Our next stop sees us driving down the road along the opposite side of the Colorado River and then a few miles into the desert along well-graded gravel roads. Our destination is the famous Birthing Panel. The site is well marked and a wooden fence around the boulder on which the panel is carved makes some attempt to protect this treasure.
Nick and I leave the car and walk out a few yards to examine the rock art etched into this large house-sized boulder. It's quite unique in my experience. I've visited a lot of rock art sites all over the western states and I can't recall seeing an image of a woman giving birth, complete with the umbilical cord connecting mother to infant. Perhaps this image represents the birth of a chieftain or other important figure to the artist. Regardless, it demonstrates the great similarities that bind all humans in birth, life, and death.
There are other images here as well including centipedes, bear tracks and sheep. As we make our way back towards the car, I hear a man's voice yell in pain along the distant side of the canyon we are in. As my eyes scan for the source of the vocalization, I see a pair of mountain bike riders on a trail on that side. Apparently, he had fallen off his bike, but after a moment or two, he's back on it and riding again. I guess it wasn't anything serious. For now, we're going to head back towards Moab and settle for the night.
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