corner where another faint road that leads to private property branches off on the left. Looking up at the cliffs from this spot the Twin Snakes Panel is visible without the aid of binoculars. There are several faint trails that lead up the side of the hill to the petroglyphs.
There are a lot of very interesting petroglyphs at the site besides just the Twin Snakes Panel. On this part of the cliff, which is to the north of that panel, there are some images that include a few faint black pictographs. Notice that to the left of the image of the deer there is a vertical snake just to the left of the first crack and a horizontal snake beneath a lower crack.
The lower snake has some fine detail. To the right of the snakes head there is a pictograph of a slender shadowy figure touching hands with a normally pecked image. Other faint black pictographs and petroglyphs are also present in this same area of cliff. It is interesting to see how to separate styles of making images were used and blended together by apparently the same artist.
The Twin Snakes loom over the valley below like a billboard. They might portray aspects of the Aztec, Hopi, and other peoples belief in the 5 Worlds Mythology. If so, the half face on the lower left of the rock would probably represent Masauwu. The branched line with the 5 circles could possibly represent the 5 worlds. Each world with its own emergence from the underground.
Each of the serpents has a slightly different head. This one has some resemblances to ones of Spider Grandmother that we have seen elsewhere. (Not saying that is what it is though.)
This is the second serpents head. The projections from both heads touch cracks or the top of the rock.
To the left of the snakes are some small crosses which sometimes also represent Spider Grandmother.
On the far left side of the main panel there is what looks like one of the traditional depictions of Masauwu with the pointed teeth that also figures into the 5 Worlds mythology.
On the top of a flat boulder below the Twin Snakes there is another serpent with the same type of head as the Twins
What we labeled as the Main Panel has a tall crane in the center. Off to the right is a flute player. On the left is what looks like a corn stalk. Maybe this represents the created world with everything that man needs.
Continuing along the cliff there are some nice looking images of a couple of hawks or eagles.
On another larger rock in front of the cliffs there is an arrow or arrowhead pointing to a crack in the rock.
Below, and to the left, of the arrowhead is a foot and next to that is what looks like a man doing pull ups. One thought is that the arrow is pointing toward a sipapu and that the man is pulling himself up through the hole. (The sipapu, according to legend, being the place where man emerged from the underground.)
The last waypoint that we marked is around the corner of the cliffs where there is another bird image.
Here's part of another boulder that is etched with images.
This arrow is pointing toward the junction of 4 cracks.
While climbing around on the side of the hill be sure to watch out for snakes. This shedded skin is at least 5 feet long. You can spot its hole beneath one of the boulders. It probably hunts mice in the grassy fields across the road. Of course, the hole could lead to a den so there might be more than one snake.
Not being an expert on the legends of Native People you will want to do your own studies to learn more about their creation myths and other beliefs.
More petroglyphs than what we have shown here can be found on various boulders on the side of the hill and down along the road. There might also be more images that include pictographs further up the canyon. If you would like to see them for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
