Denis Julien Inscription 1836

Gopher Flats
Moab, UT
May 23, 2018

About the time we returned home from the gym we got a call from Scott inviting us and Dee to tag along with him and his wife Chris on an exploring adventure.  We quickly said yes, packed a cooler full of waters and a couple of almond butter and grape jelly sandwiches and apples.  I love exploring !  Just as we were headed out the door, Dee stopped by and asked if we wanted to ride with her...even better!  

Our drive for the day was out Mineral Bottom Rd which is about 18 miles total from Hwy 313 to the Green River.  Its a beautiful easy drive through the desert...

 until you reach the section that drops into the canyon.  From here it's a steep, curvy shelf road with sheer drop offs...

  exhilarating views...

and dramatic cliff walls.

Once on the canyon floor, our first stop was for lunch.  We enjoyed the shade from some magnificent cottonwood trees.

Somehow, I failed to get pictures of the humans.  But who could resist this beautiful face?  Zooni belongs to Scott and Chris and is such a sweet, loving, and  well-mannered pup.




With tummies full and after lots of laughs, we headed east on the trail.  We did pass an old mine...it's barely visible in the picture below.  See where the talus rocks change color under the cliff rocks?  The mine is the white spot just above the lighter rocks.

 It wasn't long before we were hugging the Green River.  Here the trail became a little more rutted and narrow.  

Our goal was to see the Denis Julien 1836 Inscription which is listed in the U.S. Register of Historical Places.  The facts known about Julien's life and trading and trapping career are few.  There are eight recorded Julien inscriptions in Utah dated 1831 - 1841.  The 1836 carving is the most well known.  It is located at the mouth of Hell Roaring Canyon and includes his name, the day and month, the year, a crude picture of a boat with a mast, and another mysterious  symbol "that has been variously interpreted to be a flying sun or a bird in flight".  The following excerpt and photo were from an article Scott sent us about Julien.

 Today, this is what the site looks like...

 There were also other notable carvings.

There was a notebook on the site we found interesting.  It gave some information about Julien and this inscription.  

It was such a fun day.  For those who are not afraid of heights it's a great trail and well worth the few hours to explore.  

Instead of taking the highway back to Moab, we decided it would be more fun to take Long Canyon Trail.  

Until next time, happy days and...

HAPPY TRAILS !

Sally is feeling much better !  Stitches are out and the incision only has one little scab left to heal.  

And, we wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day!