Day 3 in the San Rafael Swell

We were all pretty tired from our hike down Muddy Creek the day before, so there was nothing too strenuous on the schedule for our last day in the San Rafael Swell.

From our camp at Tomsich Butte, we could see the ore chutes and dark tunnels of the Dirty Devil uranium mine complex just begging to be explored. State and federal government have been reclaiming many historical mining sites around the state including tearing down mining-era structures and sealing off mines. For whatever reason they haven't reached this area yet, and you're free to poke through the remains and peak inside the tunnels which date back to the 1950s.

Great views of Hondu Arch can be found from the Dirty Devil mines.

On the way out of the Swell, we stopped at the pictograph panel in Temple Wash. The graffiti there has gotten out of control and I didn't feel like I could get a decent photo.

The disappointing Temple Wash pictographs meant we had to find the much more elusive, and thankfully nearly pristine pictograph panel in Wild Horse Canyon.

A shallow slot with moderately good striped crossbeds makes the sand slog up Wild Horse Canyon bearable.

The Wild Horse panel will not wow you with its size or color. What makes this site so special is the incredibly fine detail that is so exquisitely preserved. You can see tiny drops of blood dripping from a snake-like creature's mouth. Locks of hair and a flying serpent's feathers are all clearly visible.