Bald Rocks

This group of photos was taken over a distance of several miles north of Cha Buttes, on the east side of Bald Rock Canyon. As did Zane Grey, Kluckhohn referred to what is now Fiftymile Mountain, the eastern margin of the Kaiparowits Plateau, as “Wild Horse Mesa”, a convention we follow here.

In the first two sets of images, the camera is looking to the west; Wild Horse Mesa is really only 10 miles (Navajo Point) to 12 miles (Panaorama Point) away. In the second set of photos, note the locations of the “Kaiparowits Shield”, Navajo Point, Gothic Point, and Panorama Point on the 2005 image. The fourth set of images is almost identical to Figure 29 in Hank Hassell’s Rainbow Bridge: An Illustrated History, except that Zane Grey’s party is going to Rainbow Bridge and the Kluckhohn party is coming from there in this 1928 photograph.

Our first view of Wild Horse Mesa - 50 miles distant (1927)
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Wild Horse Mesa, a bit closer, officially named Kaiparowits Plateau in 1908. (1928)
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Bald Rocks that are Bald!! The only eastern entrance into the land which was to follow. (1927)
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Riding the Trail across the Bald Rocks. (1928)
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A narrow ledge on the Bald Rocks. Here, Lauri's horse slid about 20 feet tothe place where he is shown. No casualties. (1927
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Bald Rocks (1928)
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Additional Image in the Bald Rocks (click to enlarge)