The final petroglyph area along Fish Slough Road is another few miles beyond the Chidago site and is by far the most extensive. This area is large enough that past visitors have worn several trails in and around the decorated boulders.
Walking around the area, I note humanoid figures and even something that resembles an ancient Greek hydra. Boulders have panels carved into them along most of the flat surfaces and in some cases, the artist must have squeezed himself between two of them in order to scratch his marks in the stone.
I continue walking around the area and find a figure that appears to represent the mythological thunderbird. I've only seen this figure a couple of other times, but it always stirs my imagination. I've often wondered if these birds ever truly existed (or still do). Some theories suggest they ride the cold air currents preceding storms and scoop up the swarms of insects caught in the updrafts. Much like bigfoot, the thunderbird will live in our legends for now.
As for me, I finish the mile or so of trails in and around the boulders before returning to the jeep. It's been a busy morning and I decide to take a few minutes to eat some lunch. I brought along a cooler with some homemade orzo-spinach salad and decide to enjoy it from the front bumper of my jeep while I watch other visitors explore the rock art.
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