Procession Panel in Butler Wash

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Butler Wash runs parallel to Comb Wash, which is a 600-foot-high sandstone monocline. Procession Panel is accessed from Butler Wash, but is only a few hundred feet from Comb Wash. It is a 1.25 mile from the carpark to the panel, with a 550' elevation gain.

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Hiking to Procession Panel

Crossing Butler Wash was no picnic, as it is overcrowded with tamarisks (also known as Salt Cedar). We did see lots of more interesting plant life. We also found a smaller panel of petroglyphs.


Prickly Pear cactus

Sheila on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel
Petroglyphs on way to Procession Panel



Procession Panel

Reportedly, there are 179 petroglyph figures in a procession on this panel. Some of the figures are carrying items, some are using canes. The right line of figures even wrap around the corner of the main rock face. To us, the panel obviously seems to be telling a migration story. We suspect that this pass may have been used as a route over Comb Wash. The panel depicts several atlatls (drawn as a line transected with a smaller ellipse at one end), a weapon which pre-dates the bow and arrow. This gives a clue to how old at least portions of this rock art is.
Procession Panel - panoramic
Vicki at Procession Panel
Procession Panel - detail Sheila Day taking photos at Procession Panel
Procession Panel - detailSheila Day and Vicki Jedlicka at Procession Panel
Procession Panel - detail
Procession Panel - detail
Procession Panel - detail
Procession Panel - detail Procession Panel - detail
view from Procession Panel

(Go to Vicki and Sheila's August/September 2005 Vacation main page)