Chalfant Petroglyphs

I spent the afternoon with a coworker, touring Great Basin petroglyph sites on the Volcanic Tablelands east of Bishop. The motifs of this particular site are unique among any of those that I've seen, the most provocative designs being large circles (perhaps 5 feet across) with intricate interior patterns and what we came to refer to as "coyote penguins," tall stick figures with bunny ears and long noses (there are two facing away from each other in the panel above). It's been a couple years since I went on a rock art hunt; I had forgotten how much joy it brings me. It's a unique kind of fulfillment, finding a new site, taking in the distinctive designs, speculating on the people that created them and why they did so--even just being out in the deep quiet of western desert.