The last panel of petroglyphs in Cañon Tapia that we are making note of is on up the wash around a bend about 800 feet away. Sitting up on top of a little bench what we labeled as P11 there are actually 5 or 6 separate panels of images. There is a route on the left where a moderate scramble will get you up onto the bench. Several of the best images can't be seen from below.
The images have a lot of good detail to them. You'll notice multiple ducks and anthros of different sizes. The large anthro in this photo has duck feet.
Baskets are another image of which you will find multiple examples. Several of the baskets are balanced upon the heads of anthros that appear to be making a show of the feat.
Moccasins.
There are 2 images of what we are supposing to be depictions of Ye'ii (supernatural beings, gods, and goddesses) that are almost exactly alike.
This is one of the harder to photograph panels of intricate images.
Here some edges of the rocks have had grooves or serrations carved into them.
This image appears often enough in Cañon Tapia that it must have had a significant meaning. What the meaning was we are clueless to say.
To beat the heat as much as possible we had camped at the trailhead and began hiking before sunrise. Our wake up call was a coyote that wandered into our camp and set up a howling to let all its friends within 20 miles know about us to which they howled back their acknowledgements. The temperature was in the low 90's F upon our return but with a gentle breeze it didn't seem too bad at all.
There is actually a driving route across the southern mesa all the way to Tower Ruins but the map has a locked gate symbol so that route is apparently only open to the privileged few. More things of interest are generally found while hiking and since for the most part the hiking is relatively easy the driving route might not be so great after all.
Cañon Tapia has a lot to offer visitors that don't mind the long drive and moderate amount of hiking required. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is 'Take a hike'.
