Hidden in the sierras of Baja California, in some of the most forbidding terrain, are thousands of brilliantly painted images and deeply etched petroglyphs that have survived for centuries in remote caves and shelters. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, there are more than 80 caves with layers of pictographs and numerous petroglyphs-many off limits to tourists or just too hard to get to. In March 2022, I was able to participate in a rigorous mule trip into these canyons and arroyos to see a small fraction of these ancient images. Guided by local vaqueros, riding mules, and accompanied by 12 burros who carried all our gear, we stayed near ranchos down in three canyons where local Californios live in some of the most remote locations. This presentation will highlight portions of this incredible 20+ kilometer trip with a total elevation gain & loss of 10,000 feet, to see amazing pictographs that the Mexican archaeological bureau (INAH) dates to be more than 10,000 year old. In addition, you will learn about some of the ranch families who still live near the caves and how they survive in this challenging environment. Most people will not be able to visit these caves to see these amazing images, so this virtual field trip will give you the opportunity to see pictographs that are larger-than-life and include whales, turtles, manta rays, fish, eagles, deer, bighorns and giant people-more than 7-8 feet tall painted on cave ceilings and walls.
When presented this field trip had American Sign Language (ASL) Interpretation. We apologize that this version posted on KZread does not include ASL as we were not clear in our contract with the Interpreters that we planned to post it on KZread. Therefore this posted version includes only the speaker intro and main presentation.