Metate

abraxas · Mar 9, 2009

For hundreds if not thousands of years, the Yharetum, the People of the Pines, would sort their way through the thick hardwood forest of the mountain highlands to gather acorns and pine nuts. While the men would hunt deer, the woman would take their bounty and pound it into meal within the holes embedded in the boulders deepened by their grinding and pounding. The People are gone now, and the metate these women used sit lonely in the forest, serving only water provided by the snow melt and early spring rains to small birds looking for a sip in the cover of the now overgrown brush.

Fox Paw · Mar 9, 2009

Interesting shot. Interesting place for a star.

KvnO · Mar 9, 2009

Interesting story and nicely illustrated.

Thanks for sharing this.

abraxas · Mar 10, 2009

Fox Paw said:
Interesting shot. Interesting place for a star.

Interesting response

KvnO said:
Interesting story and nicely illustrated.

Thanks for sharing this.

Thank you.

I need to come up with about a dozen photos of the area. I'm trying to come up with some tricky stuff.

polymoog · Mar 10, 2009

Cool, I remember seeing one of those grind holes on a trail last November ... Mastodon Peak Trail, in Joshua Tree National Park (good job I wrote the names down of all these trails I walked!)

abraxas · Mar 10, 2009

polymoog said:
Cool, I remember seeing one of those grind holes on a trail last November ... Mastodon Peak Trail, in Joshua Tree National Park (good job I wrote the names down of all these trails I walked!)

I've seen those. There's two or three off the trail on the right just as you're leaving Cottonwood Spring. I think one stone has two of them. The single one is very deep. You nailed it though. Good association.

I have pictures, but I've never put them online. Here's my notes on the area;

Cottonwood Spring

Mastodon Peak

I need to update my pages- these shots could have been taken as far back as 1997 or earlier.

Not that it makes a bit of difference (but since I have the info) Cottonwood Spring was a Cahuilla (Kah-wee-a) Indian cultural site in the Colorado Desert (southern) part of JTNP.

The shot posted here, also called mortar holes, are to the west about 30-40miles up in the San Bernardino Mountains used by Serrano (Yharetum)who also shared Joshua Tree, but the northern part of the park. More specifically known as Maringayam.

I didn't show it too clear because I was more interested in making it 'tricky', but there are actually 7 holes in this rock. Another nearby has 6.

polymoog · Mar 10, 2009

Yes you're right, one of the stones did have two holes, I had a feeling you'd know about that trail

I took photos of them as well, but they didn't come out very well....

I haven't even heard of the San Bernadino Forest, will have to put that on my list of things to do the next time I get back to California

Nice website you have, very informative.

abraxas · Mar 10, 2009

polymoog said:
Yes you're right, one of the stones did have two holes, I had a feeling you'd know about that trail

I took photos of them as well, but they didn't come out very well....

I haven't even heard of the San Bernadino Forest, will have to put that on my list of things to do the next time I get back to California

Nice website you have, very informative.

A branch off that trail goes out to Lost Palms Oasis. That's a nice hike out there. Only the last 1/4-1/2 mile is strenuous when you drop into the secluded canyon. It's very nice, but I'm really no judge- I love it all around here. Down the wash from Cottonwood is a dry waterfall that looks really cool. Before that though, along the canyon walls are rocks where chuckwallas like to sun themselves.

Enough of that. I enjoy showing off my site. I've worked on it for about 12 years trying to make it a resouce for desert rats. Thank you.

rufus5150 · Mar 10, 2009

Another impressive shot. I really enjoy this one (and the story you tell with it).

polymoog · Mar 10, 2009

abraxas said:
A branch off that trail goes out to Lost Palms Oasis. That's a nice hike out there. Only the last 1/4-1/2 mile is strenuous when you drop into the secluded canyon. It's very nice, but I'm really no judge- I love it all around here. Down the wash from Cottonwood is a dry waterfall that looks really cool. Before that though, along the canyon walls are rocks where chuckwallas like to sun themselves.

I was going to do the Lost Palms turnoff, but didn't think I'd have time :grumpy:

I saw a whole lot of different lizards during my 3 week trip, don't think any of them were chuckwallas though. Sorry for OT ;-)

abraxas · Mar 11, 2009

rufus5150 said:
Another impressive shot. I really enjoy this one (and the story you tell with it).

Thanks. Seems like most of my work doesn't make much sense without explanation, but I'm good with that. I set out to find this thing to shoot it, so I guess it'd require the description. Actually, my grand daughter found it, I just got her into the area- If these end up in print in a book (sometimes), it gives the book a sentimental value to me and whichever grandkid was with me.

polymoog said:
I was going to do the Lost Palms turnoff, but didn't think I'd have time I saw a whole lot of different lizards during my 3 week trip, don't think any of them were chuckwallas though. Sorry for OT ;-)

You're not OT. 3 weeks?- I've never spent more than 4 days out there at a time. Was it all in the park?

rufus5150 · Mar 11, 2009

Seems like most of my work doesn't make much sense without explanation, but I'm good with that.

I disagree. I came back to the thread about 4 times before I read the text. The image stood very well on its town. The story merely added to the depth.

polymoog · Mar 11, 2009

abraxas said:
You're not OT. 3 weeks?- I've never spent more than 4 days out there at a time. Was it all in the park?

No, the whole trip was 3 weeks, went something like this : LA - Channel Islands - Death Valley - Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - Mojave National Park - Joshua Tree National Park - San Diego.

I wasn't in any of the parks for more than one day sadly, tried to do as many trails as I could on each occasion though

Marc Kurth · Mar 11, 2009

I too enjoyed the narrative with the image. My mind wants to see more of the surroundings to give me more context. Make this image part of a series and and that would cover all the bases! Nicely seen.

Marc

abraxas · Mar 12, 2009

rufus5150 said:
I disagree. I came back to the thread about 4 times before I read the text. The image stood very well on its town. The story merely added to the depth.

Thanks. Sometimes it's hard for me to tell the difference- Many of the things I shoot I tend to take for granted that everybody knows about. When I don't, everybody seems to. It can get weird.

polymoog said:
No, the whole trip was 3 weeks, went something like this : LA - Channel Islands - Death Valley - Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - Mojave National Park - Joshua Tree National Park - San Diego.

I wasn't in any of the parks for more than one day sadly, tried to do as many trails as I could on each occasion though

Sounds like it was fun. I've become so bound by the area. I really like it though. The Channel Islands--I'd really like to visit there. Sometimes it is nice getting out of here and going to see the ocean for a few days (Once a year at least).