Sears Point

 

      Carrizo Overlook from our campsite looking north

We wanted to get an early start on the Sears petroglyph site, so Carrizo Overlook was an easy choice. The ground flowers were everywhere, so we enjoyed them while having coffee, before getting back on highway 8 towards Yuma.

The traffic wasn't bad on the 80 miles to Yuma. After a fuel stop, we took about half an hour to get to the turnoff for Spot Road. Our plan was to go about 5 miles in and find some decent place to camp, just before the washboarded road runs into the sand washes that were once the Gila River. We had e-bikes with 2.3 inch tires to do the remaining 2 or 3 miles to the Sears Petroglyph site. We camped on a solid desert pavement flat spot, across from some off road types with a generator and toys. Plenty of room for everyone and they were friendly. It was a little windy, but not to the point of blowing sand yet. We unloaded the bikes and got going.

Kathy heading out on road that was a little sandy in sections

(click to enlarge, x to get back)

The views were expansive and the horizon seemed endless. Once we got to the sandy sections, Kathy's and my riding styles became somewhat different. Her philosophy was to go to level 5 (the max) pedal assist and go fast enough to stay on top of the sand as long as no mistakes or whims of fate took her by surprise. My approach was to use level 3 and struggle a bit more with the front end taking off this was or the other. She had a big smile whenever I would catch up. 

Saguaro Cactus

We got to a few muddy parts and had some question about our intended goal, but made it to the signed site without too much trouble. Locked the bikes together behind some trees and proceeded to the info boards. We had seen no  one to this point, and everything was open dirt except for some marginal fences to keep OHV out.

The surrounding area was mostly volcanic large rock boulders with perhaps 300 feet of elevation from the desert floor. I could see that there was at least a mile of similar terrain towards the west. The area had faint trails that I am sure had nothing to do with indigenous occupation. We took one and were quickly rewarded with some petroglyphs.

My go to authority on rock art is Don Liponi, a San Diego native who was the main author of "La Rumorosa Rock Art Along the Border", although many other subject matter experts are quoted therein. He is a true friend of the Kumeyaay tribes and has helped provide the members with avenues toward recognition and education. 

He says " Sears Point is the eastern frontier of Patayan landscape when it meets Honokam culture." Lowland Yuman, such as Quechan, Mohave, Maricopa, Kumeyaay, Cocopah etc. are historic descendants of the Patayan. The Hohokam were the pit dwelling archaic base east of  Sears Point (see my post before this one). Lipponi says of the the Sears Point rock art "here we have some familiar Patayan or Yuman elements such as multiple sunbursts, rectangular grids, geometric forms including some possibly stylized snake representations, centipedes and perhaps some anthropomorphs."

Kathy with welcome sign (it is also on the art to her left)

One of the best rock art sites that I have visited. We saw no other people on this visit, but heard some OHV stuff  beyond the site. This is a very unusual place of peace and time.